Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Tuesday said he was pleased that Malaysia-Cambodia bilateral relations were very good and had been improving over the years.

Speaking exclusively to The Post, he said that while there may be some differences from time to time, they were insignificant and could be resolved through discussions.

For instance, he said despite Malaysia informing all its citizens in the Kingdom to obey and respect Cambodian laws, there were occasions when Malaysian nationals were arrested for various offences.

“It is our duty to ensure that our citizens get a fair trial and if there is no case, they should be released speedily,” he said.

That apart, Mahathir said he saw many similarities between the two countries.

He said this was his third visit to Phnom Penh and that the infrastructural development had vastly improved.

During his first visit to the Kingdom many years ago, he said some of the houses in Phnom Penh were empty due to the Khmer Rouge’s policies and actions.

“But now it has changed very much.​​​ What is lacking is facilities for education and training. Malaysia has made some training facilities available so as to improve the administrative performance of the government.

“We also hope that we can have an exchange of information on scientific research.

“If there is an opportunity, Malaysia will be very eager to send scientists and archaeologists to Cambodia to assist in the excavations of historical sites.

“But most importantly, the state of stability and peace that reigns in Cambodia and Malaysia has enabled us to grow.

“You can see that the growth in Cambodia is very significant,” he said, alluding to the Kingdom’s strong economy and average seven per cent gross domestic product.