Singapore and Malaysia 'building further' on strong economic partnership, says President Tharman

Singapore and Malaysia are deepening their robust economic partnership, building on a foundation of shared ambition and mutual desire for growth, said Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam. He made these remarks during his first state visit to Malaysia, meeting with King Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar.

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They reflect our mutual desire to grow the complementarity between our economies.

President Tharman pointed to the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone and the upcoming Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link as prime examples of this collaborative spirit. These initiatives, he explained, reflect a mutual aspiration to enhance the complementarity between their economies. The RTS Link, in particular, is expected to significantly boost exchanges in tourism, healthcare, and education between the two nations.

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Ultimately, the physical and economic infrastructure we develop rests on that deeper foundation of social affinity.

Beyond infrastructure, Tharman highlighted that the strong relationship is underpinned by a deeper social affinity and a shared history of overcoming challenges together. He noted that the bilateral relationship has consistently focused on future-oriented cooperation across different leadership generations. Despite occasional issues arising from their interdependence, both countries have prioritized working on new areas of cooperation, maintaining a focus on the larger goal of growing together and expanding shared interests.

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That basic orientation, of focusing always on the larger goal of growing together and expanding our shared interests, has made ours a robust relationship – in fact a bit of a rarity in today’s world.

This enduring kinship and partnership provide confidence as the world navigates increasing division. Tharman emphasized that the natural interconnection among people, with many families having ties across the border and citizens working and living in each other's countries, reinforces this bond. This sense of reliance on one another is a unique strength in today's global landscape.

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It is this enduring sense of kinship and partnership that gives us added confidence as we navigate an increasingly divided world, knowing we can rely on one another.