Towards New Horizons: Malaysia and Timor-Leste

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…