Iran–Malaysia relations refers to the
current and historical relationship between
Iran and
Malaysia. Iran has an embassy in
Kuala Lumpur, and Malaysia has an embassy in
Tehran. Both countries are members of the
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the
Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and have used these forums and bilateral relations to develop political ties.
History
Relations between the two countries have existed since the independence of Malaya. While Persian influences in
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula (Malay: ''Semenanjung Tanah Melayu'') is a peninsula in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The area ...
are much longer with the traces were discovered some centuries ago as they were once engaged in trade in
Lembah Bujang and
Malacca
Malacca ( ms, Melaka) is a state in Malaysia located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, next to the Strait of Malacca. Its capital is Malacca City, dubbed the Historic City, which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site si ...
together with the traces of
Persian literature in Malay language.
Economic relations
Both countries have co-operated in a number of large industrial projects, many of them in the energy sector. Earlier in October 2007, Iran and Malaysia are working towards an extensive multilateral oil refinery deal with
Venezuela in Syria. In December 2007, the two signed a US$6 billion deal to develop areas of Iran's offshore gas fields.
In January 2017, the two countries are set to pursue a
free trade agreement. A
memorandum of understanding (MoU) on gas field study was signed in February between
National Iranian Oil Company
The National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC; fa, شرکت ملّی نفت ایران, Sherkat-e Melli-ye Naft-e Īrān) is a government-owned national oil and natural gas producer and distributor under the direction of the Ministry of Petroleum of Ir ...
(NIOC) and Malaysia's Bukhary International Ventures (BIV). Both countries have integrated their banking transactions and also agreed to use local currencies along with
Chinese yuan and
Japanese yen
The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third-most traded currency in the foreign exchange market, after the United States dollar (US$) and the euro. It is also widely used as a third reserve currency after the US dollar and the ...
in their bilateral trade. As of 2015, there are around 5,000 Iranian students in Malaysia, while only 15 Malaysian students in Iran.
Political relations
Despite these matters of historical traces, political relations between two countries are recently tense due to alleged Iranian interferences promoting
Shi'a Islam
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, most n ...
in largely
Salafi
The Salafi movement or Salafism () is a reform branch movement within Sunni Islam that originated during the nineteenth century. The name refers to advocacy of a return to the traditions of the "pious predecessors" (), the first three generat ...
-
Sunni
Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...
adherence of Malaysia which in response the latter government has passed several
anti-Shi'a laws to limit the activities of Shi'a followers in the country to prevent their spread.
See also
*
Iranians in Malaysia
References
Malaysia
Bilateral relations of Malaysia
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