SINGAPORE, Oct 18 — Malaysian Minister of Defence Mohamad Sabu today reaffirmed warm defence relations with Singapore in his introductory visit.

In a statement here, the Singapore Ministry of Defence (Mindef) said Mohamad called on his Singapore counterpart, Dr Ng Eng Hen, at the Ministry this morning.

Mohamad, who will be here till October 20, also reviewed a Guard of Honour as part of his introductory visit.

During their meeting, Mindef said both ministers reaffirmed the warm and long-standing bilateral defence relationship between Singapore and Malaysia.

They noted the positive trajectory in bilateral defence relations, and affirmed both countries’ cooperation on various regional multilateral platforms such as the Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) and the ADMM-Plus, as well as the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA), it said.

Mindef said they also discussed ways to deal with regional challenges such as strengthening cooperation to tackle the threat of terrorism.

Mohamad also visited the Information Fusion Centre at Changi Naval Base earlier this morning, where he also interacted with Malaysian troops participating in Exercise Bersama Lima.

In the afternoon, he visited the 3rd Singapore Division, where he received a briefing on the Singapore Army, viewed a static display of Army assets and weapon systems, and embarked on a familiarisation ride on the Light Strike Vehicle Mark II.

Mohamad will also call on Acting Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean on October 20.

According to Mindef, Singapore and Malaysia’s defence establishments interact regularly across a wide range of activities, which include bilateral exercises, visits and exchanges, cross-attendance of courses, as well as multilateral activities.

These regular interactions strengthen mutual understanding and professional ties among the personnel of both defence establishments, and underscore the warm and long-standing defence ties between both countries.

Mohamad will be attending the 12th ADMM and the 5th ADMM-Plus which Singapore is hosting for two days from October 19, said the Ministry. — Bernama