1. The Prime Minister of Australia, The Honourable Anthony Albanese MP, welcomed the Prime Minister of Malaysia, The Honourable Dato' Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim, to Melbourne for the 2nd Australia-Malaysia Annual Leaders’ Meeting on 4 March 2024.
2. The Leaders noted the excellent state of the bilateral relationship and acknowledged their countries’ shared interests in regional stability, respect for sovereignty and fostering shared economic prosperity.

Prime Minister Albanese hosted Malaysian Prime Minister the Honourable Anwar Ibrahim for an official visit to Australia in Melbourne today. The two Prime Ministers held the second Australia-Malaysia Annual Leaders Meeting.

Malaysia is an important regional partner and friend to Australia. Leaders discussed their desire to bring our people and economies closer together, guided by our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and Invested: Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040.

The Prime Ministers agreed to a range of initiatives to achieve this vision.

WILL GOODINGS, HOST: Well, the Prime Minister has called in to the program this morning because he's at ASEAN this morning and he had a couple of spare moments. Prime Minister, good morning to you.

CRAIG REUCASSEL, HOST: Good morning. Happy birthday, Prime Minister.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning, Craig, thank you very much. And congrats on the relatively new gig. Good to talk with you.

MONIQUE WRIGHT, HOST: And the polling booths have opened for today's Dunkley by-election. Joining us from Frankston is the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, on his birthday. Happy birthday to you, Prime Minister. Lovely to see you.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning. And thank you for the birthday wishes.

WRIGHT: I hope it's a lovely day. Gosh, a winner. Be nice for you, wouldn't it? I want to take you back to last week when we talked to you.

PRIME MINISTER: Well, guess what I want?

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Well, it's great to be back here in Frankston after the by-election yesterday made the decision, the people of Dunkley made the decision to send Jodie Belyea as their representative to Canberra. Jodie Belyea is Frankston tough, as she said last night. She's someone who's absolutely passionate about representing this community.

JODIE BELYEA, LABOR CANDIDATE FOR DUNKLEY: Good morning everyone. And welcome to Dunkley. I'm Jodie Belyea, and I'm the Labor candidate for the Dunkley by-election. Today is the day. Today is the day when the people of Dunkley vote for someone to be their representative in the Federal Government. Today is also a very special day for the Prime Minister. It's his birthday. Happy birthday, Albo. I love Frankston. I'm a mum with a mortgage. And my son, Flynn, went to this great school. I love this community. And I will deliver for Dunkley.

JAYNE AZZOPARDI, HOST: Meanwhile, Dunkley in Melbourne's east is a political epicentre this morning as voters head to the polls for a highly anticipated by-election.

CLINT STANAWAY, HOST: The result there expected to come right down to the wire and as seen by many as a litmus test ahead of next year's Federal election. The Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, joins us live from Frankston. PM, good morning. Look, before we talk politics, happy birthday.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning.

JODIE BELYEA, LABOR CANDIDATE FOR DUNKLEY: Good morning. I'm Jodie Belyea, the Labor candidate for the Dunkley by-election. And I am here this morning with the Prime Minister, one day out from the by-election. We are at Jubilee Park Stadium. A place that Peta championed and delivered on. This is an incredible facility. Peta was a strong, wise and confident woman that represented our community. She delivered for Dunkley. And I ask the people of Dunkley to vote for me, because I too will deliver for Dunkley.

GED KEARNEY, ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGED CARE: Good morning everybody, my name is Ged Kearney, I'm the Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care. And it's such a pleasure to be here in Grayndler at the Leichhardt Medical and Dental in the Prime Minister's hometown. It's really great to be here with him. Labor is the party of Medicare, and we've been celebrating forty fabulous years of Medicare over the last few months. It really is something to celebrate. And I'm very pleased to say that Labor has strengthened Medicare.