Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesian Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka hosted Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi at the Vice Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Thursday afternoon.
Wearing black attire topped with a suit, Gibran personally welcomed the Malaysian dignitary upon his arrival. The two leaders exchanged a cordial embrace before proceeding into the palace.
“Welcome back, Your Excellency,” Gibran said while extending warm greetings from Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.
He expressed appreciation to Hamidi for revisiting Indonesia and delight at receiving him at the official residence.
“Malaysia is our close ally, our strategic partner,” he told the deputy prime minister.
Hamidi, for his part, thanked Gibran for his warm reception and conveyed greetings from Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
The Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta earlier confirmed that the deputy prime minister was scheduled to visit Indonesia for a meeting with the country’s youngest-ever vice president.
“The deputy prime minister and VP Gibran will discuss bilateral cooperation, current developments, and shared targets for the upcoming annual bilateral consultation,” said Farzami Sarkawi, Malaysia’s chargé d’affaires ad interim in Jakarta, on Sept. 15.
He added that the meeting would not be the only item on Hamidi’s Jakarta agenda, noting that the deputy prime minister was also scheduled to attend an international halal forum in Cibubur.
The forum would follow up on a memorandum of understanding on halal sector cooperation previously signed by the two countries.
Deputy PM Hamidi previously visited Indonesia in late April 2025 for separate talks with President Prabowo and Vice President Gibran.
He also met with Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) and, together with ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn, launched the ASEAN Unity Drive 2025 initiative at the Malaysian Embassy.
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Translator: P.T. Violleta, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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