Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong hosted and welcomed Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Malaysia Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the Istana on 30 January 2023.
Prime Minister Anwar was accompanied by his wife, Dato’ Seri Dr. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Minister of Transport Anthony Loke Siew Fook, Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Utama Tengku Zafrul Aziz, Minister of Foreign Affairs Dato’ Seri Diraja Dr. Zambry Abdul Kadir, Minister of Communications and Digital Fahmi Fadzil, Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr. Abang Haji Abdul Rahman Zohari Bin Tun Datuk Abang Haji Openg, and Menteri Besar of Johor Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi.
Prime Minister Anwar made a courtesy call to President Halimah Yacob and met Prime Minister Lee, who hosted an Official Lunch in his honor. President Halimah and Prime Minister Anwar affirmed the warm and longstanding partnership between Singapore and Malaysia. They welcomed efforts by both sides to expand cooperation, including through various high-level exchanges such as Prime Minister Anwar’s ongoing visit to Singapore and President’s forthcoming State Visit to Malaysia in March 2023.
During their meeting, Prime Minister Lee and Prime Minister Anwar reaffirmed the longstanding and immutable friendship between Singapore and Malaysia. They welcomed the reopening of borders and increasing connectivity between the two countries. They agreed on the importance of working together to deepen ties in mutually beneficial areas, as well as address bilateral issues in a constructive manner. Prime Minister Lee invited Prime Minister Anwar to visit Singapore again for the Singapore-Malaysia Leaders’ Retreat in 2nd half of 2023.
Prime Minister Anwar and Prime Minister Lee witnessed the signing of the Framework Agreements on the Digital Economy and Green Economy between the Singapore Ministry of Trade and Industry and Malaysia Ministry of International Trade and Industry, as well as a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Personal Data Protection, Cybersecurity, and Digital Economy between the Singapore Ministry of Communications and Information and Malaysia Ministry of Communications and Digital. These agreements will deepen the cooperation between Singapore and Malaysia in harnessing technology to improve the lives of our two people.
A new orchid hybrid, the Dendrobium Anwar Azizah, was named in honor of Prime Minister Anwar and his wife, Dato’ Seri Dr. Wan Azizah Dr. Wan Ismail. A factsheet of the orchid hybrid is in Appendix.
“Delighted to welcome Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim to the Istana today on his first official visit to Singapore as PM. PM Anwar and I go a long way back. His visit today underscores the friendship of our countries and our commitment to strengthening bilateral ties. Glad that Singapore and Malaysia signed three agreements to deepen our cooperation in the green and digital economies, and in cybersecurity. Singapore and Malaysia work closely in many areas. Our relationship is quite unlike any other, bound by geography and shared history. As neighbors, we’ve been steadfast partners supporting each other throughout the pandemic, maintaining the flow of goods and workers, and minimizing disruption to lives across our borders. By working constructively together, we produce win-win outcomes that benefit our people and businesses. I am confident that with PM Anwar’s support, Singapore-Malaysia relations can reach greater heights. Look forward to meeting PM Anwar again soon, and welcoming him back to Singapore later this year for our annual Leaders’ Retreat.” PM Lee wrote on his Facebook post.
Source: MFA Singapore and Lee Hsien Loong Facebook
