Understanding between Malaysia and Indonesia is vital to enable the Malay language to be the official language of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean).

Dewan Negara President Rais Yatim said Wisma Putra played an important role to find a specific way to link the country’s objectives with that of its neighbours.

"Malaysia cannot regard Indonesia lightly as she is an ally in the greater struggle,” he said during the Asean Representatives’ Roundtable Session for the Advancement of Malay Language at Institutes of Higher Learning in Asean Countries in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.