Duterte was accompanied by Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano and Philippine ambassador to Malaysia Charles C. Jose.

Also present were Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah and Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu.

Duterte presented Mahathir with a portrait of the prime minister as a memento to mark the visit.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque had been reported as saying that Duterte would meet Mahathir while in Malaysia to have discussions related to insurgency and the terrorist group IS.

Duterte was on a private visit to Malaysia to watch the “Fight of the Champions” for the World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight title between Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines and Lucas Matthysse of Argentina in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Pacquiao stunned defending champion Matthysse to become the new WBA welterweight champion.