PRESS STATEMENT

EMPOWERING PARLIAMENT: UNDP AND MALAYSIA PLEDGE CONTINUED COLLABORATION TO TACKLE INSTITUTIONAL STRENGTHENING, TALENT AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

Kuala Lumpur, 15 April 2024-- The Parliament of Malaysia and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are set to renew their cooperation, which encompasses the Special Select Committees system in Dewan Rakyat, institutional strengthening, capacity building and youth development, until 2025. This renewal builds upon the successful partnership between UNDP and the Parliament of Malaysia from 2019 to 2023.

Mr. Haoliang Xu, the Associate Administrator of UNDP, paid a courtesy call on the Speaker of the House of Representatives, YB Tan Sri Dato' (Dr.) Johari bin Abdul in Parliament, during his visit to Malaysia today.

During the meeting, YB Tan Sri Dato' Johari and Mr. Xu engaged in fruitful discussions on various areas of mutual interest, delving particularly on the strengthening of governance systems and the empowerment of Parliament in key development areas including the environment, climate change, and poverty.

Mr. Xu was appointed UN Under-Secretary-General and UNDP Associate Administrator by the United Nations Secretary-General in June 2023. Prior to this, he held various high-level positions within the UN system, including UN Assistant Secretary-General, UNDP Assistant Administrator and Director of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, and UNDP Assistant Administrator and Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific from September 2013 to July 2019.