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Credit : Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's X
MANILA, November 15, 2026 — The 49th ASEAN Summit in Manila also gave Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim time with the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Negara Brunei Darussalam, Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, and Prince Abdul Mateen, Anwar said in a post on X on Sunday.
Anwar said the meeting, held in a cordial atmosphere, “reflects the close ties of friendship and kinship between Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam.” He added: “Insya-Allah, this special bond will continue to be preserved and strengthened for the interest and shared prosperity of both countries.”
In the post, Anwar used the Sultan’s full formal style, including the title Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Negara Brunei Darussalam, and referred to Prince Abdul Mateen by his formal style, Paduka Seri Pengiran Muda Abdul Mateen.
Prince Abdul Mateen, who accompanied the Sultan, is Brunei’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. A statement from Brunei’s Prime Minister’s Department, published by Pelita Brunei, said the Sultan had arrived in Manila on Saturday, November 14, for the 49th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits, which run from November 15 to 17, accompanied by Prince Abdul Mateen in that capacity. The Sultan was received at Ninoy Aquino International Airport by the Philippine transportation secretary, Vivencio “Vince” Bringas Dizon, and by Brunei’s ambassador to the Philippines, Megawati binti Dato Paduka Haji Manan, the statement said.
Anwar did not announce any new agreement or specific policy outcome from the meeting, which he described as an opportunity afforded by the summit rather than a formal negotiating or signing session. The photographs he shared showed the three men talking together in a lounge setting, with tea and light refreshments on the table. No official readout from the Brunei side had been issued at the time of writing, and Anwar did not list any items on the agenda.
Both leaders are in Manila for the three-day gathering, which opened on Sunday at the Philippine International Convention Center, themed “Navigating Our Future, Together”, as earlier reported by Bernama. Anwar and Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail attended the opening ceremony earlier in the day, as he also posted on X. Inquirer.net listed Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah among the leaders present at the opening, together with Anwar.
Anwar arrived in Manila on Saturday evening to lead Malaysia’s delegation, as previously reported by Life News Agency. The Philippine News Agency also listed the Sultan among the dignitaries who arrived on Saturday. Malaysia and Brunei are fellow ASEAN member states. He did not say whether further bilateral talks were planned during the rest of the summit, which is due to end on Tuesday, November 17, with the handover of the ASEAN chairmanship from the Philippines to Singapore.
The meeting post came later on Sunday afternoon, after Anwar had also posted about a separate meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on the sidelines of the same summit.
Sources: Anwar Ibrahim on X (meeting post); Pelita Brunei / Prime Minister’s Department of Brunei Darussalam; Inquirer.net; Philippine News Agency; Bernama.
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