KUALA LUMPUR JAN.30: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Singapore could invest in food production in Malaysia as it could help reduce import bills amounting RM65 billion to RM70 billion a year with regards to food security.
Anwar said he would ask Singapore to use Malaysia as a heartland to produce food for the benefit of both countries.
The prime minister who called the Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong a “dear friend” said no issues including food security should be left unresolved.
Anwar said both leaders had a substantive discussions and both countries must move forward not just on trade, connectivity and investments for the benefit of the people, as quoted by NST.
“Both countries should try and do our utmost to enhance our relations and work together for the benefit of both countries,” Anwar said in his speech at an official lunch hosted by Lee at The Istana today (Monday).
Prime Minister Anwar was on his one day official visit to Singapore at the invitation of Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong.
Meanwhile, Anwar and Lee had earlier witnessed three Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) to promote cooperation in new and emerging areas such as on digital and green economies and cyber security.
Among the MoU signed was on cooperation in the field of personal data protection, cybersecurity and digital economy.
The MoU was signed by Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil and his Singapore counterpart Josephine Teo, and witnessed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his counterpart Lee Hsien Loong at The Istana.
He said both sides must try to work out not just on areas covering the three agreements but also on emerging technologies and food security.
Anwar also stressed that Malaysia and Singapore can work together in multiple domains for mutual benefit and learn from each other.
This includes housing where he acknowledged some controversies recently but did not consider it as an issue.
Recently Malaysia’s officials received flak for consulting Singapore’s Housing Development Board (HDB) on housing matters.
Earlier in the morning Anwar had an official welcome at The Istana and had an orchid named after him and his wife Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail. He then called on President Halimah Yacob before his meeting with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. – Malaysia World News
