The foreign ministry (Wisma Putra), in a statement today, said the short visit from April 4-5 is also to honour the invitation extended to the prime minister by the Sultan of Brunei, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.
This is Muhyiddin’s first meeting with Sultan Hassanal under the Annual Leaders’ Consultation framework.
During the visit, the prime minister will hold a meeting with Sultan Hassanal, followed by an official luncheon.
According to Wisma Putra, the Annual Leaders’ Consultation is the highest platform for discussions on a wide range of bilateral, regional and global issues of common interest to both countries.
“Both leaders will take the opportunity of this important annual meeting to take stock of the progress of the ongoing special relations, cooperation and further enhance the post-Covid-19 cooperation that will benefit the citizens of both countries,” it said.
This, among others, would include discussions on the establishment of the Reciprocal Green Lane Arrangement (RGL), initiating cooperation on vaccine diplomacy between both countries, and promotion of closer economic cooperation, said Wisma Putra.
A joint statement will be issued after the meeting.
During the consultation, both leaders will also be witnessing the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on natural disaster management as well as the formalisation of the unitisation agreement between Petronas and Brunei’s National Unitisation Secretariat in the oil and gas sector.
The last Malaysia-Brunei Annual Leaders’ Consultation was held in Putrajaya on March 5, 2019.
Given the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic in Malaysia and Brunei, Wisma Putra said Muhyiddin had instructed that the duration of the official visit be less than 24 hours.
To minimise risks of Covid-19, the prime minister will be accompanied by his wife, Noorainee Abdul Rahman, and a small delegation comprising foreign minister Hishammuddin Hussein and senior government officials.
The official visit will also be subjected to strict Covid-19 preventive rules, as agreed upon by the health ministries of both countries and the National Security Council.