PRIME MINISTER NAJIB:
I have the distinct pleasure to welcome Prime Minister Tony Abbott to Malaysia to his first official visit. Prime Minister Abbott and I have been in very, very close contact over the last few months, ever since the search for Malaysia Airlines aircraft Flight MH370 and the downing of aircraft Flight MH17.
I have an enormous respect for Prime Minister Abbott, as a colleague and as a friend. His response to these two tragedies has been resolute and has shown admirable empathy for the effected families. I have said it before and I will say it again – during these difficult times Australia has proven itself to be an invaluable friend, having offered its assistance and cooperation without hesitation or delay.
My meeting with Prime Minister Abbott was very, very constructive and fruitful. We discussed many issues and of course the way forward for both MH370 and MH17 were high on our agenda. I expressed profound gratitude on behalf of the Government of Malaysia and Malaysian people for his leadership role and his ongoing support and resources dedicated to this complex and challenging exercise to search for MH370. In this regard, the signing of the MOU between the Government of Malaysia and Australia in relation to MH370 will provide the framework and broad parameters for cooperation in the search for MH370. Prime Minister Abbott and I reaffirm our commitment and unwavering support to continue with the search for MH370. We are fully conscious that we owe it to the families of the passengers and crew members of MH370 in finding the answers.
Malaysia offers its deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences to the family’s next-of-kin of the loved ones of the 27 Australian citizens who lost their lives in the tragedy of MH17. As Malaysians, we fully feel the deep pain and grief they’re undergoing. Both Prime Minister Abbott and I are resolved to intensify our efforts and continue to work closely together with other international partners, including in the Netherlands and Ukraine, to ensure that the remaining victims are soon reunited with their families. We intend to send our teams to the crash site as soon as possible so that the resulting efforts can resume.
Malaysia demands a full, independent, and transparent international investigation into the incident, in accordance with relevant international conventions. The objective of bringing to justice for those responsible for this crime must be realised. To this end, I have highlighted to Prime Minister Abbott that it is important for Malaysia and Australia to work together in a follow-up process of recovering other remains of the victims of MH17, investigation process of the air crash, as well as, ensuing criminal investigation.
Prime Minister Abbott and I expressed our great pleasure with the current state of Malaysia-Australia bilateral relations, characterised by our longstanding and substantive cooperation in many, many areas, including trade, investment, education, defence, and security. Our people-to-people links are broad and deep, fortified by active exchanges of visits at various levels, as well as, the cultural exchange programmes. I’m happy to acknowledge that education is an invaluable asset in our bilateral relations. Australia continues to be one of the popular destinations for Malaysian students to pursue their tertiary education, in addition with three branch campuses of Australian universities in Malaysia.
Defence cooperation is another pillar in our bilateral relations. Our longstanding cooperation evolving from the Five Power Defence Arrangement and further strengthened through Malaysia-Australia Joint Defence Programme. Malaysia appreciates the excellent defence relationship with Australia and the close interaction between our forces. Prime Minister Abbott and I reaffirm our commitment for continuous engagement in the defence sector. I am encouraged by your excellent cooperation in the security field which is extensive and multifaceted, covering areas such as counterterrorism, people smuggling and trafficking in persons, immigration, and transnational organised crime, amongst others.
Malaysia acknowledges that Australia has been an important and key economic partner for Malaysia, but Australia continues to be one of Malaysia’s top ten trading partners after all these years. In 2013, Australia was Malaysia’s ninth largest trading partner. Two-way goods and services trade was valued at $61.9 billion Ringgit in 2013, up from $46.2 billion Ringgit in 2010. This represents a 14.7 per cent increase over three years. In 2013, Australia’s total investment in Malaysia stood at $28.9 billion Ringgit, and Malaysia’s total investment in Australia was at $50.9 billion Ringgit.
Malaysia recognises freer mobility of business visitors, investors, and skilled professionals as the key ingredient to successful business relationships. I’d like to mention that business visitors, foreign fund managers, and investors, can apply for five year multiple entry visas from December this year. On finance cooperation, I am pleased to note that Australia has shown great interest in the development of Islamic finance.
I have reaffirmed Malaysia’s commitment in a Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement negotiation. The TPPA is an important undertaking – Malaysia wants to be part of it provided our concerns can be accommodated in a final outcome.
On Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership or RCEP, Prime Minister Abbott and I agreed that Malaysia and Australia are to continue working together to make progress in negotiations, and look forward to a substantive conclusion of the negotiations in 2015.
I'm happy to mention that Malaysia has formally accepted Australia's invitation to participate in this New Colombo Plan initiative beginning from next year. The New Colombo Plan will see interested Australian undergraduates coming to Malaysia for one or two semester studies in local universities, as well as, for mobility programmes such as internship in Malaysia.
Prime Minister Abbott and I exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest and concern. The developments in Syria and Iraq, particularly with the emergence of the so-called ISIS, is of deep concern to our two countries. Malaysia's stand is very clear – we will work closely together with international community because ISIS does not represent Islam. ISIS is a misnomer, ISIS does not do justice to Islam, and we will work closely together to meet this threat which we consider very serious to the international community.
Today's meeting has given us a sense of commitment. I think we both have this sense that the balance of ties between our two countries are not only strong and deep, but they're set to go even higher in the years to come. So I'd like once again to thank Prime Minister Abbott for his commitment, his leadership, and as well as his friendship towards Malaysia.
Let me hand over to my friend, Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
PRIME MINISTER ABBOTT:
Well thank you so much, Prime Minister. And thank you so much for so well covering the subject matters that we've dealt with over the last couple of hours.
As all of us know, Malaysia suffered two very heavy blows within four months of each other. No country, no government, no prime minister should be so subjected to the twists of cruel fate, but I have to say that Malaysia has responded to the tragedy of MH370 and the atrocity of MH17 with strength and resilience. And Prime Minister Najib has responded to these issues with wisdom, strength, and leadership. I could not have asked for a wiser or a stronger friend and counsellor in these testing and difficult times than Prime Minister Najib and I thank him for that. I thank him for his friendship. I thank him for his leadership.
We will not give up until we have found what's left of Flight MH370. We owe it to the families of the lost, we owe it to grieving countries, we owe it to the frightened and the curious all around the world, to do whatever we reasonably can to resolve this mystery. We will not rest until it is resolved and I'm delighted that Australia and Malaysia will be the strongest possible partners in this important task.
Likewise, we owe it to the families of the victims of MH17, to bring all of them home and not to rest until the perpetrators of this atrocity are brought to justice. As Prime Minister Najib has said, it's quite likely that there are remains still left strewn across the fields of Eastern Ukraine and we want to be absolutely confident that everything has been done to ensure that no-one is left untended and alone.
But while our dialogue, our conversation, our friendship has inevitably and necessarily been dominated by tragedy over the last few months, there is a fundamental strength and optimism to the friendship between Australia and Malaysia. It goes back a very long way indeed. Yes, from time to time there have been ups and downs in the political relationship, but between our people there has been a constantly growing and stronger friendship.
Some 300,000 Malaysians have been educated in Australia. In any one year about 20,000 Malaysians are studying in Australia, about 20,000 Malaysians are studying at Australian institutions here in Malaysia. But this is going to be more of a two-way street in the future than it's been in the past with the establishment of the New Colombo Plan and I'm delighted that the New Colombo Plan will commence here in Malaysia next year.
Australia has much to offer our region; our region has much to offer Australia. And the fragrant example of Malaysia as a tolerant, prosperous, and multicultural Muslim country and society is one that has much to teach not just Australia but the wider world. And our economic relationship does go from strength to strength. Two-way trade is $18 billion a year. It's grown by 15 per cent over the last three years. There's about $26 billion of two-way investment. I'm pleased to say that Malaysians do find Australia a safe and trustworthy country in which to invest and let there be full reciprocity in the months and years ahead.
But this is a good story, the story between Australia and Malaysia – a good story getting better. I can't think of a better colleague and a better friend as our two countries advance together into the future.
QUESTION:
Hello, sir. My question is, is there any alternative or discussion between Malaysia and Australia to salvage the wreckage of MH17 and to retrieve the bodies? And my second question is, is there both countries intent to build monument for MH370 to remember or respect all those who are lost, whether in Malaysia or Australia?
PRIME MINISTER ABBOTT:
In both of these matters Australia will be guided by the wishes of Malaysia and the wishes of the families of those who were lost. It's really up to them to decide what should happen if and when the wreckage is finally located. As you probably know, within a fortnight a new phase of the search will begin using the best available technology and that search will continue until all that is humanly possible to be done has been done to scour the probable impact zone.
In respect of a monument or memorial, it would be the intention of the Australian Government to erect some kind of fitting monument to those who perished on that flight at an appropriate point on the West Australian coastline. But again, this intention must be subject to the wishes of the Malaysian Government and the wishes of the families. But that would certainly be what we would be offering as Australians. What I've always said to the families of those who were lost on that flight is that you will find in Australia a welcome, comfort, and hopefully ultimately closure and peace.
QUESTION:
Prime Minister Najib, Nick Butterly from The West Australian. Could you outline exactly what concrete steps Malaysia is taking to get justice for the victims of Flight MH17? Are you confident that you will get some form of justice? And can I ask, is Malaysia any closer to understanding and do you think you will ever come to understand what caused the disappearance of Flight MH370?
PRIME MINISTER NAJIB:
As you know, we are doing our level best. First of all, we do have the intelligence reports as to what happened to MH17 and the intelligence reports are pretty conclusive. But what we do need to do next is to assemble the physical evidence, evidence that can be brought to the courts when the time comes so that it will be proven beyond any doubt that the plane was shot down, was shot down by heavy missile and this has to be proven in a court of law. So that is why we are very, very keen to re-enter the crash site especially before winter sets in. And we do need at least a few weeks. The Malaysian side together with Australia, the Netherlands, and the other countries, will want to comb the entire area because the area is pretty wide, not only to search for the body parts of the victims, but also to assemble the physical evidence as required. So once that process is completed we will then look at the criminal side which is to find out who is responsible for this atrocious crime. That, I agree with you, is more challenging because gathering evidence in a conflict area presents a host of serious problems, but we will endeavour to find out the truth and to bring those responsible to justice.
QUESTION:
Was there any discussion held on the new phase of search for MH370, as well as, the incurring costs?
PRIME MINISTER ABBOTT:
Well yes, it was discussed and it will commence in about a fortnight's time. It will utilise the best available technology. It will last as long as it needs to, to thoroughly scour the seabed of the probable impact zone and Malaysia and Australia will be contributing $60 million each which is roughly half each of the estimated total cost.
QUESTION:
Mark Kenny from Fairfax Media in Australia. Prime Minister Abbott, I wonder if I could ask you about comments made by your Foreign Minister Julie Bishop at the NATO summit in Wales. She's said that Australia is very keen to play a part in meeting the terrorist risk head on. Can you tell Australians about what that role will be? Can you be any clearer than you've been to date about what that role will be? And does it mean that Australian forces will definitely have some form of combat role along with the humanitarian aspect that you've referred to before?
PRIME MINISTER ABBOTT:
Well, there's no doubt that the murderous rage of the so-called ISIL movement does pose a threat, not just for people of Iraq and Syria, but to the people of the region and to the wider world. And I want to thank Prime Minister Najib for his very strong statement in the last week or so about the threat posed by this movement. He said that it was against God, it's against Islam, and it's against our common humanity, and I absolutely share his view. So, it does need to be tackled but as Prime Minister Najib and I agreed earlier today, it does need to be tackled on many different levels – on many different levels. Yes, it's important to respond to ISIL in the field, but it's also important to address the rage and madness which motivates the individuals who have misguidedly joined this movement which I describe not as a state, certainly not as a religious state, but as a death cult. That's what it is.
So Australia will do its part. We've certainly received no specific request as yet. We've made no specific decision to join a military response, we have not. But there are many countries which are considering what is best done to respond, not just Australia, not just the US, but the countries of the Middle East and the countries of the wider region and Australia will do what we can to help, but we will do so as part of a large international team and in full cooperation with the Iraqi government.
[ends]