The Indonesian head of state departed from Halim Perdana Kusuma air-force base, eastern Jakarta, at 1 am local time, to Kuala Lumpur.
During the work visit to Malaysia, he is scheduled to attend a meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Mohd Najib Tun Razak, among other activities.
After the bilateral meeting, the two leaders are expected to chair the Ninth Consultative Meeting to be attended by both nations` ministers and other high ranking officials.
In the forum, President Yudhoyono will discuss efforts to strengthen bilateral ties and raise other priority issues, such as the protection of Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia, border lines, trade and investment.
During his brief stay in Kuala Lumpur, Yudhoyono is also expected to receive an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Utara Malaysia.
Last Monday, after watching a film on the love story of BJ Habibie and Ainun, President Yudhoyono said he would also raise the issue of a recent editorial written by former Malaysian information minister Zainuddin Maidin, insulting former Indonesian president BJ Habibie.
In his editorial published in the Utusan Melayu daily, Zainuddin called Habibie a "traitor" and a "dog of imperialism."
Yudhoyono said such negative statements were improper because they could hurt the feelings of the Indonesian people and affect bilateral ties between the two neighboring countries.
"I will raise the issue with Malaysia. In the future, we must consider each other's feelings and respect each other to maintain the friendship and partnership between the two nations," he said.
On Wednesday, Yudhoyono will leave for New Delhi to attend the ASEAN-India Summit. (*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
