Southeast Asia
Brunei
Singapore's diplomatic relationships and recent highlights with Brunei.
Overview
Relations between Singapore and Brunei are excellent. Leaders on both sides have close personal ties, and there is a regular exchange of visits at all levels.
Singapore and Brunei have long-standing arrangements such as the Currency Interchangeability Agreement (which marked its 50th anniversary in 2017), and also cooperate extensively in defence, finance, trade and investment, tourism, health, aquaculture, and education. We are also close partners in ASEAN and other international fora.
Recent highlights
2020
The Singapore Government contributed 3,000 diagnostic tests and one polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machine for the detection of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) on 25 March 2020, to support the Brunei Government’s efforts to fight the outbreak of the virus.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong made a phone call to the Sultan of Brunei, His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah on 24 May 2020 to express his greetings for Hari Raya Aidilfitri. Prime Minister Lee reaffirmed his friendship with Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, and his strong support for the close cooperation between both countries.
Singapore and Brunei launched a Reciprocal Green Lane to facilitate essential business and official travel for residents from both countries in September 2020. Given the global COVID-19 situation, the arrangement allowed for the safe resumption of cross-border movement of a limited number of people, with the necessary safeguards in place to ensure that public health concerns on both sides were addressed.
2019
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Heng Swee Keat visited Brunei from 14 to 16 July 2019. DPM Heng was the Singapore Government’s representative to the 73rd birthday celebrations of the Sultan of Brunei, His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, on 15 July 2019.
The Sultan of Brunei, His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, and his spouse, the Raja Isteri Her Majesty Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha, along with the leaders of Indonesia and Malaysia, attended the Bicentennial edition of Singapore’s National Day Parade on 9 August 2019 at the invitation of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore, Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah paid a courtesy call on President Halimah Yacob. Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah and the Raja Isteri also met Prime Minister Lee and Mrs Lee at the National Gallery prior to the start of the Parade.
Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr Mohamad Maliki Osman visited Brunei from 6 to 10 June 2019 for Hari Raya Aidilfitri. SMS Maliki visited the Istana Nurul Iman on 7 June 2019, and conveyed the Hari Raya wishes of Singapore’s leaders to the Sultan of Brunei, His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, the Raja Isteri, Her Majesty Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha, and other members of the Royal Family. SMS Maliki was accompanied by Members of Parliament Joan Pereira and Henry Kwek, and their spouses.
At the invitation of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean led a delegation of Singaporean political office-holders to Brunei from 1 to 4 October 2019 for the 7th Young Leaders’ Programme. SM Teo had an audience with the Sultan of Brunei, His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah. SM Teo also had an audience followed by lunch with Crown Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, and was hosted to breakfast by Crown Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah. SM Teo met several Bruneian Ministers and senior officials, and visited Universiti Teknologi Brunei, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, several agricultural and aquacultural sites, and the Royal Brunei Navy Headquarters at Muara Naval Base. SM Teo was accompanied by Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu; Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli; Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Defence, Heng Chee How; Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Law, Edwin Tong; and Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Trade and Industry, Dr Tan Wu Meng.
2018
President Halimah Yacob made her first State Visit to Negara Brunei Darussalam from 11 to 14 May. This was President’s maiden State Visit. President received a ceremonial welcome at the Istana Nurul Iman and attended a State Banquet hosted by His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Negara Brunei Darussalam. President had an audience followed by a bilateral meeting with the Sultan. President also met His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, as well as other Royals, Ministers and senior officials during the visit. President visited the Defence Academy Royal Brunei Armed Forces and the University of Brunei Darussalam Botanical Research Centre. She also met Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) personnel training in Brunei, and attended a dinner reception for the Singaporean community in Brunei.
At the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean, His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, led a delegation of Bruneian Ministers and senior officials to Singapore from 28 October to 4 November for the 6th Young Leaders’ Programme. The Crown Prince was hosted to tea by President Halimah Yacob, and called on and was hosted to lunch by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. DPM Teo also hosted the Crown Prince to a welcome dinner, and a morning walk at Gardens by the Bay followed by breakfast. The Crown Prince visited the SAF’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Command, the Singapore University of Technology and Design, and the Devan Nair Institute for Employment and Employability.