Ambassador Dato' Tan Yang Thai: Malaysian people always stand side by side with the people and Government of Vietnam

Malaysian Ambassador to Vietnam Dato' Tan Yang Thai gives an interview to The Gioi va Viet Nam Newspaper. (Photo: Thanh Long)

On the morning of November 23, at the Van Phuc Diplomatic Compound (Hanoi), the 2025 International Food and Culture Festival with the theme "Joining hands to support our compatriots to overcome storms and floods" officially opened under the chairmanship of Ms. Le Nguyet Anh, wife of Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung.

This year's event was organized on a large scale, attracting a large number of foreign agencies, international organizations, businesses and the foreign community in Hanoi. Not only is it a place to introduce the quintessence of world cuisine , the Festival also carries a profound humanitarian message: Spreading the spirit of sharing and joining hands to support people in provinces heavily affected by storms and floods.

The International Food and Culture Festival has long been an annual event with the participation of many diplomatic agencies in Hanoi. Malaysian Ambassador Dato' Tan Yang Thai said that the event is an effort by the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the diplomatic community to contribute to charitable activities. This year, most of the donations were to support flood victims in the Central region.

"The Malaysian people always stand side by side with the people and Government of Vietnam. We believe that together we will overcome difficulties and become stronger," the diplomat emphasized.

Besides the meaningful message of mutual love and support, Ambassador Dato' Tan Yang Thai affirmed that the Festival is an important opportunity to promote international culinary culture to the people of Hanoi.

"Normally, people only see diplomatic delegations or ambassadors traveling here and there, with 'flags flying', but rarely have the opportunity to truly understand those countries," he shared. Therefore, this event becomes a rare opportunity for people to approach and explore the cultures of countries through cuisine that is widely introduced and displayed.

Booth of the Malaysian Embassy in Vietnam. (Photo: Jackie Chan)

At this year's Festival, Malaysia introduced familiar traditional dishes such as nasi lemak , satay and the famous sweet milk tea teh tarik . According to the Ambassador, these are all dishes closely associated with the daily life of Malaysian people, sharing these typical dishes with the Vietnamese public is building a cultural bridge between the people of the two countries.

Above all, Ambassador Dato' Tan Yang Thai believes that cuisine is one of the most effective means to enhance mutual understanding between peoples.

"Through cuisine, we can connect with each other more easily. We are always curious about the food of other countries, what they eat every day, what their culinary culture is like. This festival creates a great opportunity for everyone to taste each other's food, thereby understanding more about the culture and people of each country," the Malaysian Ambassador emphasized.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/dai-su-dato-tan-yang-thai-nguoi-dan-malaysia-luon-sat-canh-cung-nhan-dan-va-chinh-phu-viet-nam-335445.html