SUBANG, Aug 25 — Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah arrived in Malaysia today for a four-day state visit at the invitation of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia.
The special aircraft carrying Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and his delegation, including Prince Abdul Mateen Bolkiah, cabinet ministers and senior government officials, landed at the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Air Base here at 3.03pm.
The ruler was received on arrival by Tunku Temenggong Johor Tunku Idris Iskandar Sultan Ibrahim. Also present were Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.
Upon landing, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah inspected a guard of honour mounted by 28 officers and personnel of the First Battalion Royal Ranger Regiment (Ceremonial), led by Muhammad Asyraf Zulkifli.
Tomorrow, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah will be accorded an official state welcome at Istana Negara, followed by an audience with Sultan Ibrahim and a state banquet hosted by His Majesty.
In a statement, Wisma Putra said the visit will be followed by the 26th Malaysia-Brunei Annual Leaders’ Consultation (ALC).
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah will also meet Anwar in conjunction with the 26th ALC on Wednesday.
The ALC is the highest bilateral mechanism between Malaysia and Brunei, serving as a platform for both leaders to review the progress of existing cooperation, discuss emerging issues and exchange views on regional and international matters of mutual interest.
The visit and annual consultation reflect the longstanding special ties between Malaysia and Brunei, reaffirming their shared commitment to strengthening strategic cooperation for the prosperity and well-being of the peoples of both nations.
Last year, Brunei was Malaysia’s sixth-largest trading partner within Asean, with total trade valued at RM7.53 billion.
For the period January to June, Malaysia-Brunei trade reached US$690 million (RM3.02 billion), comprising exports worth US$500 million and imports worth US$190 million.
