BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Singapore’s Senior Minister of State for
Foreign Affairs and Home Affairs, Masagos Zulkifli, said Singapore is confident
that Brunei Darussalam will do very well when it takes over the Asean
Chairmanship next year, Borneo Bulletin reported.
“I met the Minister of Foreign
Affairs and Trade II, Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Dewa Dato Seri Setia Awg Lim
Jock Seng. We know that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Brunei
Darussalam has been working very hard to ensure that the stewardship is carried
out very well.”
Masagos spoke to the local media
on the sidelines of his Hari Raya visit to the residence of the Village Head of
Mukim Tamoi in Kg Ayer, Pengarah Awg Hj Mokti bin Md Salleh yesterday at the
end of his two-day visit.
“Brunei has a very competent
government and is very savvy about world affairs as well as the importance and
centrality of Asean in projecting the interest of this region.
“This is a great opportunity for
Asean to communicate and to get its act right for the Asean Community in 2015.
“We are in a position to seize
the opportunity available to the region. Brunei will have its hands full. But
Singapore is confident that the Sultanate will do very well,” he added.
Meanwhile, Singapore’s Ministry
of Foreign Affairs in a press statement said both Senior Minister of State
Masagos and Pehin Lim Jock Seng discussed the strong state of bilateral
relations and Brunei’s upcoming Asean Chairmanship. Masagos took the
opportunity to reiterate Singapore’s commitment to work with Brunei during the
latter’s Asean Chairmanship next year.
While in the Sultanate, Masagos
also greeted His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam
and other members of the royal family during the second day of Hari Raya open
house at Istana Nurul Iman yesterday morning.
“There was no specific discussion
with His Majesty when I greeted the monarch. I conveyed my regards to His
Majesty and expressed thanks on behalf of the Government of Singapore on the
assistance extended by Brunei specifically in the search and rescue effort of
Singapore’s National Serviceman Corporal Muhammad Fahrurrazi Salim who drowned
during a training exercise in Brunei last week.
“We are very thankful that the
Brunei Government and the army personnel provided immediate assistance as the
body was found within a day.
The Singapore Government and the
family members are very grateful and thank the (Brunei Government’s) response,”
he said.
Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign
Affairs added that Masagos and Mrs Masagos had an opportunity to personally
convey to His Majesty and Her Majesty Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha
the warm wishes of Singapore’s leaders on the occasion of Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
Senior Minister of State Masagos also expressed confidence that the Singapore-Brunei
relationship would continue to flourish through the strengthening of bilateral
cooperation and the deepening of people-to-people ties.
Masagos also underlined the
strong relationship that has traditionally existed between Brunei Darussalam and
Singapore for many years. “We have been working together in many fronts and in
Asean. Brunei is an important partner in putting up regional interest together
and very competent.”
Asked about his Hari Raya
experience in Brunei, he said it was his first time, although “I’ve been to
Brunei many times”.
“Hari Raya celebrations in Brunei
are very special as the festive spirit is lively here in Brunei. During my
visits to the Cabinet Ministers for Hari Raya festivity while in Brunei, we
discussed many areas of cooperation that we could certainly forge to enhance
each other’s experience and benefit each other such as in the area of youth
work.
“We could look at what we can do
upstream to engage youths, share experiences and learn about each other’s
structure so that we could engage with as many youths as possible who could
contribute as useful citizens as they grow up.
“This is the challenge that every
globalised city in the world is facing.
The values could not only be
received from their families but also from beyond the shores and on the other
side of the world.
“Therefore it is a challenge for
open cities like Singapore and Brunei Darussalam. We could learn from each
other.
We continue to be rooted even as
the youths have acquired knowledge and become global citizens. This is a very
big challenge for many cities that are developing.”
Masagos returned to Singapore
last evening.
Azlan Othman
Business & Investment Opportunities
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