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RI should make the most of Anwar’s visit, experts say
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Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim speaks during a press conference to announce new cabinet members at the Prime Minister’s office in Putrajaya on Dec. 2, 2022. (AFP/Arif Kartono)
M
alaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s state visit to Jakarta next week will offer an opportunity for Indonesia to strengthen its ties with Kuala Lumpur and address persisting bilateral issues, experts say, amid regional and global tensions.
Anwar is scheduled to arrive in Jakarta on Sunday and to meet with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on Monday.
His strong personal relationship with Jokowi and his position as a champion of reform and democracy in Malaysia have raised hopes that the two leaders will make strides in resolving long-standing disagreements.
“The primary global politics discourse has been shifted to the rivalry between superpowers. It is only ideal that Indonesia and Malaysia resolve some of their bilateral problems to not further jeopardize our regional integrity,” said Andrew Mantong, an international relations expert at the Jakarta-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), on Friday.
Strategic neighbors
At least two primary bilateral challenges stand in the way of a problem-free relationship between the two nations: border disputes in the South Malacca Strait and the Sulawesi Sea, as well as the protection of Indonesian migrant workers.
Meeting his Indonesian counterpart in Jakarta last week, Malaysian Foreign Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir told reporters that Anwar’s visit would likely tackle these two problems.
