Malaysia PM Anwar says 'true friend' Indonesia will always be given priority
Malaysian's Anwar Ibrahim on Jan 8, 2023 said he chose Indonesia for his first official visit after becoming prime minister because the country was "true friend" when he was "cast out and sidelined". (Photo: Facebook/Anwar Ibrahim)
JAKARTA: Indonesia will always be given priority by Malaysia in bilateral relations, said Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Sunday (Jan 8).
"Indonesia accepted me as a true friend, so I will never forget that," he told the media after witnessing a handover of letters of intent and an exchange of memorandums of understanding involving Malaysian and Indonesian companies.
He was asked why he chose Indonesia for his first official visit after becoming prime minister on Nov 24 last year.
"Indonesia is a neighbour, we share the same roots and have a good friendship. It (Indonesia) was also a true friend at a time when I was cast out and sidelined," said Mr Anwar.
He and his wife Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail arrived in Indonesia on Sunday for a two-day official visit.
On Monday, Mr Anwar is scheduled to hold a meeting with President Joko Widodo, better known as Jokowi, at Bogor Palace in West Java, about 54km from South Jakarta.
Asked about his agenda for the meeting with Jokowi, Mr Anwar said there were 12 items to be discussed but did not elaborate.
He was accompanied by Malaysian Foreign Minister Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, International Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz and the Malaysian embassy in Jakarta's charge d'affaires Adlan Mohd Shaffieq.
