The Prime Minister will travel to Bandar Seri Begawan and Kuala Lumpur as part of a series of introductory visits to Southeast Asian capitals.
SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lawrence Wong is set to visit Brunei and Malaysia from Tuesday (Jun 11) to Wednesday, marking his first overseas trip since assuming office, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
Mr. Wong, who also serves as Singapore’s Finance Minister, will begin his trip in Bandar Seri Begawan, at the invitation of Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, before heading to Kuala Lumpur to meet with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
This visit is part of a series of introductory visits to Southeast Asian capitals, signaling the new Prime Minister’s intent to strengthen ties with regional neighbors. In Brunei, Mr. Wong and his delegation will have a royal audience with Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Queen Saleha, followed by an official lunch hosted by the Sultan. The Singapore delegation will also meet with Brunei’s Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah, a senior minister in Brunei’s Prime Minister’s Office, and his wife Sarah.
Accompanying Mr. Wong in Brunei are his wife, Loo Tze Lui, Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations Grace Fu, National Development Minister Desmond Lee, and Minister of State for Communications and Information and for Health Rahayu Mahzam.
On Tuesday evening, Mr. Wong will travel to Malaysia, where he will meet with Prime Minister Anwar and other Malaysian leaders the following day.
Since taking office, Mr. Wong has already engaged with several Southeast Asian leaders, either through phone calls or in-person meetings, including Indonesian president-elect Prabowo Subianto, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.
Brunei and Malaysia were also the first countries visited by Mr. Wong’s predecessor, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, following his appointment in 2004.
In Mr. Wong’s absence, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong will serve as Acting Prime Minister.
