KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 2 (NNN-Bernama) — New Zealand Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro was accorded a state welcome at Malaysia’s national palace here Monday, in conjunction with her maiden four-day visit to the country which began Sunday.
On arrival at 11 am, Kiro and her husband Dr Richard Davies, were greeted by the Malaysian King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and Queen Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah.
Also present were Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his wife Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Deputy Prime Minister Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Cabinet ministers.
The welcoming ceremony at the parade ground began with the Royal Malaysian Air Force central band singing the New Zealand and Malaysian national anthems, which was followed by a 21-gun salute.
The Governor-General of New Zealand then inspected a guard of honor mounted by four officers and 103 rank-and-file personnel of the First Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment.
Kiro and Al-Sultan Abdullah then planted a tree in the palace courtyard.
The two leaders then held a meeting and later attended an orchid-naming ceremony during which a hybrid orchid was named Dendrobium Cynthia Kiro in honour of the New Zealand leader.
A state banquet was also hosted by Their Majesties in honour of the New Zealand Governor-General.
This is Kiro’s maiden visit to Malaysia and the Southeast Asian region since assuming office on Oct 21, 2021.
The last state visit by a governor-general of New Zealand was by Dame Patsy Reddy, from Dec 5 to 8, 2017.
New Zealand is Malaysia’s second largest trading partner in the Pacific region, with total trade between the two nations reaching US$1.42 billion as of June this year, an increase of 15.3 per cent from US$1.27 billion recorded in the corresponding period in 2022.
— NNN-BERNAMA