SINGAPORE: President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim have reaffirmed the need to „deepen cooperation“ in issues of shared interest, including food security and energy, said Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on Tuesday (Jul 14).
Mr Tharman, who is currently on a state visit to Malaysia, met Mr Anwar on Monday, during which they exchanged views on geopolitical developments, including the Middle East situation, said MFA.
Both leaders also reaffirmed the importance of upholding international law, especially the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea – an international treaty governing the rights and responsibilities of nations in their use of oceans – as well as safeguarding the freedom of navigation.
Mr Tharman also met with Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar on Monday, where they discussed forging deeper cooperation in areas such as renewable energy and sustainable development.
On Tuesday, Mr Tharman visited the city of Shah Alam, where he met with various leaders, including Sultan of Selangor Sharafuddin Idris Shah and Selangor chief minister Amirudin Shari.
„During these engagements, the two sides discussed potential areas of collaboration including in technical and vocational education, climate adaptation and flood mitigation, and the growth of start-ups,“ said MFA, adding that Mr Tharman also welcomed more exchanges between Singapore and Selangor.
In a Facebook post, the Selangor Royal Office noted the state’s flood challenges, saying it could learn from Singapore’s use of flood mitigation technology, river cleaning methods and sustainable environmental development.
Mr Tharman later attended a dinner hosted by the Kuala Lumpur Business Club, where he engaged leaders in the economic and finance sectors.
„President Tharman’s address touched on the challenges of a post-unipolar world. He spoke of the need to keep up links with the major powers even as we strengthen bridges with other regions,“ said MFA.
„He also spoke of the need to reform multilateralism, while stepping up the pace of ASEAN integration and bilateral cooperation.“
Mr Tharman will have a breakfast roundtable with business leaders on Wednesday, before departing Malaysia in the afternoon.