By Ambassador of Malaysia to Timor-Leste, Fairuz Rozali
DÍLI, 27 October 2026 (TATOLI) – Timor-Leste marked the first anniversary of its admission to ASEAN as the organisation’s eleventh member. The Embassy of Malaysia in Dili joins the people of Timor-Leste in marking this milestone. The anniversary provides an opportunity to reflect on how our two countries can build on to deepen our longstanding relationship and contribute together to the regional peace and prosperity.
Timor-Leste’s admission took place at the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur during Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025. It placed Malaysia and Timor-Leste at the same ASEAN table, and gave the bilateral relationship an additional regional dimension. Malaysia values the opportunity to work with Timor-Leste bilaterally and across ASEAN’s institutions, sectoral bodies and programmes.
That partnership began well before ASEAN membership. As part of the wider international effort, Malaysian military and police personnel served in international missions in Timor-Leste from 1999 and in the years that followed, contributing during an important period of transition. Malaysia opened a Liaison Office in Dili on 13 April 2001, which was upgraded to an embassy in 2002. Malaysia recognised Timor-Leste as an independent sovereign state on 20 May 2002, the day its independence was restored. These early ties provided a foundation for enduring cooperation.
Over more than two decades, practical cooperation and links between institutions and people have expanded across education, public administration, health, trade, defence and connectivity. Through the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme, more than 1,300 Timorese participants have taken part in courses and technical assistance programmes. Timorese students have also studied at Malaysian institutions. These exchanges have fostered professional ties and active alumni networks that continue to connect our peoples and provide a basis for regular engagement and activities.
During Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, three groups of Timorese civil servants from various ministries and agencies undertook attachments with the logistics secretariat for Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship. In 2026, the Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations conducted two programmes in Dili – Diplomatic English for Hosting ASEAN Meetings in June, followed by Hosting ASEAN Meetings for Timor-Leste Officials in October. Following Timor-Leste’s accession, this cooperation has entered a new phase centred on active participation in ASEAN. Alongside these bilateral efforts, Malaysia works with development partners, including Australia and Japan, to deploy Malaysian experts through joint programmes. This approach broadens the reach of practical cooperation and complements the work undertaken directly between our two governments.
Recent high-level exchanges have given the relationship renewed momentum. The official visit of Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão to Malaysia in December 2024 reinforced this momentum, with progress in visa arrangements, diplomatic premises, and air connectivity, among others. Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s official visit to Timor-Leste in September 2025 advanced cooperation in higher education, telecommunications, media development, rural development and defence. President José Ramos-Horta’s special visit to Malaysia in June 2026 continued this engagement, with discussions covering trade, investment and economic development.
From the Embassy’s perspective, shared ASEAN membership provides a practical platform for closer cooperation in public administration, technical and professional education, ASEAN processes, and exchanges between officials, institutions and businesses. Such cooperation can develop progressively, guided by shared priorities and practical needs, with each country bringing its own experience and perspective to the partnership.
Malaysian-owned businesses already form part of Timor-Leste’s economic life. Embassy records list some 260 such businesses, many of them sole proprietorships and small enterprises, including restaurants and service businesses. Collectively, they contribute to local economic activity and help create employment opportunities for Timorese. Among them, Weststar has established a significant corporate presence through its aviation partnership with TIMOR GAP, supporting offshore operations and developing Timorese skills.
EPIC’s engagement with TIMOR GAP to explore cooperation on the Suai Supply Base points to potential collaboration in petroleum logistics. Building on this existing presence, the Embassy sees scope to strengthen business ties and encourage partnerships that respond to local needs and contribute to Timor-Leste’s development.
Air connectivity is helping bring our peoples closer. Batik Air and Aero Dili each operate three flights a week between Dili and Kuala Lumpur, providing more options for business, study, tourism and family visits. Through Kuala Lumpur International Airport’s extensive network, these services also give Timorese travellers access to onward connections across the region and to the wider world.
The Embassy looks forward to helping advance a partnership that strengthens links between our institutions and economies, expands opportunities for our peoples and enables both countries to contribute to a peaceful, connected and prosperous Southeast Asia. With trust built over many years and a common platform in ASEAN, there is every reason for this relationship to move forward as a partnership of equals.
TATOLI