Malaysia, Singapore to sign high speed rail agreement tomorrow

Malaysia and Singapore are scheduled to sign the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail agreement tomorrow during Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's working visit to attend the 7th Malaysia-Singapore Leaders' Retreat, Wisma Putra said today.

It said in a statement that the high speed rail is expected to boost connectivity, facilitate travel between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, enhance business linkages and improve people-to-people ties.

Lee will be accompanied by his wife, Ho Ching, and several cabinet ministers as well as other senior officials, Wisma Putra said.

"During the 7th Leaders' Retreat, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is scheduled to have a four-eyed meeting with Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, followed by a delegation meeting.

"Both sides will discuss bilateral issues of mutual concern, review progress of existing bilateral cooperation, building on the momentum of the discussions held and initiatives agreed during the 2015 Leaders' Retreat," it said.

Wisma Putra said a Leaders' Joint Statement will be issued following the conclusion of the retreat. The Leaders' Retreat is an annual event hosted rotationally between Malaysia and Singapore.

"The inaugural Leaders' Retreat was held in May 2007 in Langkawi and has since been a forum for both countries to further strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries," Wisma Putra said.

In 2015, Singapore was Malaysia's second largest trading partner globally, with total trade between the two countries recorded at USD59.5 billion (then RM190.6 billion), it said.