SUBANG: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto arrived in Malaysia today for a State Visit at the invitation of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia.
The president’s special Boeing 737-73Q (BBJ) aircraft landed at the Royal Malaysian Air Force base at 5:50 am, where he was welcomed by Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, along with several Indonesian Cabinet ministers and senior officials.
Upon arrival, Prabowo inspected a guard of honour comprising 28 officers and personnel from the First Battalion Royal Ranger Regiment (Ceremonial), led by Capt Muhammad Syafiq Najmi Mazlan.
According to Wisma Putra, this State Visit underscores the strong bond of friendship between Malaysia and Indonesia and marks the first State Visit by a foreign Head of State since Sultan Ibrahim’s installation as King of Malaysia.
The visit includes a State Welcoming Ceremony and an audience with Sultan Ibrahim at Istana Negara, followed by a State Banquet hosted in honour of the President and his delegation. Later, Prabowo is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the PETRONAS Twin Towers to discuss bilateral cooperation, as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest.
As close neighbours and founding ASEAN members, Malaysia and Indonesia aim to elevate their relationship further for the benefit of both nations and the region. Their strategic ties span politics, the economy, defence, interconnectivity, education, and socio-cultural cooperation.
Between January and November last year, bilateral trade reached RM106.06 billion (USD23.2 billion), up from RM101.99 billion (USD22.41 billion) during the same period in 2023. In 2023, Indonesia was Malaysia’s eighth-largest trading partner globally and third-largest within ASEAN, with total trade valued at RM111.21 billion (USD24.39 billion).
