Najib calls on Singapore President
SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak yesterday called on President Halimah Yacob at the Istana in conjunction with his attendance at the Eighth Malaysia- Singapore Leaders’ Retreat, beginning today.
This is his first meeting with Halimah, who was sworn in as the island republic’s eighth president on Sept 14, 2017.
The meeting lasted minutes.
Also present in the Malaysian delegation are Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman; International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed; Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid; Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan; Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Tan Sri Noh Omar; and Natural Resources and Environment ( NRE) Minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.
Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin; Home Deputy Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed; Chief Secretary to the Malaysian Government, Tan Sri Dr Ali Hamsa; Malaysian High Commissioner to Singapore, Datuk Zulkifli Adnan, as well as several high ranking officials were also in the delegation.
From the Singapore side are 30 Foreign Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan; Minister for Education ( Schools) and Second Minister for Transport Ng Chee Meng; Minister for Social and Family Development Desmond Lee; Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong; Singapore High Commissioner to Malaysia, Vanu Gopala Menon, and high ranking officials.
Halimah, who is also the first female President of Singapore, succeeded Tony Tan Keng Yam who ended his term on Aug 31, last year.
Previously, the 63-year- old was appointed Singapore’s first female Speaker of Parliament for four years.
She ventured into politics in 2001 and has been Member of Parliament for Jurong Group Representation Constituency ( GRC) and Marsiling Yew-Tee GRC. — Bernama