Royal visit marks close M'sia -UK ties

KUALA LUMPUR: It will be the longest stop on their autumn tour when the Prince of Wales, Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, arrive at Kuala Lumpur International Airport tomorrow.
In their inaugural visit to the country, Their Royal Highnesses are expected to visit a number of places in Kuala Lumpur, Perak, Sarawak and Penang, as well as participate in various significant events in the span of seven days (Nov 2 to 8) to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Malaysia-United Kingdom bilateral relations.
The royal visit is part of a tour of Malaysia, Singapore and India from Oct 30 to Nov 9.
The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall's visit to the Commonwealth nations, which is at the request of the British government, will highlight key themes, including celebrating community, cultural diversity and promoting business innovation.
According to British High Commissioner to Malaysia Vicki Treadell, it is a huge compliment for Malaysia to have Their Royal Highnesses visit Malaysia the longest, as Prince Charles and Camilla want to learn more about Malaysia, and meet as many Malaysians as they can in as many parts of the country.

"Compared to their visits to other parts of the world, it is actually the biggest in terms of the number of days that they had done anywhere else.
"Indeed, they want to see the diversity of the Malaysian people, their culture, heritage, flora and fauna, as well as the diversity of the partnerships that we have, whether it is through the government, business, defence, academia, science, research and so forth," she told a press conference, here, today.
Treadell said the royal visit would commence in the heart of the city, with an event hosted by the Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Shah at the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, where it would involve youth engagement with both Prince Charles and Camilla.
The Royal Highnesses are also expected to have an audience with Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Muhammad V at Istana Negara and a meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.
Treadell said one of the highlights of the tour would be the Gala Dinner, which would be attended by senior dignitaries in Malaysia, as well as key figures from business, arts, culture and media.
"We have gone to the extent of designing a menu for the Gala Dinner where each dish is a fusion of British and Malaysian elements.
"An example of the menu is the beef 'rendang' Wellington and an English trifle dessert layered with Malaysian mango puree, dried pineapple crisps, alongside English berries and the standard custard," she said.
Treadell said there would be certain public occasions where people could come and see Their Royal Highnesses for themselves.
"However, for security reasons, we are not allowed to reveal those locations at this time but we will put out information closer to those moments, so people can look out for news on that on our ('UK in Malaysia') social media channels (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram)," she said.
Treadell also encouraged the public to look out for updates and information, as well as to post on their social media using the #MYUK60 and #RoyalVisitMY hashtags. — Bernama