Taiwan–Malaysia Relations:

A Long-Running Two-Way Dialogue

Lynn Su　/　photos Malaysian Friendship and Trade Centre　/　tr. by Phil Newell

March 2026

中文

For Taiwanese, who are accustomed to looking north, Malaysia, to the south, is a country that is close yet distant, familiar yet different. While there are some similarities in our cultural origins, in character we are quite distinct. Aznifah Isnariah Binti Abdul Ghani, Malaysia’s Representative in Taiwan, endeavors to promote mutual understanding and positive interactions between us.

There are longstanding links between Taiwan and Malaysia. Since the 1950s, many Malaysian Chinese have been coming to Taiwan to study, laying the foundations for a deep and solid friendship with Taiwan. If you interact with Malaysian people of Chinese ancestry, you will discover that they are very up to date in their awareness of news, current affairs, and pop culture from Taiwan. This can be attributed to the fact that since they live in a multicultural society alongside the Malays, Indians, and other ethnic groups, they are adept at navigating between cultures, and their fluency in multiple languages and dialects often leaves a deep impression.

Cuisine narrows the gap

For Taiwanese people, Malaysia is a country that in some ways feels familiar, yet exudes an exotic flavor. “I think we are similar in some ways,” says Aznifah Isnariah Binti Abdul Ghani, Malaysia’s Representative in Taiwan. “The biggest advantage in my role of promoting people-to-people connections is that we both come from the eastern part of the world. Strong family values is one commonality that we share, and our love for food is another.”

This observation about the similarities between Taiwan and Malaysia is right on the mark. In recent years, Malaysia has been increasingly attracting attention in Taiwan, and as Aznifah has discovered, food, among other things, has added a new character to these mutual interactions. The closure of international borders due to the Covid-19 pandemic a few years ago inspired many Malaysians in Taiwan to start businesses based on the cuisine of their homeland. Besides helping their compatriots to overcome homesickness, these businesses have successfully expanded the Taiwanese market by enabling local people to engage in gastronomic tourism without leaving home.

Cuisine helps promote cultural exchange between Taiwan and Malaysia. (photo by Lin Min-hsuan)

This photo was taken at Hari Budaya Malaysia, an event to introduce Malaysian culture in Taiwan, staged jointly by the Malaysian Friendship and Trade Centre, the Malaysian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Taipei, and other partners.

A dynamic, comprehensive worldview

In the words of a well-known soft drinks ad, “After all, we are so close!” This is a snapshot of Aznifah’s mindset. Even before she came to Taiwan to take up her post in July of 2023, she was no stranger to this island.

As a diplomat, she came to Taiwan for a short-term program in March of 2019. Taking advantage of the presence of her good friend, former Malaysian Representative to Taiwan Sharon Ho Swee Peng, who at the time had recently been assigned to Taiwan, the two specially arranged to meet. Though Aznifah was in Taiwan for only a few days, she enjoyed her visit immensely and even slightly postponed her return flight. When she learned in 2023 that she would be posted to Taiwan, “It was a surprise, but I was very happy.” She says that she was sure she would live very happily and well in this land to which she had previously traveled.

During her tenure in Taiwan, Aznifah has discovered some distinctions between Malaysia and Taiwan. Although like Malaysia, Taiwan has various ethnic groups, it is the Han Chinese who make up the vast majority. In comparison, Malaysia has a more distinctly multiethnic and multireligious society, with native Malay and indigenous communities living alongside the Chinese and Indian ethnicities, as well as other ethnic groups resulting from interracial marriages in the past, such as the “Baba & Nyonya” and “Portuguese-Eurasian” communities.

Aznifah takes her own hybrid background as a case in point: Both of her parents are descendants of mixed ethnicities, spanning from the West to the East. This blend of nationalities and cultures has perhaps made Aznifah a little more accustomed to varying cultural dynamics that often involve transnational and historical interactions.

“Southeast-Asian history is also very dynamic and rich, so it is not easy to speak about a particular country in Southeast Asia in a singular, isolated way, since we are very much interconnected with family and historical links,” Aznifah says.

Aznifah (fourth right), Malaysia’s Representative in Taiwan, has visited many of the island’s scenic attractions. The photo shows her visiting Alishan. The cold temperatures and ever-changing scenery in Taiwan’s high mountains have left a deep impression on her.