SINGAPORE: Malaysia and Singapore continue to strengthen bilateral relations through several understandings reached at the 12th Malaysia-Singapore Annual Leaders Retreat (ALR) on Thursday.
These include issues related to aviation, borders, national sovereignty, and energy cooperation with Sarawak, which was one of the key areas highlighted.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said negotiations on Singapore’s flight routes as well as routes from Malaysia to Sabah and Sarawak have reached an initial agreement, subject to the condition that flights from Peninsular Malaysia to the Bornean states are given easier and more unrestricted access.
“This includes flight routes for Singapore’s use as well as Malaysian or Malaysia-originating flight routes heading east, particularly to Sabah and Sarawak, which are much larger.
“So we agreed that if the intention is to help coordinate and facilitate travel for Singapore, we will also impose the condition that routes for flights from Malaysia or the Peninsula to Sabah, Sarawak, and the East are guaranteed to be easy and unrestricted,” he said during a press conference after the 12th ALR here.
The press conference was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Amar Fadillah Yusof, Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, Transport Minister Anthony Loke, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan, and Johor Chief Minister Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi.
Meanwhile, Anwar also emphasised that Malaysia and Singapore have strong alignment in the energy transition agenda and electricity import arrangements, including energy that will be supplied from Sarawak.
“There is already a consensus in this area. We want to ensure that Sarawak, which has excess energy, can export easily and that we can guarantee the needs of the Peninsula as well as Singapore,” he explained.
The Prime Minister has also informed the relevant agencies, particularly under the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, to take immediate action.
Earlier, Anwar, Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, and other leaders witnessed three Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) exchanges – between Malaysia’s Ministry of Home Affairs and Singapore’s Ministry of Transport, Malaysia’s Ministry of Home Affairs and Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs, and Malaysia’s Ministry of Health and Singapore’s Ministry of Health.
