By Rohani Mohd Ibrahim & Mohd Iswandi Kasan Anuar
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 26 (Bernama) -- Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s first official state visit next week marks a pivotal moment for strengthening Indonesia-Malaysia bilateral ties and fostering ASEAN’s stability and security, said Indonesia’s Ambassador to Malaysia, Datuk Hermono.
He stated that the visit serves to bolster all aspects of diplomatic ties between Indonesia and Malaysia, two strong nations within the ASEAN region.
“It is hoped that this visit will expedite the resolution of several pending issues, including border disputes,” he said when contacted by Bernama.
Commenting on ASEAN, Hermono expressed his view that the main challenge facing the organisation today is maintaining ASEAN Centrality to navigate political dynamics and safeguard regional stability and security.
“In this context, the strengthening ties between Indonesia and Malaysia are undoubtedly crucial for upholding ASEAN Centrality,” he added.
Prabowo, who is currently on a state visit to India, stated via his X account on Thursday that he will next visit Malaysia at the invitation of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Ibrahim.
“Strengthening cooperation with our friendly nations has always been a top priority in our efforts to build a more robust and prosperous region together,” the President stated.
According to Hermono, Prabowo, who began his term as the eighth President of Indonesia in October, will be accompanied by several Cabinet ministers during his state visit to Malaysia.
Among the Indonesian Cabinet ministers listed to join Prabowo’s state visit to Malaysia are Foreign Minister Sugiono, Trade Minister Budi Santoso, Minister of Migrant Worker Protection Abdul Kadir Karding, Minister of Investment and Downstreaming, Rosan Perkasa Roeslani, Minister of Basic and Secondary Education Prof Dr Abdul Mu’ti, and Cabinet Secretary Major Teddy Indra Wijaya.
On January 9, Prabowo made a one-day working visit to Malaysia, and during discussions with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, he expressed Indonesia’s intention to assist Malaysia in its ASEAN Chairmanship.
Malaysia officially assumed the role of ASEAN Chair for the fifth time starting January 1, with the theme “Inclusivity and Sustainability”.
Previously, Malaysia held the ASEAN Chairmanship in 1977, 1997, 2005, and 2015.
ASEAN was established on August 8, 1967, by five founding countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines.
Currently, ASEAN consists of 10 member states, including Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia, with Timor-Leste as an observer.
Malaysia and Indonesia officially established diplomatic relations in 1957, although people-to-people connections between the two countries had begun much earlier.
A statement from Wisma Putra previously mentioned that in 2023, Indonesia was Malaysia's seventh-largest trading partner globally and the third-largest within ASEAN, with a total trade value of RM111.21 billion (US$24.39 billion).
From January to October 2024, bilateral trade reached RM95.50 billion (US$20.75 billion), compared to RM94.37 billion (US$20.69 billion) in the same period in 2023.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) chairman, Datuk Prof Dr Mohd Faiz Abdullah, said that Malaysia and Indonesia may well be on the cusp of a new golden age, spurred by the close relationship between Prabowo and Anwar.
“The two leaders undoubtedly see a strong strategic rationale in their partnership, forged on the primacy of ASEAN Centrality, especially given the growing uncertainty of the broader strategic environment, particularly under the mercurial leadership of President Trump,” he said when contacted.
According to Mohd Faiz, with the US-China rivalry poised to escalate in unpredictable ways in the coming years, the need for Malaysia and Indonesia to act in greater coordination has never been more pressing.
“There is a special kind of camaraderie between President Prabowo and Anwar - the personal chemistry between them is undeniable.
“The last time there was such goodwill between the two sides was under Tun Razak (Hussein), whose role in ending Konfrontasi (confrontation), together with Tun Ghazali Shafie, led to a golden age for Malaysia-Indonesia relations,” he noted.
A source from the Indonesian Presidential Palace, speaking to the Indonesian media outlet Kompas, emphasised that “Malaysia, as a close neighbouring country, holds great importance for Indonesia”.
The source also touched on the January 9 meeting in Kuala Lumpur, where Prabowo and Anwar held a private one-on-one discussion over lunch hosted by Anwar at Tangsi House in Taman Tasik Perdana.
“The venue was personally chosen by Prime Minister Anwar to honour President Prabowo, who, despite his busy schedule, made time to travel to Kuala Lumpur for the meeting,” the source told Kompas.
Following the meeting, the Presidential Secretariat’s Press, Media, and Information Bureau issued a statement, noting, “This meeting serves as an important symbol of the friendship between Indonesia and Malaysia, while strengthening efforts by both nations to further enhance bilateral relations across various sectors.”
In a brief statement before his departure to New Delhi last Thursday at the airport in East Jakarta, Prabowo underscored the importance of Malaysia as Indonesia’s close neighbour and a kindred nation with shared cultural, ethnic, and historical ties.
“We have many similarities and are increasingly working together as founding nations of ASEAN, alongside Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, and Brunei. Together, we have been the driving force behind ASEAN, which has now grown significantly,” he stated.
Prabowo also highlighted the critical role both Indonesia and Malaysia play in strengthening ASEAN cooperation and other strategic partnerships.
Malaysia, the Chair of ASEAN for 2025, took over from Laos, while Indonesia held the chairmanship in 2023.
-- BERNAMA
