During his visit to observe Cambodia’s upcoming election, the Speaker of the Malaysian Parliament, Tan Sri Dato Johari bin Abdul, met with Prime Minister Hun Sen on the morning of July 21. During their meeting he expressed his admiration of Phnom Penh’s rapid development.

The Speaker of the Malaysian Parliament said that he could not believe that Phnom Penh had grown with so many high-rise buildings and a maze of paved roads. He recalled a trip he made to Kampong Cham province in 2000, where the roads were so bumpy that he likened his experience to a boat trip on the sea.

He said that he had read many books on the history of Prime Minister Hun Sen and that he now understands his struggles in going through hardships like family separation to liberate the country from the Khmer Rouge regime. He admired the PM’s ability to lead the country towards progress and national unity that he said leaders of ASEAN countries should learn from and follow

Prime Minister Hun Sen expressed his gratitude for the kind words of admiration and added that he had worked very hard despite his painful history and gradually built the country from scratch, starting at the end of the war. He said that Cambodia had experienced a golden opportunity over the last 24 years to unite as a single territory, without discrimination on the basis of race or religion. He praised the Kingdom’s freedom, democracy and economic growth.

"Despite Cambodia experiencing a series of economic crises, the Covid-19 pandemic and the current war between Russia and Ukraine, Cambodia has been able to maintain a steady [economic] growth rate and hopes to maintain a growth rate of more than 5% in 2023," he said.

The Prime Minister continued by crediting the leadership of the Cambodian People's Party, for maintaining harmony amongst all religions. He noted that Muslims have the right to freedom, progress, non-discrimination and have important roles in national and regional institutions.

Prime Minister Hun Sen said that the bilateral relations between Cambodia and Malaysia have undergone a series of changes towards progress in all fields, especially trade. "We have exchanged visits in the past. [Most recently] the visit of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to Cambodia in early 2023, further strengthening and expanding bilateral ties," he said.

The Prime Minister and Speaker of the National Assembly of Malaysia agreed to further strengthen and expand the ASEAN framework in which the two countries need to assist each other, especially in regards to climate change and food security by increasing connectivity between countries in renewable energy and food production in the region.