Malaysian Deputy PM in Indonesia: Meet Gibran First, Then Prabowo and Surya Paloh

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi held a series of bilateral meetings during his multi-day visit to Indonesia.

Initially, Hamidi chose to meet with Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka at the Vice Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Thursday (17/9/2026).

The following day, Friday (18/9/2026), Hamidi met with President Prabowo Subianto at his private residence in Hambalang, West Java.

On Saturday (19/9/2026), Hamidi visited Nasdem Party Chairman Surya Paloh at Nasdem Tower, Jakarta.

What topics did Hamidi discuss with these key figures?

Discussing Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers and Halal Products

During the meeting with Gibran, they covered several strategic issues, including the protection of Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) and halal products.

The Minister for Migrant Workers Protection, Mukhtarudin, said one agenda item was the extension of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) concerning PMI between Indonesia and Malaysia covering both informal and formal sectors.

"Currently, the agreement is expected to be completed between September and October. The technical meeting has already been concluded this month. The high-level meeting is scheduled for October," Mukhtarudin said following the meeting.

Therefore, Indonesia requested Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister's support to help accelerate the MoU's finalization process.

"Secondly, regarding the sectors for additional PMI quotas, especially for the formal sector since the informal sector still dominates. So, we are also strengthening the formal sector, particularly for medium and high-skill workers," he added.

Additionally, discussions included the protection of Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia.

Mukhtarudin noted that the Indonesia-Malaysia relationship on migrant workers has been longstanding and potential problems have significantly diminished.

This is because both countries have established numerous agreements for the development and protection of Indonesian citizens working in Malaysia.

"Vice President Gibran also emphasized the importance of providing good protection to our migrant workers in Malaysia," he said.

Besides PMI issues, the talks between Gibran and Ahmad also covered halal product matters.