Brunei minister here as LKY Fellow

Brunei's Second Minister of Finance in the Prime Minister's Office, Pehin Dato Haji Abdul Rahman Haji Ibrahim, arrived yesterday for an eight-day visit as the 43rd Lee Kuan Yew Exchange Fellow.

He will meet Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Deputy Prime Ministers Teo Chee Hean and Tharman Shanmugaratnam, as well as other ministers, Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a statement.

The Lee Kuan Yew Exchange Fellowship (LKYEF) programme began in 1991 and invites outstanding individuals for high-level exchange visits.

Fellows are chosen based on their proven track records or "extraordinary potential to contribute to the development of their nations as well as promote international understanding and goodwill", the statement added.

Pehin Rahman, who is the fourth Lee Kuan Yew Exchange Fellow from Brunei, was appointed Second Minister of Finance in 2005. Visits to agencies including the Housing and Development Board and Ministry of Manpower have been scheduled.

He will also meet Temasek Holdings' executive director and chief executive officer Ho Ching, as well as Keppel Corporation chief executive officer Loh Chin Hua.

LKYEF chairman Eddie Teo will host him to a welcome dinner.

Pehin Rahman's trip follows the state visit by Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah last month and underscores the excellent state of bilateral relations, the MFA statement said.

This article was published on May 19 in The Straits Times.

Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.