US president arrives in Malaysia for historic visit

By P. Prem Kumar

KUALA LUMPUR 

President Barack Obama became the first serving U.S. commander-in-chief to visit Malaysia in 48 years upon arriving in the country Saturday, just 50 days after the tragic disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

Obama kick-started his three-day visit when Air Force One -- the leader’s highly-customized aerial office -- landed at the Subang air force base at about 4:50pm local time. He was greeted by senior Malaysian government officials, such as Foreign Minister Anifah Aman and Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, before boarding his official limousine -- Cadillac 1 a.k.a "The Beast."

The U.S. president then attended the official welcoming ceremony at the Parliament Square, where he was accompanied Malaysian King Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah, as well as Prime Minister Najib Razak and Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

The ceremony was marked by a guard-of-honor composed of over 100 Royal Malay Regiment officers and a 21-gun salute.

Obama was introduced to Malaysian cabinet ministers before heading for a state banquet hosted by the King at The Royal Palace. 

The president’s proposed agenda for Sunday includes five events that will keep him busy for the whole day.

He is expected to begin his Sunday visit with a stopover at the U.S. embassy in Jalal Tun Razak, followed by a cultural visit to the National Mosque.

Bilateral talks between Obama and PM Najib are expected to happen in the administrative capital of Putrajaya, followed by both leaders witnessing the signing of key government-to-government cooperation.

The heads of state will launch the Malaysian Global Innovation and Creative Centre (MaGIC) near Cyberjaya, an agency to boost Malaysia's entrepreneurial sector.

Obama is then expected to deliver a much-awaited speech at a town hall session in Malaysia's first higher education institution, the Universiti Malaya.

The session will have extra spice with Obama taking questions from ten young leaders, each representing member nations of The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a political and economic organisation of ten Southeast Asian countries.

Obama is also scheduled to meet selected Malaysian civil rights leaders.

On Monday morning, the president will witness the signing of several corporate agreements between U.S. and Malaysian companies, before leaving for the Philippines.

Obama’s trip to the Southeast Asian nation of 30 million people, which had to be postponed last October due to a budget standoff that led to a partial U.S. government shutdown, marks the first U.S. visit on presidential level since former president Lyndon B. Johnson's 1966 trip.

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 went missing after losing radio contact with Malaysian and Vietnamese air traffic control after leaving Kuala Lumpur International Airport on March 8.

The Beijing-bound flight was carrying 239 passengers including 12-flight crew from 14 different countries.

Air and water searches involving boats, planes and now submarines have failed to find any sign of the plane.

Prior to his arrival in Malaysia, Obama had visited Japan and then South Korea, where he paid his condolences to the victims of the April 16 ferry disaster that has left over 300 passengers dead or missing.

On Monday, Obama will leave for the Philippines -- the final leg of his Asian tour.

englishnews@aa.com.tr