DPM Ahmad Zahid arrives in Colombo for two-day working visit

COLOMBO: Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (pix) arrived here early Thursday for a two-day working visit to Sri Lanka.

The special flight carrying Ahmad Zahid and his wife, Datin Seri Hamidah Khamis, touched down at the Bandaranaike International Airport at 12.05am (2.35am Malaysian time).

The Deputy Prime Minister was received by the Malaysian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Wan Zaidi Wan Abdullah and senior officials from Sri Lanka's Foreign Ministry.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Home Minister, will begin his visit with a meeting with Sri Lanka's Minister of Home Affairs Vajira Abeywardena at the ministry in Independence Avenue, scheduled for 9.30am today.

This will be followed by talks with Minister of Foreign Employment Thalatha Atukorale at the ministry at the Assert Arcade Building, at about 11am.
Later, at 3.30pm, Ahmad Zahid will officiate at the ground-breaking of the Hyrax Oil Sdn Bhd lubricants manufacturing plant in Muthurajawela, about 25 minutes from Colombo city centre.

At 5pm, the Deputy Prime Minister will pay a courtesy call on President Maithripala Sirisena.

Thursday night, he will meet the Malaysian Diaspora in Sri Lanka and Friends of Malaysia as well as other Malaysians working and living in Sri Lanka at a dinner function at a hotel here.

Ahmad Zahid's visit is aimed at enhancing bilateral relations in various fields between Kuala Lumpur and Colombo. The two countries established diplomatic ties in 1957. — Bernama