The 12th Singapore–Malaysia Leaders’ Retreat is scheduled to take place on 4 December 2025 at the Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore. The 11th Retreat was held on 7 January 2025 in Putrajaya, Malaysia. In 2025, Malaysia and Singapore celebrate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations

Photo: Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at a press conference at the Singapore–Malaysia Leaders’ Retreat in Putrajaya, Malaysia, on 07/01/2025 (Source: ST File).

The annual meeting between the leaders of the two countries is an important high-level forum for Malaysia and Singapore to address long-standing outstanding issues and discuss new areas with potential for bilateral cooperation.

Ahead of the Retreat, a series of bilateral engagements between ministers of both sides were held to prepare for the meeting of the two leaders, including the working visit by Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan to Malaysia on 11 November 2025. Notably, on 25 November 2025, Singapore’s Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat and Malaysia’s Minister of Economy Amir Hamzah Azizan met at the 17th Malaysia-Singapore Joint Ministerial Committee for Iskandar Malaysia (JMCIM). At the JMCIM, Singapore and Malaysia committed to establishing effective frameworks for the Johor–Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) and ratifying the JS-SEZ Agreement. The joint ministerial committee will be expanded to reflect the deepening bilateral cooperation, with working groups to be established to discuss issues related to the JS-SEZ, transportation, and other areas.

As close neighbours and important partners in ASEAN, Malaysia and Singapore cooperate extensively across many fields. The two countries are each other’s second-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching USD 61.40 billion (RM 266.50 billion) from January to August 2025, accounting for 8.5% of Malaysia’s total trade./.

Source: Compiled by the Multilateral Trade Policy Department, Ministry of Industry and Trade of Viet Nam