PHNOM PENH: The Former Vice President of Indonesia and Chairman of the Indonesian Red Cross Society, Jusuf Kalla, has praised the leadership of the Royal Government of Cambodia for allowing religious harmony to be achieved in the country. The Indonesian leader made these remarks during a meeting with Prime Minister Hun Sen on Tuesday morning, 28 March 2023.

Jusuf Kalla, who is also the Chairman of the Centrist Asia Pacific Democratis International (CAPDI) and the Chairman of the Indonesian Mosque Council, shared that he brought more than 100 Muslims to Cambodia to attend the National Ramadan Iftar dinner, and what he has observed so far is that there is strong religious harmony and solidarity in the country.

In response, Prime Minister Hun Sen shared that Cambodia holds a National Ramadan Iftar ceremony every year and further stressed that all religions in Cambodia are harmonious, whether concerning Buddhism, Christianity or Islam, for example.

Speaking at the 7th National Ramadan Iftar dinner on Monday night, 27 March, Prime Minister Hun Sen said that all races and religions in Cambodia must unite to help the nation grow. He stressed that religious and ethnic differences are not an obstacle to development in Cambodia.

The Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar bin Ibrahim, has also praised the religious harmony in Cambodia, and has said he hopes countries currently pursuing racist policies, especially those in the West that claim to be democracies that uphold human rights, follow the example of Prime Minister Hun Sen, who helped reinstate peace and religious harmony in Cambodia following many years of war.