Duterte’s next stop is Malaysia

DAVAO CITY—After China, Brunei and Japan, President Duterte is now preparing for a state visit to Malaysia to talk about ways to end piracy along the Malacca Strait, a maritime area that borders four states.

The President, who continues to rail against the United States and other critics of his bloody war on drugs, said he will complete his tour with a visit to Malaysia, one of the countries “that matter to me.”

Mr. Duterte said he is looking forward to his talk with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and again with Indonesian President Joko Widodo to fight attacks around the Malacca Strait, the new piracy hotspot.

Duterte hinted he will adopt a hardline stance in dealing with piracy similar to the way he has been dealing with illegal drugs.