King and Queen to make state visit to Singapore

KUALA LUMPUR: His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia and Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, Queen of Malaysia, will make a state visit to Singapore on May 6 and 7, at the invitation of the republic's President Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

The Foreign Ministry in a statement on Sunday (May 5) said this will be His Majesty's maiden state visit since ascending the throne on Jan 31, 2024.

Wisma Putra said Their Majesties will be accompanied by Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook and Malaysian High Commissioner to Singapore Datuk Dr Azfar Mohamad Mustafar.

"During the state visit, Their Majesties will be accorded a state welcome at The Istana, Singapore, followed by a meeting with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam. The President of Singapore will also host a state banquet in honour of Their Majesties.

"His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim has also consented to grant audiences to Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong and Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong," said the statement.

It added that His Majesty is also scheduled to visit Singapore's Parliament and inspect the progress of the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link (RTS Link) project.

According to the statement, this state visit symbolises the long-standing and dynamic bilateral relations between Malaysia and Singapore, reaffirming a shared commitment to deepen and diversify cooperation between the two countries.

"For more than a decade, Malaysia and Singapore have been each other's second largest global trading partner and the largest among Asean countries. In 2023, total trade between the two countries was valued at RM363.13bil (US$79.60bil)," it said. – Bernama