Aquino flies to Kuala Lumpur Thursday

President Aquino: Leaving for KL Thursday INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

KUALA LUMPUR—President Aquino follows up on goodwill built by Malaysia’s brokering of successful peace talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) as he begins a two-day state visit here on Thursday.

Aquino arrives here at 3:15 p.m. in a first state visit by a Philippine President in more than a decade.

Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who now holds the seat of Pampanga’s second district in the House of Representatives, made the last state visit in 2001, though she traveled to Malaysia in 2002, 2003 and 2007 as guest, according to the Philippine Embassy here.

This is Aquino’s first visit to Malaysia, during which he will hold wide-ranging discussions with Malaysian officials, including boosting trade ties between the two countries, improving the lot of Filipino workers here, and pushing forward the Malaysia-brokered peace accord between the government and the MILF.

The peace agreement would allow the establishment of a new autonomous region in Mindanao to be governed by the Bangsamoro people, and expedite aid and investment for the development of the rich but impoverished island.

“The visit would create an impetus for both countries and the international community to look at Mindanao and that region in Southeast Asia with renewed hope and enthusiasm for its social and economic development,” the Philippine Embassy here said in a statement to the Inquirer ahead of the President’s visit.

Aquino’s visit to Malaysia reciprocates Prime Minister Najib Razak’s visit to the Philippines in 2012 to witness the signing of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro by government and MILF representatives.

The President’s visit comes a month after the conclusion of negotiations on the final annex to the framework agreement here in January.

The Philippine Embassy said Aquino’s visit was also expected to “call attention to the well-being of Filipinos in Malaysia.”

Crackdown on migrants

At least one Philippine citizen has complained of maltreatment as Malaysia cracks down on illegal migrant workers.

There are an estimated 700,000 Filipinos working in Malaysia, with 400,000 known to be staying in Sabah, a territory being claimed by the Philippines but has long been under the administrative control of Kuala Lumpur.

Aquino earlier said that the unresolved dispute, which flared again last year when the sultanate of Sulu sent 200 fighters to Lahad Datu, Sabah, to take the territory, will not be part of his talks with Malaysian leaders.

The Malaysian police and military repelled the Sulu fighters, killing more than 70 of them and bringing charges against those who were captured during the fighting and their accomplices.

Underscoring the import of Filipinos here, Aquino will begin his visit with a meeting with the Philippine community on Thursday night.

Official meetings

The President will then have a packed second day, starting with a meeting with Malaysia’s King Abdul Halim and the Prime Minister at Parliament House.

He will then have a separate meeting with Najib at the Prime Minister’s Office in the government center Putrajaya, followed by expanded bilateral meetings, where the two sides are expected to sign agreements on several areas of cooperation, including education and culture, the embassy said.

As part of a Business Investment Forum organized alongside his visit, Aquino will meet with Malaysia’s business community on Friday afternoon.

The President will meet with Malaysian business executives, including Abdul Farid Alias, president and CEO of Maybank Berhad; Tony Fernandes, CEO of AirAsia, and Lim Kok Thay, chair and chief executive of Genting Berhad.

Major trading partner

Malaysia is a major Philippine trading partner, ranking 11th in 2013 among the country’s top business partners with total bilateral trade estimated at $209.42 million as of October of that year.

From 2005 to 2012, Malaysia invested $2 billion in the Philippines.

On Friday night, Aquino will again meet with the Malaysian king at the Istana Negra, the official residence of the monarch, where he will be honored with a state banquet.

Aquino will fly back to Manila just before midnight, arriving in the Philippine capital after 3 a.m. Saturday.