On March 20 to 22, Singapore President Halimah Yacob made her first state visit to Malaysia at the invitation of Malaysia’s King Sultan Abdullah Ahmand Shah. Her visit reciprocates the King’s state visit to Singapore in October of 2022, and comes shortly after Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s visit in January. President Yacob engaged with a wide range of Malaysian representatives, business leaders, and the Singapore community in Malaysia. The state visit reaffirmed the multifaceted relationship between both countries and their commitments to deepening longstanding economic, cultural, educational, and people-to-people linkages, amid global geopolitical tensions. President Yacob noted that it has been 58 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Singapore and Malaysia. Singapore remains to be Malaysia’s top investor and in 2022, bilateral trade increased by 18.9%. Furthermore, infrastructure projects like the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link, which is expected to be completed in 2026, will further strengthen connectivity between both countries and facilitate more economic activities.
During a meeting with the Singapore and Malaysia business community, President Yacob emphasized maintaining mutual economic interdependence and partnerships by working together to promote sustainable development, technological exchange, and job creation, in view of global supply chain disruptions. She acknowledged the positive trajectory of bilateral cooperation across trade, tourism, digital and green economies, cybersecurity, and education, and likewise welcomed the government-to-government agreements signed during Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s official visit. President Yacob expressed confidence in the partnership between Singapore and Malaysia and its role in advancing ASEAN interests by working closely together to promote regional stability and security.
