The Causeway’s centenary falls in 2024, but its economic and symbolic agency in the lives of Singaporeans and Malaysians could be said to have been marked by the visit of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to the Republic for the 10th Singapore-Malaysia Leaders’ Retreat earlier this week.
The more closely Malaysia and Singapore can operate, the more they will achieve from the expansion of common economic space in a win-win relationship. Not only is each the other’s second-largest trading partner but both nations also have enduring ties with each other in areas such as culture, kinship and history. Everyday interactions between Singaporeans and Malaysians provide a solid base for a special relationship. Domestic political considerations must not be allowed to interfere with national imperatives.
In this context, the meeting between Datuk Seri Anwar and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was a substantive one, characterised by news of progress in bilateral relations on several fronts. A key takeaway was the need to increase connectivity across the Causeway.
The two neighbours are working to sign an agreement on Jan 11, 2024, that will usher in the next stage of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone. The zone will improve the flow of goods and people between both sides of the Causeway, and enhance the ecosystem of the Iskandar development region and Singapore. Land- and labour-scarce Singapore, which is rich in technological and managerial expertise, and Malaysia, with its larger size and population of workers, can tap each other’s strengths in a special economic zone that connects and amplifies the competitive advantages of both nations.
