JOHOR BARU, April 17 — Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi is in Singapore for a four-day working visit since yesterday in an effort to strengthen ties between the state and the republic.

He is scheduled to meet Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong tomorrow as well as several key ministers of the republic.

“Hope everything goes well and smoothly,” he said in a post on his Facebook page today.

Through the posting, Onn Hafiz said he had the opportunity to visit the Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim Mosque, also known as Teluk Blangah Royal Mosque, today.

Meanwhile, the republic’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said Onn Hafiz’s visit is at the invitation of Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan.

In a statement, MFA said Onn Hafiz will call on Prime Minister Lee and meet Dr Balakrishnan, Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Transport S Iswaran, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu, and Minister for National Development Desmond Lee.

He will also meet Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Education, and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Mohamad Maliki Osman, and the Minister of State for Trade & Industry and Culture, Community and Youth Alvin Tan.

Apart from the visit, the Menteri Besar will attend the Singapore International Water Week 2022 Water Leaders’ Summit, visit the site of the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link Woodlands North terminus, and hold discussions with relevant Singapore agencies on technical and vocational training, skills development, and public housing.

Onn Hafiz is accompanied by members of the Johor State Executive Council and Johor State Government officials.

In its latest Facebook update, Onn Hafiz said he had a discussion with the High Commissioner of Malaysia to Singapore Datuk Dr Azfar Mohamad Mustafar, and the officers of the High Commission here.

“We discussed various matters, especially on the interest and welfare of Malaysians especially Johoreans working in the republic.

“The state government has always taken an interest in our people working in Singapore including hundreds of thousands who commute daily.

“I will bring up the issues of the people to the federal government and the Government of Singapore to hopefully resolved them,” he posted. — Bernama