JAKARTA – Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s decision to make Indonesia his first official overseas destination after taking his oath of office is due to the friendship the archipelago nation had extended to him when he was left with nothing.
The prime minister told the media this was one of the main reasons he prioritised Jakarta for his first overseas visit.
“First of all, Indonesia is our neighbour. We share the same roots and we are friends. Indonesia has also shown itself to be my true friend when I was cast out and sidelined. It accepted me as a true friend and I will not forget this.
“That is why we give priority to Indonesia to strengthen our bilateral relationship,” said Anwar after witnessing several Malaysian government-linked and private companies signing multiple memoranda of understanding and letters of intent with their Indonesian counterparts.
Anwar was first cast out of mainstream Malaysian politics in the late 1990s after he was booted as deputy prime minister under Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s first cabinet.
He was then convicted and sent to prison under charges of sodomy.
After he was released, the Tambun MP recalled, many Indonesian leaders and presidents did not push him away, but continued to welcome him to the archipelago.
In fact, his daughter Nurul Izzah receives a warm welcome in Jakarta whenever she visits.
The prime minister had earlier arrived at 1.57pm at Soekarno Hatta Airport on a special flight to Jakarta with his wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
He will be meeting Indonesian President Joko Widodo tomorrow morning at the Presidential Palace in Bogor, where they are expected to discuss 12 issues in a four-eyed meeting. – The Vibes, January 8, 2023
