Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai said yesterday that the aim of his visit to Malaysia was to honour the friendly relations between Macao and Malaysia, build stronger consensus and take practical cooperation between the two sides to a new level, according to a statement by the Macao Government Information Bureau (GCS) today.
In a speech delivered at a reception hosted by the MSAR Government in Kuala Lumpur, Sam said Macao aspired to serve as a strong bridge supporting deeper strategic cooperation between Malaysia and the Chinese mainland, fostering mutual benefit, shared success and synergistic growth.
Malaysia’s Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Tiong King Sing, Malaysia’s Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Sim Tze Tzin, Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Ouyang Yujing and MSAR Secretary for Economy and Finance Dora Ng Wai Han were among the officiating guests of the event.
Sam told the gathering that China and Malaysia enjoy a deep, generation-spanning friendship – as close neighbours, sincere partners, and trusted friends who share a brotherly bond. He recalled that, in April 2025, President Xi Jinping paid a historic state visit to Malaysia, during which the two countries agreed to build a high-level strategic China-Malaysia community with a shared future. The visit ushered in a brand-new “golden 50 years” for bilateral relations, with the landmark agreement injecting fresh momentum into regional peace, prosperity and development, while unlocking significant opportunities for Macao to deepen its cooperation with Malaysia, Sam said.
Sam also said that Macao and Malaysia are bound by history as pivotal nodes along the “Maritime Silk Road”, enjoying deep cultural affinity and enduring ties. Capitalising on the convenience of mutual visa-free entry policies and direct flights between the two places, bilateral cooperation has flourished across trade, investment, tourism, conventions and exhibitions (MICE), and education, Sam said, pointing out that Malaysia is not only a vital source of international visitors for Macao, but also a partner with immense potential in cultural exchanges, educational cooperation, and the promotion of Muslim-friendly tourism.
Sam noted that the MSAR Government released last month its Third Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the MSAR (2026-2030) and was now moving forward with its implementation. The blueprint closely aligns Macao’s development goals with national strategies, strengthens the city’s competitive edge and enables it to better serve the country’s overall development, Sam said. As part of this work, Sam said, the MSAR Government is fully committed to realising its vision of a “Law-based Macao”, a “Vibrant Macao”, a “Cultural Macao”, and a “Blissful Macao”.
Sam also noted that the the country unveiled last year its 13th Malaysia Plan, mapping out a bold development blueprint for the next five years.
Sam stressed that Macao seeks to strengthen coordination with Malaysia in macro-level planning, expressing hope that the two sides would promote sustainable growth and improve wellbeing of their respective peoples by deepening practical cooperation, namely in tourism and MICE, the digital economy, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), green energy, and cross-boundary e-commerce.
Sam urged members of the business delegation accompanying him on the official visit to three Southeast Asian countries – including representatives from Macao, Hengqin, and the Chinese mainland – to seize this opportunity to enhance communication and deepen mutual trust with their Malaysian counterparts. He invited people from all sectors in Malaysia to visit Macao for business exploration, strategic investment, and leisure travel.
Sam also mentioned that the Belt and Road (B&R) Scholarships for study in Macao are now fully accessible to students from Malaysia. He encouraged talented young people in the country to apply for the programme and pursue higher education in Macao or in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin. This, he added, would help cultivate the robust talent reserve needed to sustain and drive the continuous growth of bilateral ties between Macao and Malaysia.
In his speech, Tiong said that Malaysia occupies a crucial position within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). He noted that, on one hand, ASEAN’s overall economy has sustained growth in recent years, making its market increasingly attractive to international businesses; Macao, on the other hand, is part of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), a region with a vast consumer market and innovation capabilities.
Tiong said that Malaysia and Macao have the potential to strengthen connectivity between their networks, enabling businesses to pursue broader development opportunities linking ASEAN and the Greater Bay Area.
Tiong emphasised that Malaysia is willing to actively respond to requests for strengthened cooperation in trade, tourism, and education. He expressed hope that the visit by the MSAR delegation led Sam would open additional avenues for collaboration. Both sides could actively improve conditions and connections to enable businesses, educational institutions, tourism operators, and cultural groups from Malaysia and Macao to participate in and generate tangible results from cooperation, he said.
He added that Malaysia and Macao could promote sustainable tourism exchanges and jointly develop new tourism products. Industry participants in both places could conduct thorough market research into areas including travel routes, joint promotional initiatives, and more convenient air connections, boosting tourism cooperation. An increase in visitor numbers would benefit not only the tourism industry but also the catering, retail and MICE sectors, as well as the wider local economies, Tiong said.
Cooperation in education is also worth pursuing in the long term, Tiong said. Exchange programmes, including those involving young people and students, would foster friendship and mutual understanding, providing a natural and solid foundation for future Malaysia-Macao cooperation, he said. Tiong welcomed the establishment of more direct links between universities and different industries, particularly tertiary institutions specialising in tourism and related fields.
Eight cooperation agreements were signed at the reception, covering trade and investment, tourism promotion, cultural tourism, higher education, industry-academia-research cooperation, halal certification, and training of TCM professionals.
After their eight-day official visit to Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia, Sam and his entourage are slated to return to Macao tomorrow.
Editor's note: Unabridged English-language GCS statement edited by the Post.
Caption: Macao SAR Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai addresses an official reception hosted by the Macao Special Administrative Region Government in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, yesterday. - Photo: GCS
