On Monday (Oct 2), New Zealand Governor-General, Dame Cindy Kiro, received a state welcome at Istana Negara in Kuala Lumpur. This visit marks her first four-day visit to Malaysia since her appointment in 2021. Upon arrival at 11am, Kiro and her husband, Dr Richard Davies, were greeted by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah. Also in attendance were 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, held at the parade ground, commenced with the singing of the New Zealand and Malaysian national anthems by the Royal Malaysian Air Force central band, led by Captain Sabri Hamil. This was followed by a 21-gun salute. Subsequently, the Governor-General of New Zealand inspected a guard of honor presented by four officers and 103 rank-and-file personnel from the First Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment, Kuala Lumpur, led by Major Mohd Waqiyudin Abd Rahman.
During the visit, Kiro and Sultan Abdullah planted a Pokok Nona (Annona Squamosa) in the palace courtyard. This event was witnessed by Tunku Azizah, Dr Richard Davies, Anwar, and Dr Wan Azizah. Later, the two leaders held a meeting at Dewan Seri Maharaja and attended an orchid-naming ceremony, where a hybrid orchid was named Dendrobium Cynthia Kiro in honor of the New Zealand leader. A state banquet was also hosted by Their Majesties to honor the New Zealand Governor-General.
Notably, this visit marks Kiro’s first visit to Malaysia and the South-East Asian region since taking office. The previous state visit by a Governor-General of New Zealand was conducted by Dame Patsy Reddy from Dec 5 to 8, 2017. Malaysia considers New Zealand as its second largest trading partner in the Pacific region, with total trade between the two nations reaching RM6.32 billion (US$1.42 billion) as of June this year, representing a 15.3% increase from the corresponding period in 2022. – Bernama
Credit: The Star : News Feed
