SM Lee hosts visiting Brunei Crown Prince to dinner, lauds ‘strong’ bilateral partnership

SINGAPORE – Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong hosted visiting Brunei Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah and his delegation to a welcome dinner on Sept 11.

Crown Prince Billah is in Singapore from Sept 10 to 14

for the Singapore-Brunei Young Leaders’ Programme (YLP), an annual event that is taking place for the 10th time in 2024.

Both countries this year are also marking the 40th anniversary since establishing bilateral relations.

“Over the past decade, the YLP has become an important platform to foster strong friendships and meaningful exchanges between our young leaders,” SM Lee said in a Facebook post late on Sept 11, where he also shared a photograph of the dinner.

“The world is becoming increasingly unpredictable and it is important that we continue to adapt to it. A strong partnership between our two small countries will help keep us dynamic and resilient for future challenges,” SM Lee added.

SM Lee and Crown Prince Billah, who is first in line to succeed Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, were joined at the dinner by their respective spouses.

Also in attendance were other members of the Bruneian delegation and Singapore leaders, including Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu.

Crown Prince Billah will be hosted separately on this visit by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and his spouse, Ms Jane Ittogi Shanmugaratnam, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Mrs Wong, Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean, and other ministers, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Sept 9.

When he was deputy prime minister, 

PM Wong led a delegation to Brunei

 to attend the ninth edition of the programme in December 2023.