Both leaders also encouraged both countries to expand on ways to strengthen people-to-people relations
Published Tue, Jul 14, 2026 · 10:38 PM
[KUALA LUMPUR] Singapore and Malaysia can forge deeper cooperation in areas such as renewable energy and sustainable development, its heads of state suggested on July 13.
President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Malaysian King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar also encouraged both countries to expand on ways to strengthen people-to-people relations, including among younger generations of Singaporeans and Malaysians, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a statement on July 14.
As part of his four-day state visit, President Tharman had an audience with the King at the Istana Negara, where they both spoke about the robust ties and strong cooperation between the two countries.
MFA said in its statement that both sides welcomed the positive state of bilateral relations and the good progress made in key areas of cooperation, including supply chain resilience, connectivity, and joint projects such as the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link and the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone.
On the same day, President Tharman also received a call by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim where they exchanged views on geopolitical developments such as the implications of the unfolding situation in the Middle East.
Both men reaffirmed that Singapore and Malaysia need to deepen cooperation in areas of shared interest such as food security and energy, said MFA.
They also reaffirmed the importance of upholding international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and safeguarding freedom of navigation.
President Tharman is on his first state visit across the Causeway since he became head of state in 2023.
MFA said that the visit “underscores both countries’ commitment to keeping bilateral relations strong, stable and mutually beneficial for the peoples of both countries”.
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During the trip, President Tharman met Malaysian leaders and personalities at both the federal and state levels.
On July 14, he visited Shah Alam, Selangor, where he had an audience with Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.
He also met Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari and members of the state government, during which he welcomed more exchanges between Singapore and Selangor.
The two sides also discussed potential areas of collaboration such as technical and vocational education, climate adaptation and flood mitigation, and the growth of start-ups, said MFA.
Later, at a closed-door dinner with leaders in the economic and finance sectors that was hosted by the Kuala Lumpur Business Club, President Tharman spoke about the challenges of a post-unipolar world.
He said Singapore and Malaysia should keep up links with the major powers even as they strengthen bridges with other regions, and also highlighted the need to reform multilateralism while stepping up the pace of Asean integration and bilateral cooperation.
On July 15, President Tharman will have a breakfast roundtable with business leaders before he departs Malaysia. THE STRAITS TIMES