KUALA LUMPUR: The four-day visit to Malaysia by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, beginning Thursday, further enhances the prevailing close bilateral relations between the country and the United Kingdom, said the foreign ministry in a statement issued here Tuesday.

The visit of Prince William and Duchess Kate is on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II, in conjunction with the celebration to mark the 60-year reign of the Queen.

The ministry said while here, the Duke and Duchess would have an audience with Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Hajah Haminah, and attend a royal dinner at the Istana Negara.

They will also call on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, at the prime minister's official residence, Seri Perdana, before attending a luncheon with them.

Besides the official programme, the royal couple will also visit Hospis Malaysia, a charitable organisation which offers professional palliative care to patients suffering from terminal illnesses.

"The Duchesses of Cambridge, who is the Royal Patron of East Anglia's Children's Hospices, is expected to deliver her maiden public speech overseas," said the statement.

Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge will also attend a special cultural performance to be held at the Kuala Lumpur City Centre Park, and they will depart for Kota Kinabalu where they will be hosted by the Sabah Government.

"Their Royal Highnesses will end the visit in Malaysia after visiting Danum Valley, a primary tropical rainforest in Sabah," said the statement. - Bernama

• Travel Picks: Top 10 golf resorts around the world
• Chinese premier criticizes EU move on trade measures
• Justice Department opposes AMR's $20 million severance for CEO Horton
• News Corp to take charge of up to $1.4 billion this quarter
• Wall Street Week Ahead: Investors look for signs in the rally's break
• Unhappy with how your fave series is faring? Amazon gives you a say
• Visa, Mastercard ask U.S. court to declare card fees are lawful
• Wall Street posts first weekly loss since mid-April on Fed angst
• IMF's Lagarde escapes formal investigation in court
• Politics of development pays dividend
• A thematic play seen
• Sarawak counters hogging the limelight
• Getting GST acceptance will be tough
• A yen for the unloved dollar standard
• Bitten by the music bug

• French soldier stabbed on patrol in Paris
• Thousands run final mile of Boston Marathon as memorial
• Trio arrested over London soldier murder

• Formula One: Grosjean shrugs off crashes
• Kuchar clings to one-shot lead at Colonial
• Moreno closing in on first LPGA victory
• Macdonald and Marques share the lead
• McIlroy among big names who miss the cut as Molinari leads
• Kuchar leads in weather-hit second round
• Two tied at the top as rain stops play in the Bahamas
• Sweet revenge as Froch defeats Kessler
• Gay rolls to New York win as Richards-Ross waits
• Pandelela-Mun Yee and Yan Yee-Jun Hoong bag bronze medals in Mexico
• World No. 1 Nicol sinks Waters to reach British Open final
• China confident of sweeping aside their final opponents
• Koreans in the final despite Dong-keun’s loss
• Nico Rosberg revels in the rain as Mercedes stamp their mark
• Whitmarsh: McLaren’s hopes were too high this season

• Please wait.

• Give birth naturally, women urged
• Too blessed to be stressed
• It takes nearly 72 hours to get a new polycarbonate passport now
• Indian warships visit Malaysian waters
• ‘Harry Potter Wong’ casts his spell
• Theme parks and long holiday help fill Johor hotel rooms
• Housewife extorted over nude pics
• Unlocking the keys of pronunciation
• Exemplary educators
• Weighing the options