Remarks by Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Foreign Affairs, at Malaysia's 68th National Day Reception, 11 September 2025

Your Excellency High Commissioner Dato’ Dr. Azfar Mohamad Mustafar

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

I am very happy to join all of you this evening to celebrate Malaysia’s 68^th National Day. On behalf of the Government of Singapore, our warmest congratulations to Malaysia and all our Malaysian friends on this joyous occasion.

Singapore and Malaysia share a unique bond – one defined by history, ties of kinship, and an acute appreciation that, no matter our differences from time to time, our futures are intertwined. As next-door neighbours, Singapore and Malaysia will always have a very real stake in the success of each other.

Our longstanding and close partnership cuts across multiple domains. We have regular interactions at all levels to build trust, discuss ideas, and co-create solutions. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim held their first Leaders’ Retreat together in January in Putrajaya. In May, we were honoured to welcome Prime Minister Anwar to deliver a special address at the Shangri-La Dialogue. Just last month, His Royal Highness the Regent of Johor Tunku Ismail, Her Highness Che’ Puan Mahkota Khaleeda, as well as Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi attended our SG60 National Day Parade. President Tharman Shanmugaratnam also visited Ipoh last month for the 54^th Universiti Malaya-NUS Inter-University Golf Tournament.

Economically, Singapore and Malaysia have long been among each other’s largest trading partners, and we are doubling down on growing the pie together. The Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) is a prime example. Since the JS-SEZ Agreement was signed in January this year, it has generated strong interest from the business community. In April this year, Singapore and Malaysia jointly organised the inaugural JS-SEZ Business and Investment Forum in Johor Bahru. The Forum, which was attended by Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, Malaysia Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz, and Johor Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi, drew an audience of more than 1,000 policymakers and business leaders.

Investments drawn by the JS-SEZ will create many good jobs in both countries, strengthen supply chains, and send an important signal to international investors that our two sides are open for business. By leveraging our complementary strengths, the JS-SEZ will help both sides better navigate the growing global economic uncertainty. The JS-SEZ has the potential to be a gamechanger – not just for Multi-National Corporations but also our homegrown Small and Medium Enterprises.

In the same vein, the highly anticipated Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link or RTS Link can be transformative. Scheduled to commence passenger service by end-2026, the RTS Link will significantly reduce commute time, and enhance our physical connectivity. It will unlock many more doors for both sides to work together – be it between businesses, students, artists, or athletes.

Beyond the ‘hardware’, Singapore and Malaysia also cooperate closely on ‘software’. Three examples come to mind. First, our two countries worked closely together to submit a joint nomination to inscribe Chingay – the beloved multicultural street parade each year – on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity earlier this year. This joint nomination follows the successful inscription of the kebaya in 2024 which, besides Singapore and Malaysia, also involved our Indonesian, Bruneian, and Thai friends.

Second, Singapore will organise the third Triennial Cultural Showcase (TCS) later this year in Malaysia. The TCS is an important platform to enable and showcase the numerous cross-cultural exchanges across our creative, arts and heritage communities, further deepening our precious people-to-people ties. Third, the Singapore International Foundation and Yayasan Guru Tun Hussein Onn collaborated on the inaugural Malaysia-Singapore English Volunteers Programme. For the last month, Singapore volunteers deployed to three primary schools in Selangor worked with the teachers there to facilitate English lessons and encourage the everyday use of the language among the students.

There are numerous other examples of how – across the board – our two sides are earnestly working together for mutual benefit. But I shall not stand between you and the delicious dinner any further, except to conclude that while there is much that we can be proud of accomplishing together in the last six decades, there is much more that Singapore and Malaysia can yet do together to bring relations to the next level. This also applies to our shared commitment to keep ASEAN cohesive, vibrant, and forward-looking amid a more turbulent geopolitical environment. Singapore deeply appreciates the steady hand with which Malaysia, under Prime Minister Anwar’s leadership, has steered ASEAN this year, and will continue to strongly support Malaysia’s Chairmanship.

In closing, let me once again wish all Malaysians a very happy 68^th National Day. May the excellent ties between our two countries grow from strength to strength. Thank you.

 .          .           .           .           .

Your Excellency High Commissioner Dato’ Dr. Azfar Mohamad Mustafar

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

I would like to propose a toast to:

·      The good health and happiness of His Majesty, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, and

·      The continued peace and prosperity of Malaysia.