Royal welcome: The King and Queen posing for a photograph with Kiro and Davies. They are flanked by Anwar and Dr Wan Azizah. — Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR: New Zealand Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro has been accorded a state welcome at Istana Negara here in conjunction with her maiden four-day visit to Malaysia that began on Sunday.
On her arrival at 11am yesterday, Kiro and her husband Dr Richard Davies were greeted by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah.
Also present were Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Cabinet ministers.
The welcoming ceremony at the parade ground began with the RMAF central band singing the New Zealand and Malaysian national anthems followed by a 21-gun salute.
Kiro then inspected a guard-of-honour mounted by four officers and 103 personnel of the First Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment. Kiro and Sultan Abdullah then planted a pokok nona (annona squamosa) in the palace courtyard.
The two leaders then held a meeting at Dewan Seri Maharaja and later attended an orchid-naming ceremony during which a hybrid orchid was named Dendrobium Cynthia Kiro in honour of the New Zealand leader. A state banquet was also hosted by Their Majesties in honour of the New Zealand Governor-General.
This is Kiro’s maiden visit to Malaysia and the South-East Asian region since assuming office on Oct 21, 2021.
At the state banquet, Sultan Abdullah said bilateral ties between Malaysia and New Zealand were now stronger than ever.
Sultan Abdullah said he was elated by the state visit by Kiro, describing it as a sign of the existing close ties between the two countries.
“It is hoped that this state visit will further strengthen the friendship and bilateral ties between Malaysia and New Zealand,” His Majesty said.
New Zealand is Malaysia’s second largest trading partner in the Pacific region, with total trade between the two nations reaching RM6.32bil (US$1.42bil) as of June this year. — Bernama
