Anwar wants Malaysia-Egypt education ties to go beyond Islamic studies

Malaysia and Egypt should expand their education cooperation beyond Islamic studies to include engineering, medicine, electrical and electronics, digital technology and artificial intelligence, says Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

At a joint press conference with Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Putrajaya today, Anwar said the move would be in line with growing demand for expertise in technical and professional fields.

He said Al-Azhar University remained an important institution for Islamic education, particularly in promoting the concept of wasatiyyah, or moderation.

“Education should cover other fields of study,” Bernama quoted him as saying.

Anwar also thanked Egypt for supporting the setting up of an Arabic centre in Malaysia after the visit of the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed El-Tayeb, and said Malaysia would continue working with Egypt through the relevant agencies on Islamic affairs.

He called for closer defence cooperation, including on defence requirements and joint training, despite the distance between the two countries.

Earlier, Anwar and El-Sisi held a one-on-one meeting before leading bilateral discussions on trade, investment and other areas, as well as regional and international developments.

The two leaders also witnessed the exchange of four memoranda of understanding covering women’s empowerment, higher education, tourism, and investment.

El-Sisi is on a two-day state visit at the invitation of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Ibrahim. It is his first visit to Malaysia since taking office in June 2014.

Egypt was Malaysia’s seventh-largest trading partner in Africa last year, with bilateral trade of RM3.08 billion. Malaysia’s exports to Egypt amounted to RM2.55 billion and imports RM530 million.

Trade rose 74.7% to RM3.49 billion from January to August this year.