Malaysia, Indonesia dijangka adakan rundingan di P Pinang

Malaysia and Indonesia are reportedly set to hold talks in Pulau Pinang over the next two months to discuss various issues, including border disputes, says Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Anwar revealed that Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto agreed to the meeting during their encounter at the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi. "We will also explore ways to boost trade, strengthen bilateral relations and cooperation in addressing issues such as border disputes," he told reporters.

However, it remains unclear whether the Pulau Pinang talks will become the 14th Malaysia-Indonesia Annual Consultation, which is scheduled by Malaysia this year. The annual consultation is a top-level biennial mechanism between the two countries, alternately hosted by Malaysia and Indonesia. Anwar and Prabowo held the 13th Annual Consultation in Jakarta on July 29th last year, marking their first such meeting since Prabowo became president.

It was also the first Malaysia-Indonesia annual consultation in nearly eight years. The previous meeting took place in Kuching, Sarawak, on November 22nd, 2017, between then-Prime Minister Najib Razak and then-Indonesian President Joko Widodo. Anwar hopes to deepen ties with Kerala. Earlier, he met Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan and discussed boosting trade and investment between Malaysia and the Indian state.

They also explored ways to strengthen cooperation in technology, healthcare, tourism, and education. Anwar then met Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, who presented him with a book on the legendary Indian singer Kishore Kumar after seeing the prime minister sing "Dost Dost Na Raha," a classic Hindi song, at the BRICS Summit.

During subsequent meetings with Kerala business leaders, Anwar encouraged companies from the state to consider investing in Malaysia, while urging Malaysian firms to explore opportunities in Kerala. He mentioned potential sectors including electronics, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence (AI).