KUCHING: Singapore is planning to open consular offices in Kuching and Kota Kinabalu as part of efforts to strengthen people-to-people ties and enhance economic and tourism cooperation between the two countries.

Singapore’s High Commissioner to Malaysia, Vanu Gopala Menon, said the consular offices are targeted to begin operations no later than the middle of this year.

“The Malaysian Government has granted us approval to open consulates in Kuching and Kota Kinabalu. That approval was received at the end of November last year.

“Following that, I decided to visit Malaysia, Sarawak and Kota Kinabalu to see for myself and to identify several potential locations for establishing the consulates.

“We will be visiting various places in Kuching and Kota Kinabalu to gain a clearer picture of where we can set up the consulates, at least as a temporary starting point,” he said.

He was speaking to the media after paying a courtesy call on Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr) Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari Tun Datuk Abang Openg at the Satria Pertiwi Complex here on Monday.

Vanu added that once suitable locations have been identified, his side hopes to obtain approval from Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and subsequently deploy representatives to manage the consular offices.

Elaborating further, he said that trade between Sarawak and Singapore has shown positive growth, which underscores the need for Singapore to have an on-the-ground presence to facilitate closer economic cooperation.

Vanu expressed confidence that the establishment of a Singapore consulate in Kuching in the future would strengthen bilateral relations and boost the flow of visitors as well as interactions between the people of both countries.

Also present during the courtesy call were Sarawak Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki, Director of the Sarawak Regional Office of Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dato Fenny Nuli, Singapore Political Counsellor Charlene Chan and Political Secretary Valerie Lim. -UKASnews

Reporter : Nur Nabilla
Translator: Uilson Ng
Photographer: Hazrin Sunaini