KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 28 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim shared a light moment with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese at the Asean-Australian Summit here, jesting as to why the latter’s delegation does not include Foreign Minister Penny Wong.
Anwar posed the question when Albanese was delivering his opening remarks, just as the Australian PM touched on the point that his country and Malaysian people share a deep connection, citing Wong’s Malaysian ancestry.
“Why isn’t she here?” Anwar asked, smiling.
“Well, our Parliament is going on right now, she has to be there,” Albanese replied with a light laughter.
In his opening remark earlier, Anwar thanked Australia, expressing his gratitude to the country as Asean’s first dialogue partner which he said had been a strong supporter of the community.
Wong is the first Asian-born member of an Australian Cabinet and the first woman to hold both the role of Leader of the Government in the Senate and Leader of the Opposition in the Senate.
She was born in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, but immigrated to Australia in 1976 when she was eight years old. Wong returned to Malaysia in December last year on an official work visit, where she had talks with Anwar.
Australia is Asean’s first dialogue partner
In his opening remarks earlier, Anwar thanked Australia, expressing his gratitude to the country as Asean’s first dialogue partner which he said had been a strong supporter of the community.
“And you are also the first dialogue partner to express support in the implementation of the Asean 2045: Our Shared Future. And then we have seen significant achievements together,” the prime minister said.
Total two-way trade between the two reached RM537.4 billion in 2024, with imports from South-east Asia accounting for over RM300 billion.
The trade relationship is underpinned by the Asean–Australia–New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA) agreement and is a central focus of Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040.
