PUBLISHED ONMay 07, 2026 1:20 PMBYSean LerSingapore and Malaysia are very different countries that are forever neighbours, and will have to be forever working friends by continuously working on and understanding each other's differences so that they do not cause problems to one another, said Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
He made these comments when asked for his view on the current state of bilateral relations between the two countries as he wrapped up a four-day visit to Pahang and Terengganu on Thursday (May 7).
Pointing to the recent meetings between Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim, SM Lee noted that the two leaders have regular meetings, either in person, or through phone calls.
PM Wong visited Kuala Lumpur during Ramadan, on Feb 20, to break fast with PM Anwar at this historic Carcosa Seri Negara.
More recently, the two leaders discussed the Middle East situation in a phone call on April 20, and they agreed on the importance of continued diplomatic efforts to achieve a lasting resolution to the crisis.
"So at the PM level there is good discussion, and I think both prime ministers are very clear that they want to develop and strengthen the ties and cooperation between the two countries," SM Lee said.
He noted that cabinet ministers and their ministries are in touch and dealing with a wide range of issues such as the RTS Link, which is expected to begin operations at the end of this year.
Then, there are also mutually beneficial projects such as the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone, which SM Lee noted is being worked upon.
But he also acknowledged that there are "more complicated" issues, some of which quite long standing, that have not been resolved. These include air space, maritime boundaries and water.
SM Lee said: "These are things which we have to manage and make sure that they stay on track, and that they do not unintentionally cloud and affect the overall relationship in a bad way.
"That is something which we have to always work on."
He added that Singapore and Malaysia are two very different countries that are "forever neighbours" and have to be "forever working friends".
"And therefore, we have to work at it and understand our differences and make sure that the differences do not cause us unintentionally to cause problems to one another."
@asiaone Speaking to the media on Thursday (May 7) night as he wrapped up a four-day visit to Malaysia, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Singapore and Malaysia are "forever neighbours" that have to "forever working friends". #sgnews #Singapore #Malaysia ♬ original sound - AsiaOne
During his four-day visit, SM Lee met with the Sultan of Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and his wife, the Tengku Ampuan of Pahang, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah.
In Terengganu, SM Lee met with Chief Minister Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, other state leaders, and business people.
Summing up his visit and meetings, SM Lee said: "I think they are all anxious to pick up some ideas from Singapore, and Singapore is anxious to renew and strengthen our friendship with them.
"So there is good reason for us to work together."
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