Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Indonesian President Joko Widodo witnessed the handing over of 11 Letters of Intent (LOI) by 10 Malaysian companies to participate in the development of Nusantara, Indonesia’s new capital as part of the first foreign visit.
This was part of the effort which sees Malaysia taking a positive approach to ensure the development of Nusantara will have future benefits for Malaysia.
This followed the formation of the ‘Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries’ for Indonesia and Malaysia to strengthen cooperation and improve markets for oil palm while opposing notions of discrimination against palm oil.
The Indonesian President received Anwar at an official welcoming ceremony in Istana Bogor.
Anwar is here on a two-day working visit that is mainly focused on strengthening bilateral and business relations between Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta.
The ceremony began with the singing of Negaraku and the Indonesian national anthem Indonesia Raya, followed by a 19-gun salute, an inspection of troops and afterwards, the introduction of the two leaders’ respective delegates.
Anwar and Jokowi proceeded to the palace’s Teratai Room for a photo session and guest book signing, followed by a tête-à-tête meeting on the veranda of the palace.
Anwar Vows No Compromise In War On Graft
Earlier, Anwar made a bold stand on his administration’s war on corruption in Indonesia last night during his first official visit after taking office last November.
In a dinner session hosted by the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta, Anwar said he told the Malaysian diaspora there that the main concern at home is economic growth and equitable distribution of wealth, adding that it can only be addressed after curbing corruption.
“I have stressed that Malaysia must be free from the greed of elite politicians in robbing the country’s riches for their own benefits. I will not compromise on this matter even though it may jeopardise my own position,” he said in a Facebook post early this morning.
He added that many Malaysians are tired of those who claim to champion Islam but abused the responsibility and authority given to them to seize what that does not belong to them.
He said his aim is to help the poor regardless of their race and religion while strengthening the Malay and Bumiputera special rights.
He also said he will hold a special Cabinet meeting to discuss these issues and gather the ministers’ input after a month in service.
“After that, we will make an announcement of the performance and KPI for each minister as well as their future targets,” he added, without specifying a date.
