Malaysia's Prime Minister, Mahathir bin Mohamad will visit the Philippines from March 6 to 7 in response to President Rodrigo Duterte's invitation. The Filipino leader will host a welcome ceremony at the Malacańang Palace for his Malaysian counterpart.
Filipino news outlet Philippine Star confirmed that the two political leaders will hold a bilateral meeting to discuss cooperation in culture, economics, and politics.
Mahathir's Philippine visit will be his first since assuming office last year. Aside from his summit with Duterte, Mahathir is expected to meet former President and House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Senate President Vicente Sotto III.
Mahathir already paid a visit to the Philippines in 1987 and 1994 during his previous terms as Prime Minister. Duterte, on the other hand, visited Kuala Lumpur mid-2018 wherein the Filipino president and Malaysian PM pledged to enhance their countries' bilateral cooperation.
In Rappler's report about Duterte's visit to Malaysia in July last year, it was reported that the Philippines' Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque referred to Malaysia as "a brother nation and dependable partner." Roque also said, "We are confident that the strong partnership between our countries would continue to be enhanced in the years to come."
It is worth noting that Mahathir is the world's oldest elected leader. He previously led his country from 1981 to 2003, marking the longest term a Prime Minister ever served in Malaysia.
Analysts are expecting to see more detailed accounts of the upcoming bilateral meeting between Duterte and Mahathir. It is also expected that topics of benefit to both countries will be discussed to further improve ties in various industries.
ABS-CBN News reported after Mahathir and Duterte's July 2018 meeting that the Philippine president expressed gratitude for Malaysia's support during peace talks that transpired between Malacańang and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) group.
The local outlet said the two leaders discussed options and strategies on how violence and terrorism can be reduced in the Philippines as the country recorded high crime rates and illegal drug use at that time.
It is unclear if Mahathir and Duterte will include Sabah in the meeting's agenda. Sabah is a disputed area that the Philippines maintains is only for leasing purposes. The Southeast Asian country has been citing an 1878 land lease agreement signed between the British North Borneo Chartered Co. and the Sultanate of Sulu.
Before the 2018 Philippines-Malaysia summit, the Philippine Palace said Duterte will most likely avoid discussing Sabah with Mahathir. No details about the matter were revealed to the public at that time.
