PRIME Minister Anwar Ibrahim will be in Brunei tomorrow for a two-day official visit.

It will be his second official visit abroad since being appointed to office.

Foreign Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir said the prime minister is expected to arrive at Brunei International Airport at 3.30pm tomorrow and attend a dinner with Brunei’s Malaysian diaspora at the Malaysian High Commission in Bandar Seri Begawan.

On the second day, Anwar is set to meet Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah at Istana Nurul Iman for a four-eyed meeting, Zambry told a press conference in Bandar Seri Begawan today.

During the meeting, the two leaders are expected to assess the progress of the two countries’ ongoing cooperation and further strengthen relations.

Anwar and Sultan Hassanal will witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Malaysian Investment Development Authority and the Brunei Investment Agency. 

Zambry said the MOU is a follow-up to Sultan Hassanal’s special visit to Malaysia on November 28, just after Anwar was officially appointed prime minister.

“It will provide an opportunity for both countries to explore potential investments that are of mutual interest,” he said.

He said trade between Malaysia and Brunei recorded an increase from 2021 to 2022, and the latter is the country’s 26th-largest global trading partner and sixth-largest Asean one, with total trade amounting to RM13.22 billion in 2022.

“For the January-December 2022 period, Malaysia’s export to Brunei increased by 33.3% to US$1.68 billion.

“Imports from Brunei were recorded at US$1.21 billion, an increase of 154.8% from the previous year,” he said.

The meeting will be followed by a royal banquet hosted by the sultan.

During the visit, the prime minister will be accompanied by his wife Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Sarawak Premier Abang Johari Openg, Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Mohd Noor, Zambry, Foreign Ministry secretary-general Amran Mohamed Zin, and the Malaysian High Commissioner to Brunei Raja Reza Raja Zaib Shah. – Bernama, January 23, 2023.