Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam said Monday that Singapore and Malaysia are set to further strengthen their long-standing economic partnership, highlighting major cross-border projects expected to boost trade, investment and people-to-people ties.

Speaking during an audience with Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim at Istana Negara as part of his first state visit to Malaysia, Tharman said the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) and the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link would elevate bilateral economic cooperation to a new level.

He said the initiatives would make the two economies more complementary while expanding cooperation in tourism, healthcare, education and cross-border connectivity.

Tharman noted that despite facing various challenges over the years, Singapore and Malaysia have consistently chosen cooperation over division, with successive generations of leaders committed to strengthening bilateral relations. He added that the close family ties shared by many citizens and the large number of people living and working across both countries have further reinforced the relationship.

The Singapore president arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Sunday night for a three-day state visit at the invitation of King Sultan Ibrahim. He was accompanied by his wife, Jane Ittogi, and was welcomed by Malaysia’s Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Steven Sim Chee Keong and Singapore High Commissioner to Malaysia Vanu Gopala Menon. A Royal Ranger Regiment contingent accorded him a static guard of honor upon arrival.

On Monday, Tharman received a full state welcome at Istana Negara, including a 21-gun salute and an inspection of the Royal Malay Regiment guard of honor. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the country’s two deputy prime ministers and Cabinet ministers attended the ceremony.

The visit, which runs from July 13 to 15, is Tharman’s first to Malaysia since assuming office as Singapore’s ninth president in September 2023. It also reciprocates King Sultan Ibrahim’s state visit to Singapore in 2024 and aims to further strengthen bilateral ties and expand cooperation across multiple sectors.

Singapore is Malaysia’s second-largest global trading partner and its largest trading partner within ASEAN. Bilateral trade reached 402.35 billion ringgit in 2025. Trade increased 14.5% year-on-year to 189.90 billion ringgit billion during the first five months of 2026.