KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 27 — Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is excited to attend tonight’s Asean gala dinner, which also coincides with his 80th birthday.
Speaking to reporters at a hotel in the capital here, Lula joked about his milestone birthday, saying, “I just turned 80 today and I feel really great. I hope to live until 120 years old. I am a bit sad, though, as nobody brought me any presents.”
The gala dinner at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre will be hosted by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, welcoming world leaders and delegates attending the 47th Asean Summit and Related Summits.
Lula said he was eager to make a good impression at the gala dinner, noting the special Tenun Pahang Baju Melayu gifted to Asean leaders for the occasion.
“I will go to the dinner tonight as if I am a Malaysian, and looking like a Malaysian too,” he quipped.
The Brazilian leader, the first from his country to attend an Asean Summit, also praised Malaysia for its hospitality.
“The most positive impressions Malaysia has left on me is that the people are very friendly and very nice.
“Every place that I go here in Malaysia, it feels like I’ve been here before — there’s always someone smiling, someone who’s very kind, it’s a little bit like Brazilian people,” he said, adding that he was impressed by Anwar‘s leadership.
On the international front, Lula expressed Brazil’s backing for Malaysia’s aspirations in Brics.
“Malaysia will have the support of Brazil to become a full member of Brics,” Lula said.
Formed in the early 2000s, Brics originally included Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
In 2024, Indonesia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates joined as full members, while Malaysia currently holds the status of a Brics Partner Country, having joined in October 2024.
