SINGAPORE: Singapore’s Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing met his Malaysian counterpart Mohamed Khaled Nordin on Monday (Aug 25) as part of his two-day introductory visit to Malaysia.
The two ministers reaffirmed the warm and longstanding bilateral relationship between Singapore and Malaysia, and the value of enhancing people-to-people ties between both defence establishments.
They also discussed regional security developments and cooperation between the two countries in regional multilateral platforms such as the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM), ADMM-Plus and the Five Power Defence Arrangements, Singapore’s Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) said in a media release.
Mr Chan inspected the Guard of Honour at Malaysia’s Ministry of Defence on Monday afternoon.
He and Mr Khaled also witnessed the signing of the Arrangement for Mutual Submarine Rescue Support and Cooperation between the Republic of Singapore Navy and the Royal Malaysian Navy.
“The arrangement establishes the framework for mutual support and assistance in the event of a submarine incident,” MINDEF said.
“This is a testament to the strong ties between both ministries and navies.”
Mr Chan was named defence minister in May following Singapore’s General Election.
During his visit to Malaysia, he also met with Malaysia’s Minister of Housing and Local Government Nga Kor Ming. They discussed ways to further civil service exchanges in the areas of urban planning and housing development, such as through public officers’ interactions and study visits.
Mr Chan will deliver a keynote address on Tuesday at the PUSPAHANAS, a centre for defence studies under Malaysia’s Ministry of Defence.
