KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 16 — Dewan Rakyat Speaker, Tan Sri Johari Abdul, began an official visit to Thailand yesterday to strengthen parliamentary ties between the nations.

A statement from the Malaysian Parliament announced that Johari held bilateral talks with the President of the National Assembly and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, to discuss strategic issues affecting the Asean region.

"During the meeting, the Dewan Rakyat Speaker also shared Malaysia’s preparations to chair the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) in September,” the statement read.

In his capacity as the 46th AIPA president, Johari extended an invitation to Wan Muhamad Noor and Thai senators to participate in the session, which will be held in Kuala Lumpur.

He then met with the Thai Senate president, Mongkol Surajja, to explore ways to strengthen collaboration between Asean legislative institutions and enhance bilateral ties between the legislative bodies of Thailand and Malaysia.

The Malaysian Parliament remains committed to advancing sustainable development and steering Asean towards a more progressive and inclusive future, the statement concluded. — Bernama