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[KUALA LUMPUR] Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will make a two-day official visit to Malaysia’s administrative capital Putrajaya to attend the 11th Malaysia-Singapore Leaders’ Retreat, during which the two countries are expected to sign an agreement to formalise the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ).

The trip, which takes place on Monday (Jan 6) and Tuesday, was originally scheduled to take place in December but had to be postponed after PM Wong tested positive for Covid-19 for the first time.

Singapore’s Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement on Sunday that the annual retreat is a vital platform for the prime ministers of the two countries to set the overall direction for bilateral cooperation, and identify new ways to further enhance connectivity to deliver tangible benefits to Singaporeans and Malaysians.

The retreat – which takes place as Singapore and Malaysia celebrate the 60th anniversary of bilateral relations this year – will be hosted by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

The JS-SEZ deal aims to bring mutual benefits to businesses and people from both sides, including enhancing the flow of goods and people, improving the ease of doing business, and supporting talent development.

The SEZ was officially announced in October 2023 during PM Anwar’s visit to Singapore for the previous retreat. Both countries then signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) last January to finalise an agreement to set up the zone by the end of 2024.

Source: https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/singapore/pm-wong-malaysia-retreat-anwar-johor-singapore-sez-deal-signing