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Mr Lee said despite bilateral issues, social differences and competition between the brotherly countries, the two countries had no choice but to work together.
“We can refuse to deal with each other, or we can engage in endless tit-for-tat. But this is unwise and unfeasible for both sides. We will cause endless trouble to each other; we will miss many opportunities for win-win cooperation. Neither side will get any happiness or benefit from it,” he said.
“So I’m pleased that both sides, at the highest levels, have been able to focus largely on the big picture and have made good progress, even though we don’t always agree on every issue.”
‘Full support’ for Malaysia as ASEAN chair
Lee Hsien Loong said he was pleased to see that Malaysia-Singapore bilateral relations remained stable and positive during the transition period to his successor Joshua Wong, and Anwar also looked forward to building a healthy and strong relationship with Singapore’s new leader.
“I have every confidence that Prime Minister Joshua Wong will work with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to move our partnership forward,” he said.
“As a senior minister, I now play a different supporting role. I will do everything I can to further strengthen the relationship and help build new ones between our two countries.”
He said Singapore and Malaysia had “good reasons” to continue to develop their bilateral ties in an “increasingly turbulent world”.
Mr Lee said global developments were making it harder for small countries to safeguard their own security, including conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, and a “great power struggle” between the US and China.
They not only affect international trade or global supply chains, but also cross-strait tensions and regional security in the South China Sea.
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