KUALA TERENGGANU: Singapore and Malaysia are very different countries, but also “forever neighbours” that have to understand each other’s differences, said Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong on May 7.
“We have to be forever working friends, and... make sure that the differences do not cause us, unintentionally, to cause problems to one another,” he told reporters towards the end of a five-day visit to the Malaysian states of Pahang and Terengganu.
Lee added that the good working relationship between Singapore and Malaysia at the national level needs to be complemented by cooperation at the state level.
Pahang and Terengganu – both located on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia – are big states and “important to understand and to keep in touch with”, he said.
Pahang is the largest state in Peninsular Malaysia, while Terengganu ranks fifth in size.
Lee noted that Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and his Malaysian counterpart Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim want to strengthen bilateral ties, and have meetings regularly, either in person or via phone calls.
Ministries on both sides are also in touch with their respective counterparts, and a wide range of issues are being discussed, he noted.
These include the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link, which is targeted to start operations in December, and the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone, which he described as “clearly a win-win project”.
In response to a question on his assessment of the state of bilateral ties, Lee noted that there are “more complicated” issues, some of which are longstanding and have not yet been resolved.
Topics on which discussions are ongoing include maritime boundaries and airspace, while water is a perennial issue, he said.
“These are things which we have to manage, and make sure that they stay on track and they do not unintentionally cloud and affect the overall relationship in a bad way,” he said.
Potential cooperation on coastal protection, renewable energy
Lee also noted that there are opportunities for Singapore to work with both Malaysian states in areas such as coastal protection and renewable energy.
“With some states like Johor, we have a lot of to-ing and fro-ing,” he said. “With Pahang and Terengganu and the other states on the East Coast, not so much.”
He added that his visit to Pahang – a state he last visited in 2002, just before he became prime minister – came at the invitation of Sultan of Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah. He also visited Terengganu, as he had not done so before.
After arriving in Malaysia on May 4, SM Lee met the Sultan of Pahang, as well as Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail.
He met Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar on May 7, saying at the meeting that he looked forward to engaging with the state leaders present.
Although Singapore and Malaysia have developed along different paths, successive generations of leaders have understood the need to build mutual understanding and respect, and to work together at this relationship to get along and to be able to achieve further cooperation, Lee said.
“That is how we can ensure that a partnership grows from strength to strength, and in a very turbulent and troubled world,” he added.
Samsuri – who is chairman of Perikatan Nasional, Malaysia’s main opposition alliance – said Terengganu remains committed to expanding its strategic cooperation with Singapore across various areas of shared interest.
“Malaysia and Singapore are bound not only by geography, but also by economic interdependence, rigorous institutional linkages and dynamic people-to-people ties, and substantial trade and investment growth,” he added.
Asked by the media about his meeting with Samsuri, Lee said he received a “very comprehensive briefing” of plans for Terengganu.
These include Terengganu’s development in terms of infrastructure, tourism, renewable energy and mining.
He added that a team from Singapore’s economic agencies had visited the state in March and identified areas for potential cooperation, including coastal protection and renewable energy.
For example, Singapore is preparing its coastal protections against global warming, while Terengganu has to safeguard its beaches against the monsoon, he said.
On renewable energy, Lee highlighted the Hybrid Hydro Floating Solar project at Tasik Kenyir, which makes use of solar and hydro energy and is two-thirds the size of Singapore.
Singapore has its own smaller version in Tengeh Reservoir, he added. The Sembcorp Tengeh Floating Solar Farm is Singapore’s first inland floating solar farm and has more than 122,000 floating solar panels across 45ha.
“We had to do an EIA (environmental impact assessment), and have some idea what the issues are. So that is an area where we can work together,” Lee said.
Lee also said Terengganu is keen to promote tourism and that Singaporean tourists – especially scuba-diving enthusiasts – often visit.
Noting the popularity of the nearby Perhentian and Redang islands, as well as others with beautiful coral reefs, he said there may be opportunities for Terengganu to promote these offerings to Singaporeans.
Lee added: “I think they are all anxious to pick up some ideas from Singapore, and Singapore is anxious to renew and strengthen our friendship with them.” - The Straits Times/ANN
