PRIME Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob today received a courtesy call from visiting Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at Perdana Putra in Putrajaya as Malaysia and Singapore continue to further cement their close relationship. 

This is Wong’s maiden visit to Malaysia after being appointed the island republic’s deputy prime minister in June. He is also finance minister. Wong arrived in Malaysia yesterday for a four-day visit. 

Ismail in a meeting that lasted nearly an hour congratulated Wong on his appointment and both leaders reiterated their commitment to further strengthen Malaysia-Singapore relations, including by exploring new areas of cooperation between both countries.

Also present were Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz and Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah. 

Singapore is Malaysia’s second largest export destination after China with a value of US$29.85 billion (RM134.09 billion) and also Malaysia’s second-largest import source after China, with imports amounting to US$18.45 billion from January to July. 

From January to December 2021, Singapore’s investments in Malaysia amounted to US$38.62 billion, while Malaysia’s investment in Singapore totalled US$25.41 billion for the same period. 

While in Malaysia, Wong is also scheduled to have an audience with Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah at Istana Negara. – Bernama, September 5, 2022.