PUBLISHED ONJanuary 19, 2026 11:30 AMBYSean LerSingapore and neighbouring Johor reaffirmed their relations as "strategic regional partners" during a Monday (Jan 19) meeting between Singapore's Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam and Johor's Chief Minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi.
In a Facebook post on Monday, Onn Hafiz said the meeting took place at his official residence.
It follows Johor Regent Tungku Ismail's instructions for the state to continue its efforts to strengthen strategic relations and cooperation with Singapore.
"The discussions focused on matters of mutual interest, including the importance of regional stability, security and effective governance as a strong foundation for economic growth and investor confidence.
Onn Hafiz wrote: "May the mutual understanding forged through this meeting continue to strengthen Johor-Singapore relations as strategic regional partners, in ensuring a more advanced, stable and competitive future for Johor towards 2030."
According to Johor's Unity, Culture and Heritage Committee chairman K Raven Kumar, travellers from Singapore accounted for over 11 million of the more than 14 million foreign arrivals in Johor in the first half of 2025.
Beyond the people-to-people ties, Singaporean and Malaysian leaders also inked the agreement for the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone in January 2025.
The move is envisioned to enable Singapore businesses to establish complementary operations leveraging on the advantages of the two cities' geographical location, Johor's competitive resources, and enhanced cross-border efficiency to strengthen regional market presence.
By January 2027, the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link is expected to begin passenger service.
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