SUBANG: The Sultan of Brunei, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, has arrived in Malaysia for a four-day state visit at the invitation of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia.
His special aircraft carrying the Sultan and his delegation landed at the Royal Malaysian Air Force Air Base here at 3.03 pm today.
The delegation included Prince Abdul Mateen Bolkiah, cabinet ministers and senior government officials.
Tunku Temenggong Johor Tunku Idris Iskandar Sultan Ibrahim received the Sultan upon arrival.
Also present were Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah inspected a guard of honour mounted by 28 officers and personnel of the First Battalion Royal Ranger Regiment upon landing.
The guard of honour was led by Captain Muhammad Asyraf Zulkifli.
Tomorrow, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah will be accorded an official state welcome at Istana Negara.
This will be followed by an audience with the King and a state banquet hosted by Sultan Ibrahim.
The visit will be followed by the 26th Malaysia-Brunei Annual Leaders’ Consultation according to Wisma Putra.
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah is also scheduled to hold a meeting with the Prime Minister in conjunction with the 26th ALC on Wednesday.
The ALC is the highest bilateral mechanism between Malaysia and Brunei.
It serves as a platform for both leaders to review the progress of existing cooperation.
The consultation also allows discussion of emerging issues and exchange of views on regional and international matters of mutual interest.
The visit and annual consultation reflect the longstanding special ties between Malaysia and Brunei.
They reaffirm the shared commitment to strengthening strategic cooperation for the prosperity and well-being of both nations.
In 2024, Brunei was Malaysia’s sixth-largest trading partner within ASEAN.
Total trade between the two countries was valued at RM7.53 billion (USD1.77 billion) last year.
For the period January to June 2025, Malaysia-Brunei trade reached USD690 million (RM3.02 billion).
This comprised exports worth USD500 million (RM2.18 billion) and imports worth USD190 million (RM840 million). – Bernama
