ISLAMABAD: His Excellency Ambassador Dato’ Mohammad Azhar Mazlan, High Commissioner of Malaysia to Pakistan, delivered an academic discourse session with students of the National University of Modern Languages (NUML), Islamabad.
Ambassador Dato’ Azhar was accompanied by Mr. Mohammad Syafik Firdaus Bin Hasbullah, Counsellor and Mr. Muhammad Zulasri Bin Rosdi, First Secretary of the High Commission. The High Commissioner was received by Maj Gen (Retd) Shahid Mahmood Kayani HI(M), Rector of NUML, Islamabad. The event was attended by faculty members, staff, and students of the University.
Ambassador Dato’ Azhar presented an overview of Malaysia’s historical development, bilateral relations with Pakistan, and key economic sectors, including palm oil, semiconductors, aerospace, and the halal industry. He underscored and recapped Malaysia’s role as the ASEAN Chair in 2025, stressing the country’s priorities in promoting regional stability, economic growth, and deeper ASEAN engagement with South Asia.
The High Commissioner also elaborated on Malaysia’s foreign policy priorities and highlighted the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Program (MTCP), which plays a pivotal role in capacity-building and development cooperation between Malaysia and Pakistan. He informed the participants that around 800 Officials from Pakistan have attended the MTCP Courses from Malaysia. Education was a key focus of the session, with Ambassador Dato’ Azhar encouraging Pakistani students to explore higher education opportunities in Malaysia, which offers internationally recognised academic standards and a conducive learning environment. He noted that, as of 2026, nearly 7,000 Pakistani students are studying in Malaysian universities.
In his vote of thanks, Brig. Muhammad Rafique Khan, Director General of NUML warmly welcomed Ambassador Dato’ Azhar and expressed his sincere gratitude for his distinguished visit to the National University of Modern Languages. He termed the occasion historic, marking the first visit of a Malaysian High Commissioner to NUML since its establishment.
He appreciated His Excellency’s insightful address on Pakistan-Malaysia bilateral relations, noting its strong alignment with NUML’s mission of promoting languages and intercultural understanding. He reaffirmed the university’s commitment to strengthening academic collaboration with Malaysian universities through joint research, exchange programs, seminars, and publications. He concluded by thanking His Excellency for his support of educational and social cooperation between Malaysia and Pakistan, and acknowledged the contributions of the Malaysian High Commission, NUML faculty, and students in making the engagement meaningful.
The event concluded with an interactive Question-and-Answer session, followed by the serving of Malaysian national dishes such as Nasi Lemak, Mee Goreng Mamak and Karipap pastries.
This session forms part of the High Commission’s ongoing initiatives to strengthen bilateral ties through educational, cultural, and economic engagement, while fostering people-to-people linkages between Malaysia and Pakistan.
