Shamini 
(C): Twitter
At the 32nd ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Malaysia achieved a significant breakthrough in bilateral relations, with the commitment of 10,000 job opportunities for Sri Lankan workers and the launch of visa free travel. The announcement made during the course of a series of high level diplomatic meetings, paves the way for stronger regional cooperation and the movement of labour across borders.
Strengthening Labour and Visa Ties
The Sri Lankan delegation was headed by Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath and attended the ASEAN Forum where he held fruitful discussions with Prime Minister of Malaysia Anwar Ibrahim. Highlights of the meeting was the proposal of a percentage on the employment quota of 10,000 skilled and semi-skilled workers from Sri Lanka in sectors such as construction, healthcare, hospitality, agriculture and manufacturing.
Malaysia has also pledged to start issuing visa-free travel, starting with diplomatic and official passport holders first and subsequently ordinary passport holders. This step is anticipated to enhance tourism, business linkages and people-to-people contact between the two countries.
Operational Framework and Economic Boost
A cooperative working group expected in Q4 2025 will be formed to operationalize the labor agreement and its protections and ethical recruitment processes. Minister Herath also held meetings with Malaysian ministries to promote transparency in implementation, protect migrant rights and improve migrant integration.
Minister Herath was the keynote speaker at the Sri Lanka Investor, Trade & Tourism Forum, 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, on investment opportunities in tourism, energy, agriculture and digital services and took the opportunity to visit Malacca to look at tourism collaborations in particular heritage tourism linkages with Sri Lanka’s UNESCO heritage sites.
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