PM Lee congratulates Anwar Ibrahim on his appointment as Malaysia's 10th prime minister

SINGAPORE — Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Thursday (Nov 24) congratulated Mr Anwar Ibrahim on his appointment as Malaysia’s 10th prime minister.

“My warmest congratulations on your victory at the 15th general election and on being sworn in as Malaysia’s 10th prime minister. Congratulations also to Pakatan Harapan for its strong performance at the general election,” Mr Lee wrote in a letter to Mr Anwar.

A copy of the letter was released to the media by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In it, Mr Lee told the newly sworn-in prime minister that his premiership comes amid significant challenges in the regional and global environment.

“As close neighbours and friends, Singapore and Malaysia should work together to manage these challenges and explore new opportunities for cooperation,” Mr Lee said.

He noted that both countries share a longstanding substantive relationship, “underpinned by our historical ties, multi-faceted cooperation, and strong people-to-people links”.

“Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, our two countries have been steadfast partners supporting each other. The close coordination between our ministers and officials allowed us to maintain the flow of essential goods and workers, and to re-open our borders swiftly and effectively." 

In his first press conference as prime minister on Thursday night, Mr Anwar thanked Mr Lee for the congratulatory letter.

Mr Anwar said that Mr Lee had made a "strong statement" that touched on the close working relationship between the two countries. 

In his letter, Mr Lee said that Singapore and Malaysian have been close partners in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), which remains central to stability in Southeast Asia amid rising geopolitical tensions.

He also said that the two countries’ bilateral cooperation has also since expanded to “new and emerging areas”.

“The two recent bilateral framework agreements on the green and digital economies will create new opportunities for our businesses and peoples," Mr Lee added.

"While our trade and investment ties are robust, we can still do much more together to enhance openness, stability, and connectivity in our bilateral relationship for mutual benefit.” 

Concluding his letter, Mr Lee wrote that he looks forward to meeting Mr Anwar soon to discuss the common issues facing the two countries and “how we can further advance our bilateral relationship”.

Mr Lee said on behalf of his wife to Mr Anwar and his wife: “Ho Ching and I wish you and Dato’ Seri Dr Wan Azizah good health and happiness.”

Speaking to the media on Thursday night, Mr Anwar said that besides Mr Lee's congratulatory letter, he had also spoken with Presidents Joko Widodo and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Indonesia and Turkey on the phone prior to the start of the press conference.

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