PM Wong and PM Ibrahim witness Johor-Singapore SEZ agreement; express optimism for ASEAN and global level business success

Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who is in Putrajaya, Malaysia, for the 11th Malaysia-Singapore Leaders’ Retreat, held a joint press conference today with Prime Minister of Malaysia Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim. The two heads of state witnessed the exchange of an agreement on the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) today.

The two-day (January 6-7) Leaders’ Retreat “is a vital platform for the Prime Ministers to set the overall direction for bilateral co-operation, and identify new ways to further enhance connectivity to deliver tangible benefits to Singaporeans and Malaysians”, said a press release from the Prime Minister’s Office, Singapore, ahead of the visit to Putrajaya by PM Wong.

Lawrence Wong became the Prime Minister of Singapore in May 2024, which makes this his first Leaders’ Retreat. In a series of X posts, he captured colourful moments from his visit, including a meeting with Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, King of Malaysia; and looking at the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur lit up in red, white, and blue, the colours of Singapore and Malaysia national flags.

Reporting on today’s joint press conference, CNA quoted the Singapore leader as saying: “I think there are many strengths that we can harness from both sides that will allow us to enhance our value proposition and make this (JS-SEZ) a much more competitive and attractive venue for businesses to operate from.”

PM Wong added, “It’s not just about Singapore businesses going to Johor, but it’s about both sides working together to attract new investment projects globally.”

PM Anwar described the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone as “a rare feat” of two nations working together. He added, “We are now expanding this sort of sentiment and policy towards the sub-region and ASEAN as a whole.”

The Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone aims to create 20,000 skilled jobs in the first five years, attracting global investments, as stated in a recent media interaction with Malaysia’s Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli. The JS-SEZ goal was to hit 100 projects in the first 10 years, reported CNA.

Besides witnessing this key economic development, the Leaders’ Retreat has enabled the two heads of state to discuss complex bilateral issues and find the way forward.

PM Ibrahim said in an X post today: “Alhamdulillah, the bilateral meeting between the Malaysian and Singaporean delegations today witnessed several understandings and progress achieved in resolving outstanding and outstanding issues. Although a final solution has not yet been decided, the progress and agreement reached today is quite meaningful in the effort to explore a win-win situation in resolving issues that have persisted for decades.”

The X post by Anwar Ibrahim said: “Discussions also touched on negotiating issues of maritime demarcation, water supply, air space and energy exports via undersea cables. This approach involves close co-operation with regional neighbours to achieve the best solutions.

“As ASEAN Chair, I express my appreciation for Singapore’s support for Malaysia’s efforts to seize this opportunity to create new opportunities in regional energy, digitalization, trade, and investment to strengthen ASEAN’s position on the global stage.”