Jakarta, June 27, 2025 — Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim emphasized the need to fully harness the trade and investment potential between Malaysia and Indonesia, describing current levels of cooperation as underwhelming given the close ties between the two nations.

“The trade and investment potential between our countries is enormous, but both of us feel that it remains underutilized. This is unfortunate, especially considering the depth of our friendship,” Anwar stated during a joint press conference with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto at Merdeka Palace on Friday.

The two leaders agreed on the urgency of implementing concrete measures to advance their respective economies through enhanced bilateral collaboration.

Anwar underscored that Indonesia and Malaysia wield considerable economic strength — not only domestically and bilaterally, but also as influential members of the ASEAN bloc — particularly amid ongoing global trade tensions and tariff disputes.

“I share President Prabowo’s view that we must take all reasonable steps to boost investment and economic cooperation,” he said.

During their bilateral meeting, Anwar and Prabowo also addressed a number of pressing international issues, including the ongoing crisis in Myanmar and the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

Both leaders reaffirmed a shared position in condemning Israel’s military actions in Palestine and its recent provocations toward Iran.

“We strongly condemn the brutality of Israel that has resulted in genocide,” Anwar declared. “While there is momentary relief due to the ceasefire between Israel and Iran, Malaysia maintains a firm stance against Israel’s violations. We support Iran’s right to defend its dignity, integrity, and sovereignty.”