[UPDATED] Agong, Raja Permaisuri depart for London on special visit to UK

KUALA LUMPUR – The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah are departing for London on a week-long special visit to the United Kingdom.

In a statement, the Comptroller of the Royal Household, Datuk Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin, said their majesties will be on the special visit starting October 10 until 16.

Fadil said both the king and queen are scheduled to meet with British monarch King Charles III in Buckingham Palace on October 12.

He added that the courtesy visit with King Charles III reflects strong ties between the two monarchs.

“His Royal Highness has forged a friendship with His Majesty King Charles III for more than four decades, and they have played polo together during their teenage years in various international competitions,” Fadil said.

“The courtesy visit also reflects a strong bilateral relationship between Malaysia and the United Kingdom since Malaysia’s independence 65 years ago.”

Fadil said on October 12, their majesties will also be attending an official ceremony for the Malaysian-owned Battersea Power station to mark the country’s iconic investment in London.

He said stretching 16.99ha, the Battersea Power station is a property investment project involving a joint venture between Sime Darby Property, SP Setia Bhd, the Employees’ Provident Fund, and Permodalan Nasional Bhd since 2012, with a gross development value of £9 billion (RM51.53 billion).

In terms of bilateral relations, Fadil said the UK was Malaysia’s 18th largest trading partner in 2021, with a total of RM17.17 billion worth of exchanges, marking a 2.9% increase compared to 2020.

He added that Malaysia recorded RM9.78 billion in exports to the UK, whereas imports from the country amounted to RM7.39 billion. – The Vibes, October 9, 2022