Manila: The heads of government of Malaysia and the Philippines will be working at improved connectivity between the two Southeast Asian nations to promote economic development.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad, during his two-day visit to the Philippines to meet President Rodrigo Duterte, said among the important issues discussed in the bilateral engagement was the matter of “connectivity.”

“One of the main priority areas where cooperation could be exerted is to enhance connectivity which is vital to promoting economic development,” the 93-year-old Mahathir said.

The Southern portion of the Philippines, particularly, Tawi-Tawi, Sulu, Basilan and the Zamboanga peninsula is closer in distance to Malaysia than it is to Manila.

For generations, commerce had prospered between Malaysia’s Sabah state and Western Mindanao.

However, border restrictions drawn up by the new nation states had limited the flow of commerce during the late 1970s.

But Malaysia and the Philippines are working to regain healthy commercial relations.

The two countries were among the prime movers in the Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines-East Asia Grown Area (BIMP-EAGA). The group, established during the 1990s, is a sub-regional economic cooperation initiative that aims to maximise the proximity among member states to improve trans-border movement of commerce.

Malaysia and the Philippines have been actively involved in the BIMP-EAGA and could use this platform to assist the Mindanao Development Authority.

Members of the BIMP EAGA are largely archipelagic countries.

“The trade between both countries are increasing, but they are largely in favour of Malaysia,” Mahathir admitted, adding: “I believe there is still room for improvement and from my meeting with President Duterte, we would encourage private sectors from both countries to explore opportunities of collaboration and venture in new cooperation and investments,” he said.

Duterte, for his part, said he agrees that sustained cooperation within the BIMP-EAGA sub region will play a critical role, not only in the economic development of the sub-region, but also for ensuring security therein.

“I have personally seen significant headways that spurred and sustained economic communities in the BIMP-EAGA sub-region through which active socio-cultural and economic interchange across borders and enhanced cooperation between customs, immigration, quarantine and security matters,” the Philippine leader said.

Extremism

Mahathir and Duterte also discussed matters pertaining to extremism, an issue that both countries confront.

“Malaysia is committed to take the necessary steps to address the serious issue of terrorism and violent extremism through the Trilateral Cooperation Agreement. Under this framework, Malaysia and the Philippines together with Indonesia have agreed to undertake unilateral maritime and air patrols to tackle the growing security challenges,” Mahathir said.

The Philippines is ranked as Malaysia’s 15th largest trading partner globally and fourth largest trading partner among member countries of the regional bloc, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Official records also show there are 620,043 Filipinos in Malaysia.