SINGAPORE - Singapore will continue to work closely with Malaysia's new government to advance the relationship between the two countries, Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing said on Thursday (May 10).

In response to questions about the impact of Malaysia's historic election results on bilateral ties, Mr Chan said that it is still "early days" to assess what the outcome will mean for major projects such as the High Speed Railway, and added that Singapore looks forward to the formation of a new Malaysian government.

An alliance of opposition parties spearheaded by Mahathir Mohamad won Malaysia's general election, official results showed, toppling the 61-year rule of the Barisan Nasional (BN).

The Singapore government is "closely following" developments in Malaysia, Mr Chan said. "Malaysian politics is for Malaysians to decide.

"We have a long-standing and broad-ranging relationship with the Malaysians and we expect the government of the day to continue to advance this relationship to the mutual benefit of both countries."

Mr Chan was speaking on the sidelines of a factory visit to food company SMC Food 21's premises in Jurong - his first such visit since taking on his new portfolio as trade and industry minister.

SMC Food 21 blends ingredients such as sugar, milk and cocoa into intermediate products, which are then used to make chocolate, ice cream, soup and other food products.

The company, which has six plants in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, plans to set up a dairy hub in Singapore to take advantage of export opportunities.