HEADLINES

Trump bids farewell to KL after ASEAN, Accord

Air Force One's departure concluded Trump's two-day visit to Malaysia, his first since returning to office, as part of his multi-nation Asia tour

11:30 AM MYT

 

KUALA LUMPUR – United States President, Donald Trump departed Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at 10.06 am today, concluding his attendance at the 47th ASEAN Summit.

Air Force One’s departure concluded Trump’s two-day visit to Malaysia, his first since returning to office, as part of his multi-nation Asia tour.

The US President was officially sent off by Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail at the airport.

Earlier, he had been seen off at his hotel by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Saifuddin, and US Embassy representatives, including US Ambassador Edgard D. Kagan.

On the Summit sidelines, Trump and Anwar witnessed the signing of the KL Peace Accord between Thai PM Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian PM Hun Manet, a formal step toward ending decades of border disputes.

Brokered under Malaysia’s ASEAN 2025 chairmanship, the agreement established an ASEAN Observer Team to monitor stability. The US President commended Prime Minister Anwar for his ‘courage and historic role’ in facilitating the accord, calling him ‘a great and historic figure’ for bringing both nations together through dialogue.

The trip also included a bilateral meeting where Trump and Anwar signed a Reciprocal Trade Agreement and a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, aimed at deepening collaboration across technology, energy, and critical minerals.

The leaders’ warm rapport was evident during the signing ceremony, featuring laughter after Anwar jokingly called Trump’s writing tool the ‘White House pen’. Earlier, at the 13th ASEAN-US Summit, Trump reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to Southeast Asia, pledging an enduring partnership under the ‘golden age of America’.

The U.S., he stressed, is dedicated to an ‘open and thriving Indo-Pacific’, promising deeper ASEAN cooperation in trade, investment, and regional security.

“My message to the nations of Southeast Asia is that the United States is with you 100 per cent, and we intend to be a strong partner and friend for many generations to come,” Trump said in his address at the Summit.

Trump commended Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s leadership, stating the visit gave him a firsthand look at Malaysia’s progress and achievements.

“It has really been an amazing experience. I’ve only been here for a day, but the Prime Minister made sure I saw everything, every single thing,” he said, recalling their conversation during their journey in ‘The Beast’, the presidential car specially flown in for the visit.

Trump called his maiden Asian tour ‘an interesting time’, predicting the new trade agreements with Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand would yield significant regional economic benefits.

He specifically highlighted collaboration with ASEAN in artificial intelligence, green technology, and advanced manufacturing, underscoring the bloc’s vital role in global supply chains.

Next, the President flies to Japan, then to South Korea for the 2025 APEC Forum—where a meeting with China President Xi Jinping is anticipated—to close out his Asia tour. – October 27, 2025

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