MAKASSAR, Nov 18 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is seriously looking into collaborating with South Sulawesi in the field of agriculture to enhance food security in line with the offer made by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono recently.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said today he had discussed the possibility with South Sulawesi Governor Shahrul Yasin Limpo during his one-day visit here to attend the 689th commemoration of the Gowa regency.

"I've discussed this with the governor. The cooperation in the field of agriculture is offered by President Susilo to enhance Malaysia's food security and help increase the income from agriculture among the farmers here," he said in his speech at the ceremony in Gowa today.

Najib said the cooperation in the field of agriculture would be further strengthened through the signing of three memorandums of understanding signed by agencies under the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry and Indonesia's Universitas Hasanuddin today.

Describing the cooperation as tangible, Najib said, it was a manifestation of the cultural similarities between the Makassar Bugis in South Sulawesi and those in Malaysia.

"This will undoubtedly strengthen the bilateral relations between Malaysia and Indonesia," said Najib at the event.

At a press conference before leaving to Malaysia, Najib said a number of likely possibilities would be studied, including "contract farming" to give farmers in South Sulawesi an opportunity to cultivate crops needed by Malaysia or open new cultivating areas in the province.

He added that there would also be possibilities of Malaysian investors in the private sector investing in Sulawesi or those that involve government agencies.

After the press conference, Najib and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor together with the Malaysian delegation left in a special aircraft to Kuala Lumpur. (By Mohd Nasir Yusoff/ Bernama)