Official Visit of the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, 29 November 2021

        Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong hosted Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, at the Istana earlier today. Prime Minister Ismail Sabri was accompanied by Malaysian Senior Minister of International Trade and Industry Dato’ Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, Malaysian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dato’ Saifuddin Abdullah, Malaysian Minister of Transport Datuk Seri Ir. Dr. Wee Ka Siong, Menteri Besar of Johor Dato’ Hasni Mohammad, and senior officials.

         Following an Official Welcome Ceremony, a new orchid hybrid, the DendrobiumIsmail Sabri Yaakob was named in Prime Minister Ismail Sabri’s honour. A factsheet on the orchid is at Appendix. Prime Minister Ismail Sabri made a courtesy call on President Halimah Yacob, and met Prime Minister Lee. The two Prime Ministers also held a Joint Press Conference before adjourning for an Official Lunch hosted by Prime Minister Lee.

         President Halimah congratulated Prime Minister Ismail Sabri on his appointment, and underscored the need for Singapore and Malaysia to continue to build on their deep-rooted ties of kinship, culture and history.

         During their meeting, Prime Minister Lee and Prime Minister Ismail Sabri affirmed the longstanding bilateral relations and close people-to-people ties that Singapore and Malaysia have forged over decades of mutual trust and cooperation. They noted with satisfaction that both sides have cooperated closely during the COVID-19 pandemic, including establishing the Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) for official and business travel, the Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA) for workers, and facilitating compassionate travel via the Death and Critical Illness Emergency Visits (DCEV) scheme. Singapore and Malaysia have also worked closely together to ensure that supply chains were unaffected throughout the pandemic.

         With the good progress made by both countries in bringing the COVID-19 situation under control, Prime Minister Lee and Prime Minister Ismail Sabri welcomed the timely launch of the Singapore-Malaysia Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTL) on 29 November 2021 for travel by air and across the Causeway. The VTLs will reunite families and loved ones who were separated during the pandemic. They will also play a vital role in restoring Singapore and Malaysia’s bilateral and regional connectivity, as both countries adapt to COVID-19 endemicity. Both sides agreed to work towards gradually scaling up the capacity of the VTLs, and including more types of travellers from around mid-December 2021, taking into account the public health situation. Singapore and Malaysia will also work towards a VTL (Sea), and resuming port calls by cruise ships from Singapore to Malaysia.

       Prime Minister Lee and Prime Minister Ismail Sabri also discussed other opportunities for collaboration that would be mutually beneficial to both peoples and economies in the longer term. This included the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link Project, which would enhance connectivity by providing a faster and more convenient option for travellers to commute between Singapore and Johor Bahru.

        Prime Minister Ismail Sabri also accepted Prime Minister Lee’s invitation to visit Singapore again for an in-person Leaders’ Retreat in the first quarter of 2022.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

29 NOVEMBER 2021

Appendix

FACTSHEET

Dendrobium Ismail Sabri Yaakob

DendrobiumSingapore Blue Antlerx DendrobiumSinga Friendship

This is a robust and free-flowering orchid hybrid. It produces upright inflorescences that measure up to 50 cm in length with 25 to 35 well-arranged flowers, with each flower measuring approximately 5 cm in width. The sepals are light greenish cream and adorned with purple striations, while the gracefully twisted petals and lip are coloured a brilliant lavender blue that beautifully complements the sepals.

This orchid is named after His Excellency Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Prime Minister of Malaysia, on 29 November 2021.

Issued by: National Parks Board

Issued on: 29 November 2021

For more information, please contact:

Chan Yang Sun

Senior Communications Executive

National Parks Board

Tel: +65 9299 3619

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Caption: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob marking the launch of the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL)-Land at Woodlands Checkpoint this morning.

Photo Credit: Ministry of Communications and Information, Singapore

Caption: Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob in conversation with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Istana.

Photo Credit: Ministry of Communications and Information, Singapore

Caption: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob sharing a toast at the official lunch at the Istana.

Photo Credit: Ministry of Communications and Information, Singapore