PM Lee, Mahathir reaffirm strong ties between Singapore and Malaysia

Singapore

PRIME Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad reaffirmed the strong ties between Singapore and Malaysia on Monday.

At the start of an official lunch at the Istana, Mr Lee said that while this was Dr Mahathir's first official visit to Singapore as the seventh prime minister of Malaysia, he is very familiar with the Republic, having visited many times and collaborated on bilateral projects such as the Linggiu Dam in Johor and the Second Link in Tuas. "Malaysia is Singapore's closest neighbour and vice versa. We are bound by geography and history. Our economies are extensively intertwined."

Mr Lee noted that Singapore and Malaysia are each other's second-largest trading partners, and Singapore is Malaysia's second-largest foreign investor. "Our relationship is further strengthened by bonds of kinship, friendship and memories. We all have friends and relatives who live, study or work across the…