KUALA LUMPUR – The Foreign Ministry (Wisma Putra) today confirmed that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s visit to Saudi Arabia included a meeting with the Saudi king and the crown prince.
In a statement today, the ministry confirmed this via diplomatic notes the government received from the Saudi Embassy here dated March 21, while the same notes were also received also at the Malaysian embassy in Riyadh.
“Both diplomatic notes refer to the official visit by the prime minister from March 22 to March 25, which include a courtesy call with King Salman bin Abdulaziz and the kingdom’s crown prince and prime minister Mohammed bin Salman.
“Both diplomatic notes have clearly stated the Saudi government welcomes the visit including (the prime minister) performing Umrah in Makkah and visiting Madinah,’’ said the statement.
Anwar was treated as a guest of the state by the Saudi government and was provided lodgings, transport, and some 50 security personnel, according to Wisma Putra.
The ministry also said that the Malaysian delegation was invited to extend their stay beyond the initial dates to facilitate more meetings with senior officials of the Saudi government.
“However, the Malaysian delegation has explained politely that they could not meet the request, as the prime minister has made prior commitments, including to attend the breaking-of-fast ceremony with Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah on March 25, as well as a state visit to Cambodia on March 27.”
The statement came after Anwar’s visit to Saudi Arabia last week, which concluded without the prime minister being able to meet with the kingdom’s top rulers, as he could not extend his stay there due to other engagements.
This follows after criticism levelled against the prime minister by opposition lawmakers, who have pressed Anwar to inform Parliament about the outcome of his visit, after he did not meet with his counterparts there.
Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal also raised the matter to be debated in Parliament via an emergency motion, which was submitted yesterday, but was rejected by speaker Datuk Johari Abdul. – The Vibes, March 28, 2023
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