Singapore and Malaysia 'building further' on strong economic partnership, says President Tharman

Singapore and Malaysia 'building further' on strong economic partnership, says President Tharman SINGAPORE: Singapore and Malaysia share a strong economic partnership, and the two countries are building on it further, said President Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Monday (Jul 13). Mr Tharman was speaking during an official state visit to Malaysia at an audience with Malaysia's King Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar. This is his first state visit to Malaysia, and follows Sultan Ibrahim's state visit to Singapore in May 2024. Mr Tharman cited the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone and the upcoming Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link as two examples of that shared ambition. “They reflect our mutual desire to grow the complementarity between our economies,” he said. The completion of the RTS will also boost exchanges between Singaporeans and Malaysians in areas such as tourism, healthcare and education, he added. “Ultimately, the physical and economic infrastructure we develop rests on that deeper foundation of social affinity,” Mr Tharman said. He noted that Singapore and Malaysia’s relationship has a quality that is “difficult to find elsewhere”, adding that the bilateral relationship is the consistent choice across every generation of leadership to keep looking to the future and building together. Mr Tharman also added that both countries share a history of coming together in difficult circumstances, and have continued to build on their relationship. “We have also had important issues to resolve from time to time – issues that reflect the very interdependence of the two countries. But we have not let these issues affect our ability to work on positive and new areas of cooperation,” he said. “That basic orientation, of focusing always on the larger goal of growing together and expanding our shared interests, has made ours a robust relationship – in fact a bit of a rarity in today’s world.” Noting that many Singaporean families have histories and continuing ties across the border, Mr Tharman said that the many Malaysians and Singaporeans who work and live in each other’s countries represent the natural interconnection among the people. “It is this enduring sense of kinship and partnership that gives us added confidence as we navigate an increasingly divided world, knowing we can rely on one another,” he said.