SEPANG: Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam arrived in Malaysia on Sunday (July 12) for a three-day state visit from July 13 to 15 at the invitation of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia.
The commercial aircraft carrying Tharman and his spouse, Jane Ittogi, landed at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1 here at 9.19pm.
They were accorded a static guard of honour mounted by two officers and 26 personnel of various ranks from the First Battalion of the Royal Ranger Regiment, led by Capt Muhammad Hanafi Ja'afar.
Tharman was warmly welcomed by Minister of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Steven Sim Chee Keong, who was the receiving minister for the visit.
Also present to welcome the president and his spouse was Singapore High Commissioner to Malaysia Vanu Gopala Menon.
This is Tharman’s first state visit to Malaysia since assuming office as the ninth President of Singapore on Sept 14, 2023.
The visit aims to underscore the strong and enduring partnership between the two countries, reflecting deepening cooperation across key areas of mutual interest.
According to a statement from Wisma Putra, Tharman is scheduled to be accorded a State Welcoming Ceremony, followed by an audience with His Majesty at Istana Negara on Monday (July 13).
Tharman and his delegation will also be honoured at a State Banquet and are scheduled to receive a courtesy call from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
According to the ministry, Singapore remains Malaysia’s second-largest trading partner globally, and Malaysia’s largest trading partner among Asean member states.
Total bilateral trade between Malaysia and Singapore reached RM402.35bil (US$93.97bil) in 2025, representing an increase of 1.5% compared with 2024.
From January to May 2026, total bilateral trade grew by 14.5% to RM189.90bil (US$47.87bil), compared with RM165.93bil (US$37.65bil) recorded during the same period in 2025. — Bernama
