Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing met his Malaysian counterpart in Kuala Lumpur to strengthen bilateral defence cooperation and witness the signing of a new naval support arrangement.
Singapore’s Minister for Defence, Mr Chan Chun Sing, called on Malaysia’s Minister of Defence, Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, at the Malaysia Ministry of Defence this afternoon. Mr Chan also inspected the Guard of Honour during his visit.
Both ministers reaffirmed the warm and longstanding bilateral defence relationship between Singapore and Malaysia. They also emphasised the importance of enhancing people-to-people ties and discussed regional security developments, as well as ongoing cooperation through multilateral platforms such as the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM), ADMM-Plus, and the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA).
Mr Chan and Dato’ Seri Khaled also witnessed the signing of the Arrangement for Mutual Submarine Rescue Support and Cooperation between the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN). Signed by Singapore’s Chief of Navy, Rear Admiral (RADM) Sean Wat, and Malaysia’s Chief of Navy, Admiral (ADM) Tan Sri (Dr) Zulhelmy bin Ithnain, the agreement establishes a framework for mutual support and assistance in the event of a submarine incident. This reflects the depth of trust and practical cooperation between both defence establishments.
In addition, Mr Chan met with Malaysia’s Minister of Housing and Local Government, Mr Nga Kor Ming, to discuss strengthening civil service exchanges in areas such as urban planning and housing development, including through public officer engagements and study visits.
Mr Chan is in Malaysia from 25 to 26 August. He will deliver the keynote address at PUSPAHANAS, the National Defence Education Centre under Malaysia’s Ministry of Defence, on 26 August.
Source: MINDEF
