Maintaining strong ties is in our best interests, says Azmin
SINGAPORE: Maintaining strong ties between Singapore and Malaysia is in the best interests of both countries, says Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali.
“We are each other’s closest neighbour connected by deep historical ties and family bonds. Let’s work things out for the wellbeing and future of our people,” he said in his Facebook update on Sunday.
Azmin is here for a bilateral visit despite the postponement of the 14th meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee for Iskandar Malaysia (JMCIM), which was originally scheduled for yesterday.
He will meet Singapore’s National Development Minister Lawrence Wong and Foreign Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, as scheduled, to discuss other bilateral issues between Malaysia and Singapore.
“I am confident of the positive approach taken by our two countries to overcome any bilateral issues. Looking forward to my meetings with Singaporean ministers tomorrow (yesterday),” he wrote.
Azmin was expected to have led the Malaysian delegation to the JMCIM meeting. However, both countries had mutually agreed to postpone the meeting.
Last Saturday, he told reporters in Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands, the meeting was postponed because certain issues to be discussed in the JMCIM meeting were closely related to matters already raised in a bilateral meeting between Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah and Dr Balakrishnan last Tuesday.
Azmin had a meeting with Dr Balakrishnan on Sunday evening over dinner and described it as a “productive meeting”.
“Productive meeting with HE Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapore Minister for Foreign Affairs, this evening as we work towards resolving some bilateral issues,” he said in his posting, which was appended with three photos of him and Dr Balakrishnan.
Dr Balakrishnan said he “had a good meeting of minds” over dinner with Azmin.
“We had an open and candid discussion of the issues currently confronting us,” he wrote on his Facebook on Sunday.
“We reaffirmed that there are far more opportunities for Malaysia and Singapore to work together, especially at this time of global economic transformation,” he said in his posting, which was accompanied with a photo of him and Azmin strolling along the Singapore River.
Singapore Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said Singapore shared a common desire with Malaysia to bring bilateral relations back on track so that good projects could materialise,
Khaw named the Rapid Transit System Link between Woodlands and Johor Baru as one of the projects that, if materialised, would benefit people of both countries.
“So much time is wasted by so many Malaysian workers at the Causeway, daily! My Woodlands residents too would like to see Causeway jams disappear,” he said in his latest Facebook update, which was accompanied by two photos of him with Azmin.
Khaw wrote that he and Azmin talked about the countries’ common project, the deferred high speed rail between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
“He is aware of the unnecessary disputes at Tuas and Seletar,” he wrote.
Singapore National Development Minister Lawrence Wong, who was supposed to co-chair JMCIM with Azmin, said he was glad that Azmin continued with his visit to Singapore and discussed ways to put the bilateral relations on track.
“The JMC has met for more than 10 years and has overseen many projects, including joint investment and tourism promotion,” said Wong on his Facebook page, which shared two photos of him with Azmin.
“These projects have been mutually beneficial because our economies are closely intertwined and highly inter-dependent. That’s why we both want good and stable bilateral relations, so that both sides can do more together to spur each other’s development and success.”
Singapore and Malaysia are currently in the midst of solving a maritime dispute at Tuas as well as airspace issues over Pasir Gudang.