Indonesia's Retno Marsudi, Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim Discuss Palestine, Bilateral Issues

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi met with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Wednesday, July 3, 2024 at the office of the Malaysian PM in Putrajaya. The two discussed various bilateral and global issues, ranging from Indonesian migrant workers to the situation in the Gaza Strip.

"Our meeting covered a broad range of crucial matters of mutual interest aimed at strengthening the friendship between Malaysia and Indonesia," Anwar wrote in a long tweet on social media platform X today. 

Anwar said the two discussed the matter of Palestine, which has been facing a genocidal attack by Israel. Malaysia and Indonesia have agreed to provide unwavering support for justice for the people of Gaza and the acceptance of Palestine as a full member of the United Nations.

Anwar and Retno also touched on the Indonesia-Malaysia border. They both agreed to intensify efforts and discussions to reach an agreement and a "win-win solution" regarding the Sabah-North Kalimantan border.

The Indonesia–Malaysia border encompasses 1,881-kilometer-long land border that divides the two neighboring countries on the island of Kalimantan. Both countries are also bordered in four waters, namely the Malacca Strait, Singapore Strait, South China Sea, and Sulawesi Sea.

Regarding the issue of detained fishing vessels involving citizens from both countries, Anwar said Indonesia and Malaysia would respect the ongoing legal process. 

The Malaysian PM and Retno Marsudi also discussed the issue of Indonesian migrant workers. "I assured Mrs. Retno of Malaysia’s commitment to improving the protection and welfare of over 500,000 Indonesian workers in Malaysia," said Anwar.

Concerning other global issues, Anwar and Retno also spoke about the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar. The country is currently under the power of a military junta after the 2021 coup, devastating the country and forcing millions to flee amid clashes between the junta and resistance groups.

Anwar stated that Malaysia was ready to work with Indonesia and Laos to ensure a peaceful solution to the crisis. “I expressed my gratitude to Mrs. Retno for sharing Indonesia’s experiences in chairing ASEAN, which will be invaluable as Malaysia prepares to assume the ASEAN Chairmanship next year," he said.

Apart from meeting the Prime Minister, the Indonesian minister also met Malaysian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohamad bin Hasan to discuss the status of cooperation between the two countries in preparation for the 17th Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) meeting which will be held in Indonesia this year. In 2023, Indonesia became the seventh largest trading partner in the world for Malaysia and the third largest among ASEAN member countries, with a trade value of US$24.39 billion or around Rp39.9 trillion.

NABIILA AZZAHRA

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