SINGAPORE: Minister for Defence Ng Eng Hen and Malaysian Minister of Defence Mohamad Sabu on Thursday (Oct 18) reaffirmed longstanding bilateral defence ties during the Malaysian minister’s introductory visit to Singapore.
Mr Mohamad, who is in Singapore from Thursday to Saturday, called on Dr Ng at the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) on Thursday morning and reviewed a guard of honour as part of his visit, said MINDEF in a press release.
The two ministers noted the “positive trajectory” in bilateral defence relations, and affirmed both countries’ cooperation on various regional multilateral platforms such as the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) and the ADMM-Plus, as well as the Five Power Defence Arrangements.
Mr Mohamad also visited the Information Fusion Centre at Changi Naval Base where he interacted with Malaysian troops participating in Exercise Bersama Lima.
In the afternoon, he visited the 3rd Singapore Division, where he received a brief on the Singapore Army, viewed a static display of army assets and weapon systems and took on a familiarisation ride on the Light Strike Vehicle Mark II.
Malaysia Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu takes a familiarisation ride on the Light Strike Vehicle Mark II during his visit to 3rd Singapore Division. (Photo: MINDEF)
The minister will also call on Acting Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean on Saturday.
DEFENCE MINISTERS MEET
He will be attending the 12th ADMM and the 5th ADMM-Plus which Singapore is hosting on Friday and Saturday respectively.
Dr Ng will host defence ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and eight partner countries – Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States – for the 12th ADMM and 5th ADMM-Plus.
In addition to the Malaysian defence minister, Dr Ng also welcomed officials from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam on Thursday.
He thanked the ministers for their strong support for Singapore’s 2018 ADMM chairmanship, and reaffirmed Singapore’s friendly defence relationships with their countries.
In the morning Dr Ng had a bilateral call with and hosted lunch for Chinese State Councillor and Minister of National Defence General Wei Fenghe, during which both sides talked about the importance of China’s continued engagement in the region.
General Wei also welcomed Dr Ng’s upcoming visit to China for the ASEAN-China Maritime Exercise and the 8th Beijing Xiangshan Forum.
In addition, Dr Ng met US Secretary of Defence James Mattis.
The two discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations, including cooperation to enhance regional counter-terrorism intelligence sharing.
This is the second time that Singapore is chairing the ADMM since its establishment in 2006 and the first time that Singapore is chairing the ADMM-Plus since its establishment in 2010.
