JAKARTA – Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was greeted with much fanfare at the Presidential Palace in Bogor here today for his visit with Indonesian President Joko Widodo.
Upon arrival, he was led through the palace grounds by a cavalry troop as well as dancers along the road and a marching band.
Joko, fondly known as Jokowi, greeted his Malaysian counterpart warmly, and the two performed the traditional Malay-Indonesian salam, which uses both hands in a handshake instead of the traditional one-handed Western one.
This was followed by the national anthems of Malaysia and Indonesia being played by the marching band to a 19-gun-salute.
The two leaders then inspected the presidential honour guard.
Coincidentally, it seems that Anwar and Joko have similar tastes in their suits – navy blue with a red necktie and a white shirt.
The only difference in their attire is the songkok that Anwar wore.
After signing the guestbook, Joko then led his Malaysian counterpart to plant a merawan tree, which is indigenous to the rainforests of Indonesia.
They could be seen chatting warmly with one another as they continued their walk along the palace grounds.
The Indonesian president also honoured Anwar by personally driving him to and around the compounds of Kebun Raya Bogor, a public botanical garden adjacent to the palace.
At 205 years old, the 87ha botanical garden is the oldest in the world and has been recognised by Unesco.
It has around 15,000 species of trees and plants within its premises and is also a popular hangout among the locals. – The Vibes, January 9, 2023
