Two neighbours coordinate diplomatic positions as conflict pressures energy security and regional stability
JAKARTA, March 28 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim flew into the Indonesian capital today for a high-level bilateral summit with President Prabowo Subianto, with the two neighbours closing ranks on how best to respond to the worsening West Asia conflict and its cascading effects on global energy markets and economic stability.
The special visit to Istana Merdeka in Central Jakarta was arranged at Prabowo’s invitation, following a telephone exchange between the two leaders four days earlier on March 23 in which they identified the urgency of face-to-face consultations. It marks Anwar’s first trip to Jakarta this year.
Speaking after the roughly two-hour meeting, Anwar said the engagement had opened productive ground for both governments to find common positions on a crisis that is now rippling far beyond the region where it originated.
“In the global uncertainty that looms over us, Malaysia and Indonesia emphasise the need to strengthen regional unity — principled in its foundations — to preserve peace, guarantee stability and strengthen economic resilience for the sake of the people’s welfare,” he said.
Both leaders committed to raising the tempo of their respective diplomatic activities to help reduce tensions, shield civilian populations from harm and create the conditions necessary for substantive peace negotiations.
A shared priority that emerged from the talks was the protection of international trade infrastructure. Anwar specifically flagged the Strait of Hormuz, warning that any disruption to that critical chokepoint — or to wider global supply chains — would carry severe consequences for both countries and the broader world economy.
Malaysia’s position was stated plainly. Kuala Lumpur rejects terrorism without qualification, stands firmly behind international law and calls on all parties to the conflict to pursue a negotiated path rather than an escalatory one.
The summit also carried a strong regional dimension. Both sides reaffirmed that ASEAN must function as a coherent and principled bloc, with sufficient unity of purpose to act collectively when geopolitical pressures test the region’s stability. That collective posture, both leaders agreed, is the most credible platform from which Southeast Asia can make its voice heard on the global stage.
Anwar described his Jakarta engagement as part of a wider pattern of outreach to fellow heads of government — a concerted effort to build solidarity, harmonise positions and assess the full scope of the West Asia conflict’s impact, particularly its implications for energy security and regional order.
The two leaders have cultivated one of the closer bilateral relationships in the region. Their last formal summit in Jakarta, held in July last year, yielded concrete agreements on resolving longstanding bilateral matters and reinforcing ASEAN’s stabilising role. Today’s discussions are also expected to lay groundwork for the 14th Malaysia-Indonesia Annual Consultation, which Kuala Lumpur is scheduled to host later this year.
Anwar arrived at Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in East Jakarta at 3.45pm local time, where he was received by Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono alongside senior diplomats from both nations, before proceeding under escort to the presidential palace.
— TNS News