KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 15 ― Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said he and his UK counterpart Theresa May reaffirmed strong relations between both countries in their meeting yesterday.

Najib said he told May in their meeting at 10 Downing Street, the UK prime minister’s office and official residence, that Malaysia would be happy to discuss setting a trade arrangement with the UK, even as the UK is in the process of leaving the European Union.

"Malaysia is well positioned to add value, strategically located at the heart of Southeast Asia, with strong links to the Muslim world and China.

"As an outward-looking trading nation, which the World Bank recently said is facing the future ‘from a position of strength’, Malaysia welcomes the opportunity to have a closer economic partnership with the UK,” he added.

The Malaysian leader said his country and the UK were united in the fight against terrorism and extremism.

"Malaysia is ready to share its expertise and experience in combating the threat from those who blaspheme the name of Islam by falsely claiming that their atrocities are Islamic.

"Prime Minister May and I also discussed the humanitarian catastrophe facing the Rohingya in Myanmar, and we agreed that the international community must come together to find a solution to bring to an end a crisis that has shocked both the region and the world,” said Najib.

Najib stopped over in London after visiting US president Donald Trump in the White House earlier this week, during which the former said Malaysia Airlines would buy planes from Boeing and the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and Khazanah Nasional Berhad would increase US investments.