KUALA LUMPUR: Brunei Ruler Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah was accorded a state welcome at Istana Negara in conjunction with his four-day state visit to Malaysia, which began on Monday.
His Majesty, who arrived at the palace at 10am yesterday, accompanied by Prince Abdul Mateen Bolkiah, was received by His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, and Tunku Temenggong Johor Tunku Idris Iskandar Sultan Ibrahim.
Also present were Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul and several Cabinet ministers.
The state welcome, held at the palace’s main lobby, began with the national anthems of Brunei and Malaysia performed by the Central Band of the Royal Malay Regiment, followed by a 21-gun salute.
After the ceremony, the Brunei Sultan held a meeting with the King, during which both monarchs discussed various matters, including longstanding bilateral relations.
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong then hosted Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and the Bruneian delegation to a state banquet.
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah is undertaking the visit at the invitation of Sultan Ibrahim.
According to the Bernama report, the state visit is the third by a foreign head of state to Malaysia since Sultan Ibrahim ascended the throne as the 17th King, following visits by the Presidents of China and Indonesia.
Today, the Brunei Ruler will attend the 26th Malaysia-Brunei Annual Leaders’ Consultation (ALC) and is also scheduled to hold a separate meeting with the Prime Minister in conjunction with the ALC.
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 current issues and exchange views on regional and international matters of mutual interest.
The visit and annual meeting underscore the longstanding special relationship between Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam, reaffirming both countries’ continuous commitment to strengthen strategic cooperation for mutual prosperity and the well-being of their peoples.
In 2024, Brunei was Malaysia’s sixth-largest trading partner in Asean, with total trade amounting to RM7.53bil (US$1.77bil).
Between January and June this year, Malaysia-Brunei trade reached US$690mil (RM3.02bil), comprising exports of US$500mil (RM2.18bil) and imports of US$190mil (RM840mil).
