Speech by President Tony Tan at State Banquet hosted by Their Majesties the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong and the Raja Permaisuri Agong

His Majesty the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia
Tuanku Al-Haj Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Badlishah

Her Majesty the Raja Permaisuri Agong
Tuanku Hajah Haminah

Excellencies

Ladies and Gentlemen

        I would first like to thank Your Majesties and the Government of Malaysia for your warm welcome and gracious hospitality. It is truly a privilege and pleasure to be in Malaysia, and to be among friends in this splendid setting tonight.

        My wife and I greatly enjoyed the State Drive together with Your Majesties earlier today. I found this especially meaningful because I have visited Malaysia on many occasions in different capacities. I have watched the country transform over the years, making great strides in social and economic development. But during our drive together today, I reflected that through it all, Malaysia has kept its heart and soul. Like the Kuala Lumpur of my youth, the city is still vibrant, colourful, and full of possibilities. The Petronas Twin Towers stand tall and proud alongside old heritage buildings, each setting off the grandeur and beauty of the other.

        The wise counsel of committed and visionary leaders has helped Malaysia build a flourishing and internationally respected country. Your Majesty is a testament to this able leadership, having ruled as Yang di-Pertuan Agong from 1970 to 1975, and again, since 2011. Your Majesty’s efforts to foster national unity have set the tone for an era of peace that has enabled sustained national development.

        We had a good discussion on the excellent state of our bilateral relations during the audience with Your Majesties. I am happy to note the excellent progress of our bilateral ties in recent years. Through the close partnership of Prime Ministers Dato Sri’ Najib Razak and Mr Lee Hsien Loong, our relations have gone from strength to strength. We are each other’s top trading partner, and bilateral investment and tourism are robust. The joint projects in Singapore and Iskandar Malaysia by Khazanah Nasional and Temasek Holdings have also made rapid progress. Our respective private sectors have built on this confidence and strengthened the high degree of complementarity between Singapore and Malaysia. 

        With improved relations, we are enjoying greater cooperation across many fields, including transport, communications, arts, culture, and education. Our countries now have greater stakes in each other’s success. Improved bilateral connectivity through projects such as the High Speed Rail link will further enhance our economic cooperation and people-to-people interactions. We are dreaming big together, so our peoples will gain an enriching and secure future together. 

        Historically, we have a shared heritage and culture. But we must continually nurture these unique ties. One good example is the long-standing ties between the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Universiti Malaya (UM), which has been cultivated via annual golf games that started in 1969. Earlier this year in June, I led a delegation from the NUS as its Chancellor for the most recent round of sports and networking with UM, which was led by the Regent of Perak, His Highness Raja Nazrin Shah, who represented the Sultan of Perak as Chancellor of UM. My delegation and I experienced warmth and hospitality in Ipoh which was reserved only for old friends, and I look forward to welcoming UM at the next round of games which NUS will host in Singapore next year.

        Taking a broader regional perspective, Malaysia and Singapore also cooperate closely in ASEAN. As founding members, we share a common vision of a prosperous, strong, and united ASEAN. We look forward to Malaysia’s chairmanship of ASEAN in 2015, and to working together with you and other ASEAN member states to realise the ASEAN Community. 

Your Majesties

Your Excellencies

Ladies and Gentlemen

        I am confident that under Your Majesty’s guidance, and through the efforts of our two governments, our close and unique bilateral ties will continue to grow. My delegation and I thank you again for your warmth and friendship, and look forward to welcoming Your Majesties to Singapore soon.

        Thank you.