MALAYSIA and Singapore have welcomed strong progress in implementing the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), with both countries expecting its master plan to be finalised in the near future to accelerate trade, investment and cross-border economic integration.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the development was among the key outcomes of his meeting with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam during the President's state visit to Malaysia.
Anwar said the leaders also exchanged views on bilateral relations, regional developments and a range of issues of mutual interest.
"We also welcomed the progress in implementing the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), including efforts to finalise the JS-SEZ master plan in the near future. This strategic initiative will strengthen trade, investment and mutually beneficial economic cooperation between our two countries," Anwar said in a Facebook post.
President Tharman said Singapore and Malaysia had consistently chosen, across successive generations of leadership, to focus on the future and strengthen cooperation rather than allow differences to define the bilateral relationship.
Speaking during an audience with Malaysia's King, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim at Istana Negara, Tharman said the relationship between the two neighbours possessed a unique quality that had endured despite historical challenges.
"The Singapore-Malaysia relationship indeed has a quality that is difficult to find elsewhere, a quality that goes well beyond the here and now," he said.
He said the two countries had shared a complex history, from Singapore's merger with Malaysia in 1963 to its separation in 1965, while periodically addressing sensitive bilateral issues arising from their close interdependence.
"But we have not let these issues affect our ability to work on positive and new areas of cooperation," he said.
Tharman pointed to the JS-SEZ and the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link as two flagship initiatives demonstrating the shared ambition to deepen economic integration and create greater opportunities for both countries.
"They reflect our mutual desire to grow the complementarity between our economies," he said.
He added that the completion of the RTS Link would strengthen people-to-people ties by improving access to tourism, healthcare and education while fostering greater understanding between younger generations of Singaporeans and Malaysians.
"It will help a younger generation of Singaporeans and Malaysians go through life with a familiarity, appreciation and good understanding of one another," he said.
Tharman said cooperation on physical and economic infrastructure was underpinned by an even deeper foundation of trust, kinship and shared purpose between the peoples of both countries.
"It is this enduring sense of kinship and partnership that gives us added confidence as we navigate an increasingly divided world, knowing we can rely on one another," he said.
Quoting a Malay proverb, he added: "As the Malay saying goes, 'Berat sama dipikul, ringan sama dijinjing.' Whether the load is heavy or light, we carry it together. That, we must hope, is the spirit that will continue to guide us."
He added that his meetings with His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim and Anwar reaffirmed the resilience of Malaysia-Singapore ties and their shared commitment to advancing strategic initiatives such as the JS-SEZ and the RTS Link to drive sustainable economic growth and regional prosperity. - July 14, 2026
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