Gowa, VOI News – Thousands of Gowa district residents enthusiastically packed the Syech Yusuf Discovery Square to welcome Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Sri Najib Tun Razak to a function marking the 689th anniversary of the Gowa Kingdom on Wednesday (18/11). He was invited by Gowa head of district of South Sulawesi province Ichsan Yasin Limpo as a descendant of a Gowa king.
Najib, who is the descendant of Gowa’s 19th King, Sultan Abdul Jalil Tumenanga ri Lakiung, and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor were earlier accorded a welcome normally reserved for royalty. The elaborate Bugis “official welcoming ceremony” or amantuli was held at South Sulawesi Governor Syahrul Yasin Limpo’s official residence. Najib and Rosmah also wore special Gowa attire, a cream coat and black and gold silk sarong with a gold songkok for him and a dark red Bugis “bodo” tunic with a sarong similar to Najib’s for her.
They then proceeded to the Shekh Yusuf Discovery Park where the anniversary celebration took place. Premier Tun Razak took part in the inauguration of the `Monumen Patunru` monument at the Syech Yusuf Discovery square. The monument is decorated with paintings or pictures of Gowa kings from the first king to the 36th one. Najib also witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between four Malaysian research and development companies with the Hassanudin University of Makassar.
