PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today hosted an official luncheon in honour of his visiting counterpart, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão of Timor Leste.
Xanana Gusmão, who is on his first official visit to Malaysia, arrived at the Prime Minister’s official residence at 11.15 am.
The two leaders shared a lighthearted moment before the luncheon, swaying to the popular song ‘Dia Datang’, famously performed by Datuk Wan Aishah Wan Ariffin, better known as Aishah in the early 2000s.
Anwar requested the song to be replayed after noticing how much Xanana Gusmão enjoyed the melody.
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The luncheon was attended by the Timorese delegation, as well as Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, and Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
Earlier, Anwar and Xanana Gusmão held a bilateral meeting, discussing regional and international issues of mutual interest. Topics included trade and investment, the halal industry, education, capacity-building, and connectivity.
In 2023, Malaysia’s total bilateral trade with Timor-Leste reached US$43.7 million (RM196.7 million). Malaysia exported US$43.3 million (RM195 million) worth of goods, while imports from Timor-Leste totalled US$0.4 million (RM1.7 million).
