SINGAPORE (Jan 13): Singapore welcomes Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali’s initiative to make a bilateral visit and his upcoming meetings with the republic’s ministers on Jan 13 and 14, its ministry of foreign affairs (MFA) said today.

The gesture comes despite the postponement of the 14th meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee for Iskandar Malaysia (JMCIM), originally scheduled for tomorrow (Jan 14).

The ministry said this in statement issued in response to media queries on the Malaysian MFA’s press release earlier today which stated that Mohamed Azmin would still meet his counterpart Lawrence Wong, the National Development Minister and Foreign Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan to discuss other bilateral issues between Malaysia and Singapore.

“This demonstrates that ties between the two countries remain strong,” Wisma Putra had said in a statement issued earlier in the morning.

Wisma Putra said the meeting will form the next positive step forward after the fruitful bilateral meeting held between the ministers of foreign affairs of Malaysia and Singapore on Jan 8.

Currently, the Malaysian MFA said both foreign ministers are in communication and agreed that both sides should remain calm and “not sensationalise the matter.”

Wisma Putra said it is confident that the current momentum of engagement between Malaysia and Singapore will continue and reiterated its commitment to strengthen bilateral relations with Singapore based on equality and mutual respect.

Mohamed Azmin was expected to have led the Malaysian delegation to the JMCIM meeting.