‘Forever neighbours’ S’pore, Malaysia must not allow issues to affect relationship: SM Lee

SM Lee Hsien Loong (centre), accompanied by the Terengganu Menteri Besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, meeting Terengganu state officials and representatives from government-linked companies during dinner at the Elysium Skybridge in Terengganu, Malaysia, on May 7.TERENGGANU - Singapore and Malaysia are very different countries, but also “forever neighbours” who 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.SM 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.SM Lee noted that Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim want to strengthen bilateral ties, and meet regularly, either in person 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 on the state of bilateral ties, SM 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 air space, 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 energySM 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 Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail and Terengganu Menteri Besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar.Asked about his May 7 meeting with Dr Samsuri - who is chairman of Perikatan Nasional, Malaysia’s main opposition alliance - SM 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 protect its beaches against the monsoon, he said.SM Lee Hsien Loong speaking to journalists during the media wrap up at Raia Hotel & Convention Centre in Terengganu, Malaysia, on May 7.On renewable energy, SM 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 over 122,000 floating solar panels across 45 hectares.SM Lee also said Terengganu is keen to promote tourism and that Singaporean tourists - especially scuba-diving enthusiasts - often visit.Noted the popularity of the nearby Perhentian and Redang islands, as well as others with beautiful coral reefs, SM Lee said there may be opportunities for Terengganu to promote these offerings to Singaporeans.He 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.”Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproductionDiscover how to enjoy other premium articles here