SINGAPORE President Tharman Shanmugaratnam was accorded a full state welcome ceremony at Istana Negara today as he commenced his first state visit to Malaysia since assuming office in September 2023.
President Tharman and First Lady Jane Ittogi Shanmugaratnam arrived at Istana Negara at 10 am and were received by their Majesties Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, and Raja Zarith Sofiah, Queen of Malaysia.
The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Deputy Prime Ministers Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, Minister for Human Resources Steven Sim, who is serving as minister-in-attendance for the visit, Cabinet ministers and members of the royal family.
Among the royal family members present were Tunku Tun Aminah Binti Sultan Ibrahim, Tunku Abdul Rahman Al-Haj Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, the Tunku Panglima Johor, and Tunku Abu Bakar Al-Haj Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, the Tunku Putera Johor.
Held at the Istana Negara parade ground, the ceremony began with the national anthems of Singapore and Malaysia performed by the Central Band of the Royal Malay Regiment, followed by a 21-gun salute by the 41st Battery of the Royal Artillery Regiment.
President Tharman then inspected the Main Guard of Honour comprising four officers and 103 personnel from the First Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment (RAMD), led by Major Mohd Masrur Hidayat Masri.
Their Majesties later granted an audience to President Tharman, the First Lady and the Singapore delegation at Dewan Seri Maharaja, where they also witnessed the exchange of commemorative gifts.
The King and Queen are also scheduled to host President Tharman and the Singapore delegation at a State Banquet in Dewan Santapan Utama in honour of the visit.
President Tharman is on a three-day state visit to Malaysia from July 13 to 15 at the invitation of Sultan Ibrahim.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the visit reciprocates His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim's state visit to Singapore on May 6 and 7, 2024, and underscores the close and longstanding ties between the two countries.
It is the fourth state visit hosted by Sultan Ibrahim since ascending the throne as Malaysia's 17th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, following visits by the Sultan of Brunei, the President of China and the President of Indonesia.
Singapore remains Malaysia's second-largest global trading partner and its largest trading partner within ASEAN.
Bilateral trade reached RM402.35 billion (US$93.97 billion) in 2025, an increase of 1.5 per cent compared with the previous year, according to The Edge.
Trade continued its upward trajectory in 2026, with total bilateral trade rising 14.5 per cent to RM189.90 billion (US$47.87 billion) between January and May, compared with RM165.93 billion (US$37.65 billion) during the corresponding period in 2025. - July 13, 2026
