Malaysian Prime Minister (PM) Ismail Sabri Yaakob echoed his support to the Indonesian government’s plan to establish the nation’s new national capital (IKN) called Nusantara in East Kalimantan Province.
Yaakob was vocal about his support at a joint press conference with Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) after a meeting at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, on Friday, as monitored from a live broadcast on the official YouTube channel of the Presidential Secretariat.
To assist in the establishment of Indonesia’s capital city, the Malaysian government is ready to intensify development of the border area of the two countries on Borneo Island.
The Malaysian PM also stated that his side and President Jokowi were on the same page regarding the two countries further considering which areas need to be improved, both in Malaysia and Indonesia, to support the new city.
Yaakob and his entourage arrived at the Merdeka Palace at around 10:55 a.m. Western Indonesian Standard Time (WIB).
Along with the Indonesian president, Yaakob witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) regarding the placement and protection of Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia.
The MoU was signed by Indonesian Manpower Minister Ida Fauziyah and Malaysian Human Resources Minister Saravanan Murugan.
Earlier, the two government leaders also held a private meeting.
“If it was not Friday, our discussion could have been longer,” the Malaysian PM stated.
In addition to the Manpower Minister, Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi, Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, as well as Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia Hermono accompanied President Jokowi to welcome the honorary visit.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian PM’s entourage also comprised Communication and Multimedia Minister Annuar Musa, Development of Disadvantaged Regions Minister Mahdzir Khalid, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Kamarudin Jaffar, as well as member of the Malaysian Parliament Tajuddin Abdul Rahman.
Source: Antara News