BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: The King and Queen of Malaysia, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim and Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, were today accorded a state welcome at Istana Nurul Iman here, in conjunction with Their Majesties' three-day state visit to Brunei, which commenced yesterday (Oct 13).
The arrival of Sultan Ibrahim and Raja Zarith Sofiah to the largest palace in the world at about 11am was welcomed by the Sultan of Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and his consort, Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha.
Accompanied by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Raja Isteri, the royal couple proceeded to the royal dais, where they received a royal salute from members of the Royal Guard Regiment of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces.
Following the royal salute, Malaysia's national anthem, 'Negaraku,' and Brunei's national anthem, 'Allah Peliharakan Sultan,' was played, accompanied by a ceremonial 21-gun salute.
Sultan Ibrahim, accompanied by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, then inspected a guard-of-honour mounted by members of the Royal Guard Regiment of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces.
Their Majesties were introduced to the Brunei royal family, Cabinet Ministers, and the heads of the foreign delegations in attendance. In turn, the Sultan of Brunei and Raja Isteri were introduced to the Malaysian delegation.
Accompanying Sultan Ibrahim and Raja Zarith Sofiah was Tunku Temenggong Johor, Tunku Idris Iskandar Sultan Ibrahim.
Also present were Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir, Foreign Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Amran Mohamed Zin, along with senior officials from Istana Negara, various ministries, and related agencies.
Following the state welcoming ceremony, Sultan Ibrahim and Raja Zarith Sofiah were escorted to Cheradi Laila Kenchana in the magnificent palace located along the Brunei River, for an audience with Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Raja Isteri.
Their Majesties and Tunku Idris Iskandar were then escorted to Cheradi Ratna Kenchana, an expansive area of 200,000 square metres within the palace, for a gift viewing before proceeding to the hotel where Their Majesties were staying.
In the afternoon, Raja Zarith Sofiah is scheduled to visit Sultan Sharif Ali Islamic University to inaugurate the Malaysian Publications Corner, which showcases collaborative research publications between Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia.
This evening, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah will also host a State Banquet in honour of Sultan Ibrahim and Raja Zarith Sofiah at the Royal Banquet Hall, Istana Nurul Iman.
This is His Majesty's inaugural state visit to Brunei since ascending the throne on Jan 31 and comes at the invitation of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.
This visit, which coincides with the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam, is seen as a significant opportunity to further strengthen the close and special relationship between the two nations, underpinned by shared Malay sultanate heritage, religion, culture, and family ties.
Their Majesties are scheduled to return home tomorrow. – BERNAMA