JAKARTA, Sept 21 — Malaysia regards its bilateral relations with Indonesia as family ties that can be likened to the Malay proverb  ”air yang dicincang tak akan putus” (meaning ‘blood is thicker than water’),  said Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

He said that though Malaysia and Indonesia had experienced bitter-sweet moments in their relationship, their ties had strengthened.

"I am confident that the close and positive relations between the two neighbouring countries will not only strengthen but go beyond the diplomatic boundaries,” he said in in a special message delivered via a video presentation at a Malaysia Day dinner at the Malaysian Embassy here Wednesday night to mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and Indonesia.

 The event was attended by more than 1,000 people, among whom were Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak, Indonesian Education and Culture Minister Muhajir Effendy, Indonesian Communications and Informatics Minister Rudyantara, Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) Editor-in-Chief  Datuk Zakaria Abdul Wahab, foreign dignitaries and the business community.

Najib said Malaysia and Indonesia were not only neighbours, but also had many similarities and shared a culture and language that portrayed the richness of people of the same descent. — Bernama