By Zakaria Wahab
SINGAPORE, May 24 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the outcome of his retreat with his Singapore counter Lee Hsien Loong Monday is a positive signal for the private sectors and people of both countries to engage in greater collaboration.
"If you are looking for a positive signal, this is it," he told a joint media conference with Lee following their retreat at Shangri-La Hotel here.
He said the many decisions made during the retreat should signify a very positive signal for both sides to engage in more investment, education, trade and greater collaboration between the two countries.
Najib said he hoped what that had been achieved today would go beyond what were written on paper.
Describing his meeting with Lee a productive one, Najib said since they met a year ago when they decided not to allow outstanding bilateral issues to be in the way of developing and strengthening bilateral ties, the two countries had moved forward in areas which they could achieve common agreement.
He said with that positive mindset, they had achieved much within a year, starting with meetings at various levels of the government to find a common ground.
"And today is quite historic as we see now the light at the end of the tunnel with respect to the outstanding issues that have been lingering for almost 20 years," Najib said.
With what that had been achieved in today's meeting, Najib said he could more or less say that the Points of Agreement (PoA) on Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd land in Singapore should finally be put to rest when Lee meets him in Kuala Lumpur next month.
Malaysia today decided to move the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station to the Woodlands train checkpoint by July 1 next year under the enhanced PoA.
When the PoA was signed by both countries in 1990, Malaysia had agreed to move the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station only to Bukit Timah after five years but it did not materialise. Link
