Singapore PM Lawrence Wong Receives Official Welcome in Malaysia
Putrajaya, The Gulf Observer: Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, during his two-day official visit to Malaysia, was formally welcomed at Dataran Perdana, Putrajaya, on Tuesday morning.
Accompanied by his wife, Loo Tze Lui, Wong arrived on Monday for his second official visit to Malaysia since taking office on May 15. Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim personally received him at 10 a.m.
The official ceremony commenced with the national anthems of both nations, followed by Wong inspecting a guard of honour mounted by three officers and 103 members of the First Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment.
The event was attended by prominent figures, including Deputy Prime Ministers Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, Cabinet ministers, foreign diplomats, and senior government officials.
Wong’s visit coincides with the 11th Malaysia-Singapore Leaders’ Retreat. After the welcoming ceremony, he is scheduled to attend a delegation meeting with Anwar.
According to a statement by Wisma Putra, this visit will focus on evaluating bilateral relations and addressing regional and global issues of mutual concern. Both leaders will also witness the signing of a joint agreement on the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), along with six memorandums of understanding and a letter of intent covering education, social welfare, climate change, urban development, and combating transnational crime.
The JS-SEZ initiative aims to boost economic collaboration, enhance trade, ease business operations, and support talent development between the two nations.
As ASEAN founding members and close neighbours, Malaysia and Singapore maintain robust and multifaceted relations. Singapore remains Malaysia’s second-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching RM360.12 billion (US$78.59 billion) from January to November 2024, marking a 6.7% growth compared to the same period in 2023.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries, further strengthening their long-standing partnership.
