Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor yesterday hosted a dinner for Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Mrs Lee at Datuk Seri Najib's official residence, Seri Perdana.

Joining them were Malaysian ministers and ministers from Singapore who had travelled to Putrajaya for the annual Leaders' Retreat.

Earlier in the day, Mr Najib and PM Lee had a four-eye meeting, followed by a delegation meeting and the signing of the bilateral agreement on the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high-speed rail (HSR).

The leaders then held a joint press conference, where Mr Najib said the project would open a new landscape in bilateral relations.

PM Lee said that when it comes to fruition, "there will be more exchanges between our people and deeper ties between the two countries".

Both sides capped off the day with what Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan dubbed "durian diplomacy". He said on Facebook: "The HSR will transform the way our people interact, socialise and do business. It will give both countries a greater stake in our mutual success."