The Vice Chairman of the National Assembly visits the Embassy and meets with representatives of the Vietnamese community in Malaysia.

The delegates attending the meeting.

"The Vietnamese community in Malaysia is fundamentally united, hardworking, and possesses a spirit of mutual support and assistance in life; they have a strong sense of patriotism; they always trust in the leadership of the Party and the State, and are joyful and enthusiastic about the achievements of the country's reform and development," the Ambassador emphasized.

Speaking at the meeting, representatives of the Vietnamese diaspora, on behalf of the Malaysia-Vietnam Friendship Association, the Vietnamese Language Club, the Business Association, and Vietnamese students, expressed their emotion at meeting Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Khac Dinh and the delegation visiting and working in Malaysia. They also, through the Vice Chairman of the National Assembly and the delegation, requested that the Party, State, and National Assembly continue to pay attention to and create favorable conditions for the Vietnamese community abroad in general, and the Vietnamese community in Malaysia in particular, to continue contributing to the country's development; support the teaching of the Vietnamese language; provide timely rewards to encourage individuals and groups actively involved in teaching the Vietnamese language; and support and strengthen connections between Vietnamese businesses in Malaysia and domestic and international businesses.

On behalf of the National Assembly leadership and the delegation, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Khac Dinh cordially extended his warmest greetings, best wishes, and heartfelt sentiments from home to the staff of the Embassy and Vietnamese expatriates and students living, working, and studying in Malaysia.

The Vice Chairman of the National Assembly stated that since the establishment of diplomatic relations on March 30, 1973, Vietnam-Malaysia relations have gone through a long journey of more than 50 years of building and development, with an important milestone being the signing of the Joint Declaration on the Framework for Strategic Partnership on August 7, 2015, which is even more special as Vietnam is Malaysia's only strategic partner in ASEAN.

The relationship between the legislative bodies of the two countries has also been continuously strengthened and enhanced on a bilateral level and within the frameworks of inter-parliamentary forums of which both sides are members, such as AIPA, IPU, and APPF, supporting each other's positions on regional and international issues of common concern. On the occasion of attending the 44th AIPA General Assembly held in Indonesia in August 2023, the Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly met with the Speaker of the Malaysian House of Representatives; the two Chairmen agreed to strengthen relations between the two parliaments commensurate with the excellent political relations between the two countries.

Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Nguyen Khac Dinh delivered a speech at the meeting.

At the meeting, the Vice Chairman of the National Assembly informed the embassy staff and overseas Vietnamese students about the situation in the country, and about the profound sorrow of the entire nation, overseas Vietnamese, and international friends as they bid farewell to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong – a leader who made many great and outstanding contributions to the glorious revolutionary cause of the Party and the nation. The Vice Chairman of the National Assembly highly appreciated the Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia, along with 93 other Vietnamese representative offices abroad, for solemnly organizing a memorial service and opening a condolence book to commemorate General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

The Vice Chairman of the National Assembly also informed the attendees about the socio-economic situation in the first seven months of 2024 and some activities of the National Assembly from the beginning of 2024 to the present, including the National Assembly's approval of the Land Law, which took effect five months earlier than initially planned. This law, with many significant changes, has expanded land use rights for Vietnamese people residing abroad, creating a favorable environment for them to invest and do business in their homeland. The law clarifies that land users who are Vietnamese people residing abroad include "Vietnamese people residing abroad who are Vietnamese citizens" and "people of Vietnamese origin residing abroad," along with specific and detailed regulations expanding the rights and obligations regarding land use, and the land management and use regime for these two groups. For Vietnamese people residing abroad who are Vietnamese citizens, the law stipulates that they have the same rights, obligations, and access to land as individuals in the country.

The Vice Chairman of the National Assembly expressed his pleasure and highly appreciated the efforts of the Vietnamese community in recent times, noting their unity, successful integration, and adherence to local laws, gradually asserting their position and making positive contributions to the development of Malaysia, thus acting as a positive factor in promoting friendly relations between the two countries. The Vietnamese community in Malaysia has actively implemented various activities and achieved some outstanding results, fostering unity, care, and community cohesion, making a significant contribution to promoting economic relations, investment, trade, and tourism between Vietnam and Malaysia. The community's contribution to Malaysia's development has also been acknowledged by the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia.

“The Party and the State have always considered the Vietnamese community abroad, including the Vietnamese community in Malaysia, as an inseparable part of the national unity bloc, and as one of the driving forces and sources of strength for the country's development. The achievements in national development today are significantly contributed to by the community of over 5.3 million Vietnamese people in more than 130 countries worldwide, including 30,000 in Malaysia,” the Vice Chairman of the National Assembly affirmed.

Looking ahead, the Vice Chairman of the National Assembly hopes and believes that the Vietnamese expatriate community in Malaysia will continue to develop, unite, and remain oriented towards the homeland; always caring for and nurturing love for the homeland in future generations, educating them about their roots, and maintaining the Vietnamese language; strengthening the bonds, contributions, and joint efforts of each individual, Vietnamese association, and the entire community in Malaysia for a united, strong, reputable, and respected community in the host society; and serving as a bridge for friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries.

Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Khac Dinh poses for a commemorative photo with officials and staff of the Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia and representatives of the Vietnamese community in Malaysia. (Photo: VNA)

Regarding some of the concerns, aspirations, and suggestions of the people, the Vice Chairman of the National Assembly expressed his sympathy, shared his views, and acknowledged the opinions and recommendations. He stated that he would instruct relevant ministries, departments, and agencies to focus on compiling and researching them, and to promptly develop appropriate solutions in a timely and thorough manner.

The National Assembly has always given attention to, supported, and created the most favorable conditions for Vietnamese representative agencies abroad to operate effectively, contributing to the protection, construction, and development of the country. Emphasizing this, the Vice Chairman of the National Assembly stated that in April 2024, the Standing Committee of the National Assembly reviewed and agreed on the principle and content of amending and supplementing Decree 08/2019/ND-CP dated January 23, 2019, which stipulates certain regimes for members of Vietnamese agencies abroad, to ensure better remuneration for members of Vietnamese agencies abroad, in line with the potential, position, and economic conditions of the country in the new situation and the specific characteristics of the foreign affairs sector...

The Vice Chairman of the National Assembly highly appreciated and commended the Ambassador and the entire staff of the Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia for their efforts in successfully fulfilling the tasks assigned by the Party, State, and Government. In particular, they have done a good job in working with overseas Vietnamese, contributing to strengthening ties and supporting the community during difficult times.

The Vice Chairman of the National Assembly suggested that, in the coming period, the Ambassador and the entire staff of the Embassy continue to strive to successfully complete the assigned political tasks, and promptly propose to the State and Government measures to consolidate and promote the enhanced Strategic Partnership with Malaysia.

On behalf of the National Assembly leadership and the delegation, the Vice Chairman of the National Assembly wished the community members good health, happiness, success in their studies, and prosperity in their businesses; and wished the staff of the Embassy continued unity, consensus, initiative, and creativity in fulfilling their political duties and making positive contributions to the cause of national construction and defense.