SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will make an official visit to Putrajaya from Monday (Jan 6) to Tuesday for the 11th Malaysia-Singapore Leaders’ Retreat, where both sides will sign several bilateral agreements.
He will be hosted by his counterpart Anwar Ibrahim, according to a statement from Singapore’s Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Sunday (Jan 5).
The annual retreat is a platform for both leaders to set the overall direction for bilateral cooperation and identify new ways to further enhance connectivity to deliver tangible benefits to Singaporeans and Malaysians, the PMO said.
Both sides will also continue constructive efforts towards managing outstanding bilateral issues, “taking into account their abiding interdependencies and shared commitment to forward-looking ties”, the PMO added.
The retreat – Mr Wong’s first since becoming PM last May – was originally scheduled for Dec 8 to 9 last year but was postponed after he tested positive for COVID-19.
Malaysia PM Anwar will host a dinner for PM Wong on Jan 6 and accompanying ministers will engage their Malaysian counterparts and other Malaysian ministers. The next day, Mr Wong will attend an official welcome ceremony and a meeting between both delegations.
Both leaders will witness the exchange of several bilateral agreements and memoranda of understanding “which reflect the multifaceted and mutually beneficial partnership across various domains”, the PMO said.
According to Malaysia’s foreign ministry, there will be a joint agreement on the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (SEZ). The proposed SEZ aims to boost the Johor economy through economic cooperation with Singapore, and both countries signed a memorandum of understanding in January last year.
Both sides will also sign a letter of intent on education, women and social welfare, climate change, carbon capture and storage, urban development and combatting transnational crimes, Malaysia’s foreign ministry said.
According to Singapore’s Trade and Industry Ministry, Malaysia was Singapore’s third largest trading partner in 2023 with bilateral trade of US$92.1 billion. Singapore was also Malaysia’s largest source of foreign investment, contributing US$9.6 billion or 23.2 per cent of Malaysia’s total foreign investments in 2023.
Mr Wong, who is also the finance minister, will be accompanied by Mrs Wong, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law K Shanmugam, Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing, Minister for Social and Family Development and Second Minister for Health Masagos Zulkifli, Minister for National Development Desmond Lee, Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Finance Chee Hong Tat, and Senior Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of National Development Sim Ann.
In his absence, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat will be Acting Prime Minister, the PMO said.
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