SUBANG: United States president Barack Obama arrived here today on a three-day working visit to attend the 27th Asean Summit and related summits.
Obama landed via Air Force One at the Subang Royal Malaysian Air Force Base at 3.20pm.
He was welcomed by Malaysian ambassador to the US Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussin, US ambassador to Malaysia Joseph Yun, Agriculture and Agro-based Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, and US ambassador to Asean Nina Hachigian.
It is Obama's second visit to Malaysia in as many years, and his third and final stop this month after attending the G20 Summit in Turkey and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in the Philippines.
Upon his arrival, he will attend a town-hall session at the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Summit, which will gather 500 emerging leaders from 10 Asean countries.
He is also slated to hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak later today.
Over the next two days, Obama will be attending the 3rd Asean-US Summit and the 10th East Asia Summit. He will also be addressing the Asean Business and Investment Summit tomorrow.
Malaysia is hosting the summits as this year's Asean chair.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership, the US 're-balance' to Asia and human rights are expected to be topics on Obama's agenda, while other matters on security, the environment, and trade will likely be raised during his bilateral meetings with other leaders on the sidelines of the summits.
He will be joining leaders from seven other countries with close partnerships with Asean - Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea - at the meetings.
Obama last visited Malaysia in April last year, making him the first US president to do so since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1966.