Sultan Ibrahim welcomes President Marcos Jr to Johor as part of state visit to Malaysia
JOHOR BARU, July 27 — Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar hosted Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr and his delegation at the Istana Bukit Serene here today as the last stop before concluding his three-day state visit to Malaysia.
The Permaisuri of Johor, Raja Zarith Sofiah Sultan Idris Shah accompanied Sultan Ibrahim to receive Marcos and his wife Louise Araneta-Marcos during their visit.
At hand to welcome Marcos and the Philippine presidential delegation was Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim.
Sultan Ibrahim and Marcos share a friendship that goes back to the late 1970s when they were both course mates while undergoing US Army infantry and special forces training at Fort Benning (now known as Fort Moore), Georgia in the United States.
In a post on Sultan Ibrahim’s official Facebook, the state Ruler and Raja Zarith Sofiah also hosted a tea reception for Marcos and his wife at the Istana Bukit Serene.
Marcos and the presidential delegation later left for a flight back to Kuala Lumpur. Johor is his final stop of the three-day state visit.
Marcos was inaugurated as the 17th President of the Philippines in June last year.
In July 2019, Sultan Ibrahim visited the Philippines at the personal invitation of the then President Rodrigo Duterte, where he was also conferred the "Order of Sikatuna”, which carries the title "Datu".
Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim hosted a dinner in honour of Marcos official state visit at the Petronas Twin Towers (KLCC) in Kuala Lumpur.
Earlier on the same day, Marcos who is on a three-day state visit to Malaysia, held a joint press conference with the prime minister in Putrajaya.
On Tuesday, Marcos and his wife were accorded a state welcome at Istana Negara in Kuala Lumpur by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah.
