By Mohd Iswandi Kasan Anuar
JAKARTA, Sept 16 (Bernama) -- Malaysia’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Datuk Syed Mohamad Hasrin Tengku Hussin, on Tuesday called on Malaysians to appreciate the sacrifices of the nation’s freedom fighters in their struggles for the country’s independence.
He emphasised that in celebrating the country’s independence, it is befitting that Malaysians spare a thought for the sacrifices that have brought the freedom enjoyed by all today.
“The baton has been passed to us to continue working towards a Malaysia that is peaceful, prosperous, and stable,” he said, during a flag hoisting ceremony in conjunction with the 68th National Day Hari, 62nd Malaysia Day, and 92nd Malaysian Armed Forces Day celebrations at the embassy complex here, today.
The celebration was attended by some 300 guests, including Malaysia’s Permanent Representative to ASEAN, Datin Sarah Al Bakri Devadason; heads of Malaysian government agencies in Jakarta; officials and the diplomatic corps and Malaysian Permanent Representatives; as well as students and the Malaysian diaspora in Indonesia.
Syed Mohamad Hasrin also expressed confidence that the close cooperation and strong bond of friendship between Malaysia and Indonesia will continue to flourish under the leaderships of President Prabowo Subianto and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said that relations between the two nations recorded massive growths in various sectors in 2024.
Bilateral trade reached US$25 billion in value last year, making Indonesia the sixth largest trading partner for Malaysia globally and second largest in ASEAN.
Malaysia also surged ahead to become the fourth largest foreign investor valued at US$4.2 billion, up from US$4.1 billion in 2023.
Some 4.14 million Indonesians have visited Malaysia, and 2.27 million Malaysians have travelled to Indonesia.
“Aside from that, some 11,000 Indonesian students are currently pursuing courses in Malaysia, and more than 1,100 Malaysian students are studying in Indonesia,” he said.
The official ceremony began with the hoisting of the Jalur Gemilang to the sound of patriotic music by the Royal Malaysian Police Brass Band from the Kuala Lumpur Police Training Centre.
The event was also brought alive by the recitation of a patriotic poem by the children of Kelas Bimbingan Malaysia and a choral speaking performance by 20 students of Sekolah Menengah Atas (SMA) 78 Jakarta, to a rousing applause from the guests.
The event ended with a group photo session and a feast.
-- BERNAMA
