JAKARTA, Aug 25 — The four-day state visit of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah to Indonesia from tomorrow reflects the close and warm Malaysian-Indonesian ties, to simultaneously further cement the existing friendship established 62 years ago.
The state, visit from August 26 to 29, is Sultan Abdullah’s first to Indonesia since he was installed as the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong on July 30.
The close ties between the two countries were also shown by Indonesian President Joko Widodo, or Jokowi, who made his first visit to Malaysia on August 9, after he was reelected for the second term in the Indonesian Presidential Election on April 17.
Malaysian Ambassador to Indonesia, Zainal Abidin Bakar, when met, said the focus of the state visit was aimed at firming the ties that had existed since Malaysia achieved Independence in 1957.
“The visit will foster the bilateral co-operation between Malaysia and Indonesia especially in economy which encompasses the aspects of investment and trade and tourism and education,” he said when met at the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta, today.
Zainal Abidin said that almost 4,000 Malaysian students were studying in the republic while 11,000 Indonesian students were in Malaysia.
“That is the aspect that we want to create so that more tourists and students from Indonesia will continue to come to Malaysia, to simultaneously develop cordial ties between the two countries,” he said.
According to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, accompanied by the Raja Permaisuri Agong, Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, is scheduled to attend a state welcoming ceremony, an audience and a state banquet to be hosted by Jokowi and his wife, Iriana Jokowi at the Bogor Presidential Palace, Jakarta.
Their Majesties have consented to a high tea with the Malaysian diaspora in Indonesia and to visit Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta.
Their Majesties’ delegation will include Minister of Economic Affairs, Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali who is also the Minister in Attendance and senior officials from the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Istana Negara and Prime Minister’s Department.
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong and Raja Permaisuri Agong will also head to Yogyakarta to have a meeting with the Sultan of Yogyakarta and the Yogyakarta Special Region Governor, Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X and visit several historical places there.
Indonesia is Malaysia’s closest and most important neighbour and ninth biggest trading partner globally and the third biggest among Asean nations after Singapore and Thailand.
In 2018, the two-way trade recorded was RM72.02 billion, up by 7.4 per cent compared to RM71.51 billion in 2017. — Bernama
