Brunei Crown Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah met with Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the Istana on September 29 during an official visit to Singapore. The Crown Prince’s visit is part of the 12th Singapore-Brunei Young Leaders’ Programme (YLP), aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and fostering collaboration between the two countries.
During the meeting, the two leaders engaged in a wide-ranging discussion on global developments impacting both nations. Prime Minister Wong highlighted the importance of maintaining close and trusted partnerships amid an increasingly complex and uncertain international environment. He also expressed his anticipation for further dialogue over dinner scheduled for October 1.
Earlier in the day, Crown Prince Billah was hosted to lunch by Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who described their conversation as cordial and constructive. The two leaders discussed ongoing developments in their respective countries and explored opportunities to reinforce the special relationship that Singapore and Brunei share. Lee emphasized the value of sustaining strong personal ties between leaders on both sides to ensure the partnership endures for future generations.
The Bruneian delegation was accompanied by several Singaporean ministers, including Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat, Transport Minister Jeffrey Slow, Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Zaqy Mohamad, Acting Manpower Minister Jasmin Lau, Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth and Transport Baey Yam Keng, and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Industry Gan Siow Huang.
This visit marks the fourth time that Prime Minister Wong and Crown Prince Billah have co-chaired the annual Young Leaders’ Programme, which was launched in 2013 to create a platform for dialogue on shared interests such as the digital and green economies, finance, defence, and food security.
Accompanying the Crown Prince are Brunei’s Minister of Transport and Infocommunications Awang Mohammed Riza and other senior officials. Their itinerary includes visits to key sites such as Tuas Port, SAFICity, Temasek Shophouse, the SingHealth Duke-NUS Institute of Biodiversity Medicine, Sultan Mosque, the Malay Heritage Centre, the Singapore Oceanarium, Punggol Digital District, and the Singapore Institute of Technology.
The visit comes amid significant milestones in the bilateral relationship: 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of defence ties between Singapore and Brunei, while 2027 will see the commemoration of six decades since the establishment of their Currency Interchangeability Agreement. As part of his official trip, the Crown Prince will also meet with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and other key leaders.