MALAYSIAN PM ARRIVES IN MAKASSAR FOR A ONE-DAY VISIT

By Mohd Nasir Yusoff

MAKASSAR, Nov 18 (Bernama) -- Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak,
accompanied by wife Rosmah Mansor, arrived here Wednesday to attend the 689th
commemoration of the Gowa regency (sub-district) as the VVIP guest.

The Prime Minister and wife were greeted upon arrival at the Sultan
Hasanuddin Air Force Base here by South Sulawesi Governor Syahrul Yasin Limpo
and wife as well as local dignitaries and Malaysian Embassy officials.

Najib is a much celebrated figure in South Sulawesi due to his
Makassar-Bugis lineage which can be traced back to the 11th descendant of the
local historical figure and hero, the late Sultan Hasanuddin of Gowa.

Najib's attendance at the commemoration is given a wide coverage by the
local media who hail him as a "local son" who made good overseas by becoming the
prime minister of Malaysia, a country which they describe as a fast developing
nation that inspires not only the people of the province but also the provincial
government.

After a luncheon at the governor's official residence here, Najib and Rosmah
will be given the traditional "amuntuli" welcoming ceremony before changing into
local Gowa ceremonial suits to attend the main event at the Syekh Yusuf
Discovery square at Jalan Masjid Raya, Sungguminasa, Gowa.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to deliver a speech, which is expected to
touch on possible cooperation in various fields between Malaysia and this 1,883
sq km province of some 500,000 people.

He is also expected to touch on the Makassar-Bugis people especially their
able seamen who, throughout history, had explored many regional shores.

Not only Najib is popular here, his father the late Abdul Razak Hussein is
also very well remembered by the people, especially with the recent naming of
a street here as the Tun Abdul Razak Street.

The street was named after the father of Malaysia's sixth Prime Minister as
a token of friendship and to mark the emotional bonds between the late Malaysian
leader and South Sulawesi, according to a local official recently.

Najib, the official said, is a descendant of the 19th King of Gowa, I
Mappadulung Daeng Mattimung Karaeng sanrobone Sultan Abdul Djalil Tumenganga ri
Lakiung.
-- BERNAMA