National flags of Brunei and Singapore decorate the Rimba highway. - BB
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam is making a state visit to the Sultanate starting today (Jan 24) until Friday at the invitation of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, the Singapore President Office at Istana said in a statement.
It is Tharman’s first overseas state visit and coincides with the 40th anniversary of the establishment of Singapore’s diplomatic relations with Brunei.
President Tharman will receive a ceremonial welcome at Istana Nurul Iman and have an audience followed by a bilateral meeting with the Sultan.
The statement also said President Tharman will be hosted to a state banquet.
President Tharman will meet senior members of the Bruneian royal family and Cabinet ministers.
He will also visit Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) personnel training in Brunei Darussalam and meet the Singaporean community in the sultanate at a reception.
President Tharman will be accompanied by his spouse Jane Ittogi Shanmugaratnam, Minister for National Development Desmond Lee, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Foreign Affairs and Second Minister for Education Dr Maliki Osman, Minister of State for Education and Manpower Gan Siow Huang, Members of Parliament Mariam Jaafar and Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim, as well as officials from the President’s Office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of National Development, and Ministry of Education. – Borneo Bulletin/ANN
