Abang Jo to make first official visit as Riseap president to New Zealand

KUCHING - Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg will make his first official visit as Regional Islamic Da’wah Council of Southeast Asia and the Pacific (Riseap) president to New Zealand starting Sunday.

The office of the Premier of Sarawak in a statement today said this is the Premier’s first official visit to a member country since his election as Riseap president earlier this year.

Abang Johari and his entourage is scheduled to arrive in Auckland just before midnight on Sunday.

"Upon arrival at Auckland airport he will be received by members of the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (Fianz) led by its president, Ibrar Sheikh.

"On Monday morning the Premier is scheduled to meet representatives from Australia, Fiji and Papua New Guinea. Later, he will meet imams and Fianz officials at Al Rahman mosque in South Auckland before taking part in a tree-planting ceremony and visiting another mosque in the afternoon,” read the statement.

The Premier and his entourage will end the two-day visit on Wednesday.

Riseap, now with 24 member countries, was formed in 1980 with the late Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra al-Haj, Malaysia’s first Prime Minister as its founding president, primarily to bring together Muslim-minority countries in East Asia and the Pacific in order to pursue collective ambitions in the Islamic cause. - BERNAMA