Golf cart ride for Malaysian King with Indonesian President shows strong bilateral relations

Malaysian King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah riding a golf cart in the Bogor Botanical Gardens with President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo is a sign of a great bilateral relationship between both nations, say officials.

The Indonesian President took the Malaysian King and his family on a golf cart ride around the Bogor Botanical Gardens near the Bogor Palace in West Java.

Sultan Abdullah and his wife Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Iskandariah, along with their daughters, arrived at the palace on Tuesday morning last week.

They were welcomed with a lavish ceremony hosted by Jokowi and First Lady Iriana.

Following the ceremony, Jokowi and Sultan Abdullah planted a damar tree as a symbol of good bilateral ties between the two neighbouring countries.

The President later took the wheel of a white golf cart and drove the Malaysian head of state around the Bogor Botanical Garden. They were seen talking casually.

Iriana and the Permaisuri Azizah joined them for the drive, sitting in the backseat of the cart. The three daughters of Sultan Abdullah rode in a different golf cart.

Jokowi had his fair share of rides in cars with Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad during his visits to Malaysia.

This year, Dr Mahathir took Jokowi for a ride in the brand new Proton Saga. A video of the Malaysian PM driving went viral. But Jokowi said the elderly statesman held his end of the bargain with a smooth ride, though speedy.

He also said he is not much of a car driver as he loves to ride motorbikes.

Previously, Jokowi and Iriana invited Sultan Abdullah to take part in the Welcoming Ceremony, followed by a group photo session and planting trees.

But the most important part of the visit to Indonesia was the bilateral meeting the King held with the Indonesian President.

Jokowi and Sultan Abdullah discussed the issue of the EU palm oil ‘discrimination’ with Indonesia and Malaysia agreeing to join forces to fight against the discrimination.

The King’s visit reiterated the importance of the two nations in uniting against the EU attacks against the palm oil industry, say officials. -/TISG