SINGAPORE: Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak met in Putrajaya, Malaysia on Tuesday (Dec 13) for the 7th Malaysia-Singapore Leaders’ Retreat where they reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen bilateral relations.
In a joint statement on Tuesday evening, both leaders expressed satisfaction at the progress made in bilateral relations since the last Leaders’ Retreat held in Singapore on May 5, 2015.
During the retreat, both PM Lee and Mr Najib witnessed the signing of a legally binding agreement on the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail. Both leaders also touched on progress made on the Johor Baru-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link project, and agreed on the importance of undertaking necessary measures to ensure the reliable and adequate water supply from the Johor River.
The joint statement is reproduced in full below:
Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong met in Malaysia on Dec 13, 2016 for the 7th Malaysia-Singapore Leaders’ Retreat. The Leaders expressed satisfaction at the progress made in bilateral relations since the Leaders’ Retreat in Singapore on May 5, 2015, and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen bilateral relations for the mutual benefit of both peoples amidst the current challenging global security and economic environment.
The Leaders warmly welcomed the signing of the Agreement on the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR). This marks a historic moment in bilateral relations and reflects both countries’ commitment to the marquee project, which will bring the two countries even closer together, improve connectivity, deepen people-to-people ties and catalyse further economic cooperation. The Agreement formalises the technical, safety and security requirements, commercial, financing, procurement and regulatory frameworks, as well as customs, immigration and quarantine (CIQ) arrangements for the HSR. It recalls and builds on the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two countries on Jul 19, 2016. They looked forward to the appointment of a Joint Development Partner by early 2017, as well as the calling of the systems tenders from late 2017. A Bilateral Committee will also be established to oversee all aspects of the project, which affect the cross-border train services, and all other matters set out in the Agreement. The Leaders placed on record their appreciation to the Ministers and officials of both countries for their hard work since the project was first announced in February 2013. They looked forward to its expeditious implementation and the commencement of the direct Kuala Lumpur-Singapore HSR Express Service by Dec 31, 2026.
