SINGAPORE, June 27 (Bernama): The bilateral relationship between Malaysia and Singapore has grown stronger over the years as a result of the two neighbours having worked closely to navigate challenges, said Malaysia's outgoing High Commissioner to Singapore, Datuk Dr Azfar Mohamad Mustafar.
Reflecting on his five years in the republic, Azfar said a key focus of his tenure was strengthening the multifaceted partnership between Malaysia and Singapore as the two navigated the impact of COVID-19 and the threat of global geopolitical instability.
"We still have a long way to go and hopefully I have played my small part during my time here," he told Bernama in an exclusive interview recently.
Azfar is set to take on a new role as Malaysia's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, effective July 1, after receiving the instruments of appointment from His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, on May 18.
The high commissioner recalled that one of the most formidable challenges he faced upon taking office in June 2021 was managing the impact of COVID-19.
At the height of the pandemic, measures to curb the spread of the virus, such as land border closures, affected many Malaysians who commuted daily to Singapore for work and business.
"Sometimes there are challenges regarding consular issues because of the high number of Malaysians coming into Singapore every day. This needed to be addressed swiftly," he added.
On the economic front, Azfar said trade and investment between the two neighbours have rebounded significantly and returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Singapore continues to rank among Malaysia’s largest trading partners, he said.
"In terms of attracting investment, Singapore continues to be one of the important sources of investment into Malaysia.
"We hope that with the opening of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone and other emerging opportunities, Singapore's investment will continue to increase, especially in Johor," Azfar said.
Looking ahead, the diplomat reaffirmed Malaysia’s support for Singapore as the republic is poised to assume the ASEAN chairmanship next year, and said the two sides would continue to work together to deepen economic integration among member states.
"I think Singapore has mentioned that this is one of their priority areas, so Malaysia will continue to support Singapore on this front.
"The other thing Malaysia and Singapore will work closely together on is to realise the ASEAN Power Grid initiative," he said.
Azfar was appointed as an Administrative and Diplomatic Officer in 1996 and joined the Foreign Ministry in 2001. He served as Ambassador of Malaysia to France from 2018 to 2021. -- BERNAMA
