Malaysia confident that current momentum of engagement with Singapore will continue
KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia has expressed its confidence in the current momentum of engagement between Malaysia and Singapore and stressed that it is committed to strengthen bilateral ties with the Republic.
In a statement released on Sunday (Jan 13), Malaysia said that its Minister of Economic Affairs Mohamed Azmin Ali would meet his Singapore counterpart, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong, and Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, to discuss bilateral issues between Malaysia and Singapore.
“This demonstrates that ties between the two countries remain strong,” the statement said.
The meeting will form “the next positive step forward after the fruitful bilateral meeting” held between the foreign ministers of Malaysia and Singapore on Jan 8, the statement added.
“The ministry is confident that the current momentum of engagement between Malaysia and Singapore will continue and reiterates its commitment to strengthen bilateral relations with Singapore based on equality and mutual respect,” Malaysia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said in the statement.
On Sunday, Malaysia also confirmed that the annual bilateral meeting with Singapore set for Monday (Jan 14) has been postponed.
“The reason for the postponement, as conveyed by Singapore vide a Diplomatic Note dated 11 January 2019 was due to the visit by Datuk Osman Sapian, the Chief Minister of Johor, to Johor Bahru port in Malaysian territorial waters on 9 January 2019,” said the statement.
Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday that Mr Osman’s presence on a Malaysian vessel in Singapore’s territory last Wednesday had rendered the 14th Joint Ministerial Committee for Iskandar Malaysia (JMCIM) untenable.
The committee was set up in 2007 to study how the two neighbours can work together in the South Johor economic zone of Iskandar.
Malaysia said in the statement on Sunday that the foreign ministers of both countries “are in communication and agreed that both sides should remain calm and not sensationalise the matter”.
Related Stories:
Source: Read Full Article
