KUALA LUMPUR: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr was given a state welcome at Istana Negara in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday (July 26) during his three-day visit to Malaysia. He arrived at 11am, accompanied by his wife, Louise Araneta-Marcos, and was warmly received by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah.
The meeting was also attended by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, and Cabinet ministers.
The welcoming ceremony took place at the parade ground and began with the Royal Malaysian Air Force central band performing the national anthems of both countries, followed by a 21-gun salute.
Marcos then inspected the guard of honour, which consisted of four officers and 103 rank-and-file personnel from the First Battalion Royal Ranger Regiment based in Wardieburn Camp. The highlight of the event was the planting of a melinjau tree (Gnetum gnemon) in the palace compound by Marcos and Al-Sultan Abdullah, witnessed by Louise Araneta-Marcos, Tunku Azizah, Anwar, and Dr Wan Azizah.
The president and Yang di-Pertuan Agong later attended a state luncheon together, strengthening the friendship and close ties between the two countries. Marcos is scheduled to hold a joint press conference with Anwar in Putrajaya and attend a dinner at the Petronas Twin Towers on Wednesday.
This visit signifies the longstanding friendship and close bilateral relations between Malaysia and the Philippines as neighboring countries and partners in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), evident through various high-level exchanges, including Anwar’s recent official visit to Manila in March 2023.
In 2022, the Philippines ranked as Malaysia’s 15th largest trading partner globally and the 5th largest among ASEAN member states, with total trade amounting to RM41.45bil (US$9.42bil), showing a 20.1% increase compared to the previous year.- Bernama
Credit: The Star : News Feed
