KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 7): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will be making his first official trip abroad with a visit to Indonesia on Jan 8 and 9.

This visit is in response to a special invitation made by Indonesian President Joko Widodo, or Jokowi as he is popularly known, following Anwar’s appointment as Malaysia's 10th PM on Nov 24, 2022.

In a statement on Saturday (Jan 7), Wisma Putra said Anwar is scheduled to have a four-eye meeting with Jokowi. The meeting will provide the opportunity for both sides to take stock of the progress of bilateral cooperation, explore potential of new cooperation, and promote joint effort to address regional and global challenges.

"Among the key issues that will be discussed are pertaining to economic cooperation, including Malaysia’s potential investments in Ibu Kota Negara (IKN) Nusantara, land demarcation and maritime border delimitation, and employment and protection of Indonesian migrant workers.

"Both leaders will also exchange views on regional and global issues, specifically on the situation in Myanmar, and joint efforts to address discrimination against palm oil, in which Malaysia and Indonesia are the world’s largest exporters," Wisma Putra added.

During the visit, both leaders will also witness the exchange of 11 letters of interest from Malaysian companies to participate in the development of IKN Nusantara by the minister of international trade and industry to the chairman of Nusantara Capital City Authority. In addition, a total of eight memoranda of understanding between Malaysian and Indonesian private sectors will be signed on the sidelines of the visit that is estimated to be worth RM1.16 billion.

Anwar is also scheduled to deliver a public lecture on “Malaysia-Indonesia strategic relations”, and host an engagement session with the Malaysian diaspora in Jakarta.

The PM will be accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir, International Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, as well as officials from relevant ministries and agencies.

In 2021, Indonesia was Malaysia’s seventh largest global trading partner and third within Asean, with trade valued at RM95.31 billion. For the period of January to November 2022, Indonesia was Malaysia’s sixth largest trading partner globally, and the second largest trading partner within Asean, with total trade increasing by 41.7% and amounting to RM120.26 billion.