SINGAPORE: Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein has reaffirmed the country’s long-standing ties during his call on Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Bernama quoted a statement issued by the island republic’s Ministry of Defence on Saturday that Hishammuddin was currently in Singapore to attend the 19th Shangri-La Dialogue which began last Friday and ended yesterday.
As part of the visit, the ministry said Hishammuddin called on Lee at the Istana on Saturday, which was also attended by the republic’s Senior Minister of State for Defence Zaqy Mohamad.
During their meeting, the ministry said Lee and Hishammuddin reaffirmed the long-standing relationship and extensive cooperation, and the strong people-to-people ties between Singapore and Malaysia.
Both leaders, said the ministry, discussed their countries’ responses to common regional security challenges, such as cyber and maritime security as well as counter-terrorism.
“They reiterated the importance of strengthening existing defence cooperation through multilateral platforms and underscored the effectiveness of combined co-operative measures in enhancing regional security and stability,” it said.