By Mohd Iswandi Kasan Anuar
JAKARTA, April 19 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will undertake a three-day official visit to Indonesia starting tomorrow to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries and expand regional cooperation within ASEAN.
He is scheduled to arrive at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Sunday afternoon, before attending a dinner event with the Malaysian community at the Malaysian Embassy Complex in South Jakarta.
Ahmad Zahid will be accompanied by Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu, Malaysia’s Permanent Representative to ASEAN Datin Sarah Al Bakri Devadason, as well as senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA).
Malaysia’s Ambassador to Indonesia Datuk Syed Mohamad Hasrin Tengku Hussin said the visit marks the first official trip by a high-ranking Malaysian leader to Indonesia this year following the formation of the country’s new government.
He said the visit will focus on disaster management, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), economic cooperation, development of the halal industry and food security to deepen collaboration between the two nations.
“This visit follows up on agreements made by the leaders of both countries previously. We hope it will further enhance bilateral relations, especially for Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's portfolio.
“Of course, when leaders meet, they will generally discuss the status of bilateral relations, as well as regional and global issues, including tariffs, especially as Malaysia chairs ASEAN this year,” he told Malaysian media at a press conference here today.
On Monday, Ahmad Zahid is scheduled to meet Indonesian vice-president Gibran Rakabuming Raka at the Vice President’s Palace, followed by attending the signing of several Letters of Intent (LoI) between Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) and Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS) with the provincial governments of Jakarta and West Sumatra at a hotel in Central Jakarta.
The Minister of Rural and Regional Development is also set to visit Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) and the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre), in line with ongoing efforts to strengthen regional disaster preparedness.
The visit will conclude with the ASEAN Unity Drive event at the Malaysian embassy complex, featuring the Proton e.MAS electric car, before Ahmad Zahid participates in a roundtable session with Indonesian industry players to explore cooperation opportunities in the halal sector.
Indonesia was Malaysia’s seventh-largest trading partner globally and the third-largest among ASEAN countries in 2023.
Bilateral trade between the two countries reached RM111.21 billion (USD 24.39 billion) last year. For the period of January to October 2024, two-way trade amounted to RM95.50 billion (USD 20.75 billion), compared to RM94.37 billion (USD 20.69 billion) in the same period in 2023.
-- BERNAMA
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