PM Wong to make introductory visits to Brunei and Malaysia
The visits to Bandar Seri Begawan and Kuala Lumpur will take place from Jun 11 to 12
PRIME Minister Lawrence Wong is visiting Brunei and Malaysia from Jun 11 to 12, in his first official trip since being sworn in on May 15.
The visits to Bandar Seri Begawan and Kuala Lumpur kick off the customary series of introductory visits to South-east Asian capitals. When former prime minister Lee Hsien Loong assumed office in 2004, his first introductory visits were similarly to Brunei and Malaysia.
PM Wong, who is also finance minister, will visit Brunei on Jun 11 at the invitation of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.
On this trip, PM Wong will be accompanied by his wife and four political officeholders: Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Foreign Affairs; Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations; Desmond Lee, Minister for National Development; and Rahayu Mahzam, Minister of State for Communications and Information and Minister of State for Health.
The delegation will have a royal audience with the sultan – who will also host them to an official lunch – and his wife Raja Isteri Saleha. They will also meet Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah and his wife, Princess Sarah.
PM Wong last met the royal family while visiting Brunei in December 2023 for the 9th Young Leaders’ Programme, when he was still deputy prime minister.
PM Wong will then visit Kuala Lumpur at the invitation of his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim, heading there on the evening of Jun 11. There, he will meet Anwar, who is also finance minister, as well as other Malaysian leaders.
In PM Wong’s absence, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong will be the acting prime minister.
Copyright SPH Media. All rights reserved.
