Kuala Lumpur, The Indonesia Post – Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim made his first official overseas visit for two days to Indonesia from 8 to 9 January 2022 at the invitation of Indonesian President Joko Widodo.
Malaysian Foreign Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir, Malaysian Minister of International Trade and Industry Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, as well as several officials from related ministries and institutions will accompany Anwar Ibrahim’s visit.
Based on a written statement from the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Putrajaya, Saturday, the Malaysian PM is scheduled to have a one-on-one meeting with the Indonesian President.
The two heads of state/government in the meeting which is planned to be held at the Bogor Palace will review the progress of bilateral cooperation, explore potential new collaborations, and promote joint efforts to overcome regional and global challenges.
Several important issues that will be discussed are economic cooperation including Malaysia’s investment potential in the Archipelago’s National Capital (IKN), land and sea boundary demarcation, as well as employment and protection of Indonesian migrant workers.
The two leaders, according to the statement, will also exchange views on a number of regional and global issues, particularly regarding the situation in Myanmar and joint efforts to overcome discrimination against palm oil, of which Malaysia and Indonesia are the world’s largest exporters.
Anwar Ibrahim and Jokowi will also witness the submission of 11 Letters of Interest (LOL) from a Malaysian company to participate in the development of the Nusantara IKN by the Malaysian Minister of International Trade and Industry to the Head of the Indonesian Capital City Authority, Bambang Susantono.
In addition, a total of eight Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) between the Malaysian and Indonesian private sectors estimated to be worth RM1.16 billion or around Rp4.11 trillion will be signed on the sidelines of the visit.
Anwar Ibrahim is also scheduled to give a public lecture on “Malaysia-Indonesia Strategic Relations” and attend a meeting session with the Malaysian diaspora in Jakarta.
In 2021, Indonesia is Malaysia’s 7th largest global trading partner and 3rd in ASEAN with a trade value of RM95.31 billion or around IDR 337.806 trillion.
For the January-November 2022 period, Indonesia is Malaysia’s 6th largest trading partner globally, and the 2nd largest trading partner in ASEAN with total trade increasing by 41.7 percent valued at RM120.26 billion or around IDR 427,442 trillion. (mhn/bbs)
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