Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad is coming to Manila next week for a two-day visit to meet with President Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced today.
Mahathir will be in the country from March 6 to 7 for the official visit, the DFA said. Duterte, who invited the prime minister, will officially welcome him on March 7 at the Malacañang Palace in Manila.
After that, the two leaders will have a bilateral meeting to discuss cooperation in the political, economic, and “people-to-people” spheres, and exchange views on the topics of mutual importance.
This will be Mahathir’s first visit to the Philippines after returning as Malaysia’s prime minister last year. During his previous term as prime minister, he also undertook bilateral official visits in 1987 and 1994. The upcoming visit follows Duterte’s visit to Malaysia in July 2018.
During Duterte’s three-day visit in Malaysia, he and Mahathir reaffirmed the Philippines’ and Malaysia’s long-standing friendship and brotherhood, Manila Bulletin reported.
Duterte also pointed out the need to address terrorism and violent extremism in the region, as well as transnational crime such as piracy and armed robbery at sea and the illegal drug trade. The two leaders also strengthened defense and security cooperation at the bilateral and regional level.
They, however, left out the important issue of Sabah, former Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque previously said, GMA News reported.
Sabah, rich in minerals and gas deposits, was annexed to Malaysia when the country was formed into a federation 1963.
The Philippines still claims the land and maintains that an 1878 land lease agreement — between the Sultanate of Sulu and the British North Borneo Chartered Co — was only for leasing the land, and did not render Sabah as part of Malaysia.
There is no word yet if the leaders discuss Sabah during the upcoming visit.
Mahathir, the world’s oldest prime minister at 93-years-old, is also scheduled to meet with Senate President Vicente Sotto III and House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during his visit.
During Mahathir’s previous terms as Malaysia’s prime minister from 1981 to 2003, he was accused of undermining the judiciary and other institutions. The press was also under attack and political opponents were jailed, Rappler reported.
However, he is also credited for transforming the Southeast Asian country into a modern industrialized nation from what was once a sleepy backwater, ABS-CBN News added.
