Dili: The Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) today conducted a special 40-minute interview with the President of Timor-Leste and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Jos© Ramos-Horta at the Presidential Palace. The session was part of Bernama's eight-day coverage mission to Timor-Leste and was led by Bernama TV programme anchor and Head of Programmes Gerard Ratnam.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the interview took place in the Sala Presidente Nicolau Lobato, a ceremonial hall named in honor of the country's independence hero. Following the interview, President Ramos-Horta personally accompanied the Bernama delegation to the ASEAN Hall, a facility he initiated as a symbol of Timor-Leste's aspirations to join ASEAN. He expressed his desire for each ASEAN country to establish its own ASEAN Hall to represent the bloc's shared vision and identity.
The Bernama delegation, led by Acting Deputy Editor-in-Chief (News Services) Mohd Shukri Ishak, presented President Ramos-Horta with a specially designed batik shirt, a Bernama coffee table book chronicling the agency's history, and a commemorative plaque. Bernama is serving as the official media agency and coordinator of the International Media Centre for the ASEAN Summit, which will be hosted by Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur this October.
During the interview, President Ramos-Horta praised Malaysia's leadership and progress, highlighting the country's modernisation and regional cooperation. He remarked that Malaysia stands as a model of these attributes and noted the increasing number of Indonesians and others choosing Malaysia, specifically Penang, for medical treatment.
President Ramos-Horta expressed his gratitude towards Malaysia and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for their unwavering support of Timor-Leste's ASEAN membership bid. He acknowledged the trust placed in Timor-Leste by Malaysia and other ASEAN leaders, pledging to improve and fulfill their responsibilities as an ASEAN member.
He emphasized Timor-Leste's commitment to being a loyal and steady friend of ASEAN, contributing to peace, stability, and fraternity across the region. He articulated a vision of Southeast Asia as a beacon of peace, prosperity, and justice, and expressed hope to one day nominate ASEAN for the Nobel Peace Prize.
The full 40-minute interview will be broadcast on Bernama TV's 'The Nation: ASEAN Plus' programme in conjunction with the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur in October. The airing date is yet to be confirmed. As part of its mission in Timor-Leste, Bernama is also scheduled to interview the Metropolitan Archbishop of Dili, His Eminence Cardinal Virgilio do Carmo da Silva, SDB.