Key Points
- Foreign Minister Penny Wong says her return to her country of birth as Australia’s foreign minister says something about “modern Australia''.
- Senator Wong grew up in Kota Kinabalu in the state of Sabah before migrating to Australia when she was eight.
Penny Wong says her return to her country of birth as Australia’s foreign minister says something about “modern Australia'' as she uses to push for closer ties with Southeast Asia.
Senator Wong grew up in Kota Kinabalu, in the state of Sabah, before migrating to Australia when she was eight with her Malaysian father and Australian mother.
During a speech in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, she described how her father, a “bright student”, earned a scholarship to study at Adelaide University - “the opportunity that defined his life” allowing him to “climb out" of poverty experienced as a child.
She said after meeting a "bold young Australian woman" the pair married and moved back to Kota Kinabalu, where Senator Wong was born.
The foreign minister said she intended to return to her place of birth on Wednesday, but added that “more than the past, I am focused on the future.”
“Australians know our future lies in the region we share with Malaysia,” she said.
“It tells you something about modern Australia that I am here today speaking to you as Australia’s Foreign Minister.”
Senator Wong also described how she believed the Australia her father visited to study around 60 years ago was a “very different” country from “what we know today”.
Data from the 2021 Australian Census released this week showed that more than half of all Australians are first or second generation migrants.
This included 172,250 people of Malaysian descent, who make up around 0.7 per cent of Australia’s population of more than 25 million people.
Senator Wong said she wanted Australia’s diversity to be reflected in the Albanese government’s approach to foreign diplomacy.
“Australia will be reflecting this rich character back to the world, so the world can see itself in Australia,” she said.
“The time has come for Australia’s full story to be told: our modern diversity and the rich heritage of First Nations peoples.”
New government's diplomatic blitz
The visit to Malaysia marks the latest in a diplomatic blitz in the region conducted by the foreign minister since she took office in late May.
Her latest trip has taken in Vietnam and Malaysia, and follows earlier visits to Solomon Islands, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga and Fiji.
Senator Wong said her department intended to sharpen its focus on Southeast Asia to ensure: “Australia is better equipped to engage with the region.”
“So we can be a stronger partner for the countries of the region, including Malaysia,” she said in her speech.
Senator Wong also called for countries in the region to work in cooperation towards ensuring it remains “stable, prosperous and respectful of sovereignty.”
“Where disputes are guided by international law and norms, not by power and size.” he said. “A region that is peaceful and predictable.”
The messaging is part of the Albanese government’s attempts to signal its concerns over the Chinese government's increasing military and economic assertiveness.
Senator Wong said she wanted nations to work with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and ASEAN-led institutions to ensure a “strategic equilibrium” in the region remained in place.
Her comments come after Malaysia's foreign minister Saifuddin Abdullah on Tuesday voiced his continued concern about Australia's AUKUS deal to acquire nuclear submarine technology.
Mr Saifuddin said there was a "candid discussion" about the agreement between Australia, the United States and United Kingdom, with the nation's view on the security pact remaining unchanged.
Malaysia and Indonesia had previously raised concerns the agreement could risk adding to an arms raise in the region.
Senator Wong has said she appreciated the opportunity to explain Australia's position on the AUKUS deal to counterparts in the region.
The foreign minister has identified “preparatory work” towards a Malaysia Australia Free Trade Agreement as one opportunity for closer ties.
“I want us to modernise our trade relationship, so we can take up more opportunities in the digital economy and face challenges like cyber security,” she said.
Senator Wong also said Malaysia has the largest overseas Australian university presence in the world, with universities including Monash, Swinburne, Curtin and Wollongong maintaining campuses in the country.
“Australia wants to strengthen these ties further. We want to give more momentum to our partnership with Malaysia,” she said.
