KUALA LUMPUR: The President of the Republic of South Africa, His Excellency Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma is scheduled for an official visit to Malaysia from Aug 25 to 27.
Zuma who was elected as President in 2009, will be accompanied by his wife, seven Cabinet Ministers, senior government officials and business associates is expected to arrive at the KLIA tomorrow.
The Ministers who will be accompanying the President are Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Minister of Defence, Minister of Public Enterprise, Minister of Industry and Trade, Minister of Energy, Minister of
Science and Technology as well as Minister in the Presidency for Performance Monitoring, Evaluation and Administration.
The purpose of the visit is to strengthen the existing good bilateral relations between the two countries and while in Putrajaya, the President is scheduled to hold a four-eyed meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun
Razak and later hold a bilateral meeting.
Zuma is also scheduled to deliver a keynote address at the Malaysia-South Africa Business Forum while Najib will host an official dinner in honour of the President.
Zuma who will be conferred a Honorary Doctorate for Leadership in Humanity by LimKokWing University of Creative Technology (LUCT), would also attend briefings by FELDA and IRIS Corporation.
President Zuma is also scheduled to receive on behalf of former President Nelson Mandela, a Lifetime Campaigner for Global Peace Award by Mahathir Global Peace Foundation.
This is the first visit to Malaysia since President Zuma assumed the South African Presidency in 2009 although he was in Malaysia back in 1999 and 2002 to attend Langkawi International Dialogue (LID) and in 2003 to join the World Peace Conference in his capacity as the Deputy President.
This fourth visit to Malaysia clearly reflects the warm bilateral relations between the two countries.
The President’s wife is scheduled to pay a courtesy call on the Prime Minister’s wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and later visit the PERMATA Pintar centre. -BERNAMA