REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The arrival of Anwar Ibrahim who is Malaysia's former deputy prime minister on Sunday is at the invitation of former president BJ Habibie. According to Anwar Ibrahim, as he uploaded in his Facebook account and his Instagram on Sunday, he came to Jakarta to deliver a speech on 20 years the Indonesian reforms.

"Today I am in Jakarta at the invitation of former Indonesian president, Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie, in order to address the 20th anniversary of the Indonesian reforms," he said.

He said 1998 was a sacred year for Malaysia and Indonesia. "The people of Indonesia commemorates May 21, 1998 as the date of the fall of the old regime and the beginning of the power transition era and the inauguration of democratic institutions that were applied at the time of President BJ Habibie," he said.

In the meantime, the people of Malaysia commemorate September 2, 1998 as the date of the beginning of the fall of the Barisan Nasional regime which is ended after almost two decades on May 9, 2018.

"I believe the meeting and talks with former president Habibie will re-establish the relationship between our two countries, and strengthen the commitment to implement the reform agenda in Malaysia," he said.

Malaysia's former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim meets the 3rd Indonesian President, BJ Habibie in Jakarta, on Sunday.

According to records, Anwar Ibrahim last came to Indonesia at the end of 2004. He was in Indonesia for a week to meet Habibie and other friends such as Abdurrahman Wahid, Megawati Soekarnoputri, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Jusuf Kalla, Sultan Hamengku Buwano X, Amien Rais and others.

Anwar Ibrahim is a senior political figure who had become a political opponent of Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. Both were at loggerheads in the Asian crisis period in 1998 until then Anwar serving as finance minister and deputy prime minister was removed from office and then imprisoned by Mahathir.

In the 2018 election, Anwar, who was released on May 16 after being pardoned by the Malaysian King, joined a coalition with Mahathir who is re-appointed as prime minister at the age of 92.

Mahathir said he would hand over his leadership to Anwar in the next two years.

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