SINGAPORE – Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar made a stop at Singapore's parliament on Tuesday (May 7) during his first overseas state visit as king of Malaysia.

Sultan Ibrahim observed parliamentary proceedings, accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, and was taken on a tour of parliament chambers.

He was hosted by Speaker of Parliament Seah Kian Peng, who also delivered a short address to the House to honour the king.

Mr Seah said that Sultan Ibrahim was always an ardent supporter of bringing the people of Malaysia and Singapore together.

Singapore and Johor's partnership strengthened during the king's reign as Sultan of Johor, especially when both sides worked to keep supply lines across land borders open during the Covid-19 pandemic, said the Speaker.

He noted that Singapore and Malaysia celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Causeway this year, and 60 years of diplomatic relations next year.

"I'm confident that His Majesty's visit today is a precursor to even stronger ties between Singapore and Malaysia," said Mr Seah.

Sultan Ibrahim is on the final day of a two-day state visit to Singapore. He is accompanied by Queen of Malaysia Raja Zarith Sofia, Malaysia's Minister of Transport Anthony Loke and other senior officials. 

On Monday, he met President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and was honoured at a state banquet hosted by the President.

On Tuesday, before visiting parliament, the king had breakfast with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who will become Singapore's Prime Minister on May 15.

In a Facebook post after the meeting, Mr Wong said: "Malaysia is Singapore’s closest neighbour and key partner. Our ties run deep, underpinned by a shared history, and reinforced by family and cultural links.

"I will continue to pay close attention to furthering our countries' relations as Prime Minister and look forward to bringing our bilateral relations to greater heights."

Sultan Ibrahim will also visit the Thomson-East Coast Line with Minister for Transport Chee Hong Tat on Tuesday.

Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the king's visit reflects the excellent state of bilateral relations between the two neighbours, and their mutual commitment to expanding ties.

Upcoming bilateral projects include the completion of the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System by the end of 2026, and the new Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone.

At Monday's state banquet, Sultan Ibrahim expressed his thanks to Mr Lee, who has been "a close friend" of Johor and Malaysia.

He also congratulated Mr Wong, saying: "I have every confidence that his esteemed leadership will further strengthen ties between the two nations." CNA