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PENANG, Malaysia: Penang's chief minister wants to develop more trade, commercial and people links with Singapore.
In an interview with Channel NewsAsia during Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's visit to the northern Malaysian state, Mr Lim Guan Eng said Penang has very close bonds with Singapore and the Republic should not hesitate to invest fully in Penang.
The chief minister also made this point during his hour-long meeting with Mr Lee and the Singapore delegation on Saturday.
According to the minister mentor's press secretary, Mr Lee emphasised that if Penang wants to attract investors, it needs better infrastructure and communication links. To secure funding for these projects, he believes the Penang state government needs to work closely with the federal government to gain its support.
Mr Lim said his team takes Mr Lee's views seriously.
"I think we are way out of Singapore's league. We don't consider ourselves as a rival to Singapore. I think what we want to see is how we can complement each other," he said.
"Singapore is way ahead of us, streaks ahead and I'm also sad because it also indicates that Penang was in the state of graceful decline for the past 18 years, and it is this state of graceful decline that showed the huge disparity in progress and development, both physically and structurally between Penang and Singapore."
One area which Penang's chief minister wants to further expand with Singapore is tourism. Mr Lim said by next year, there would be some 84 flights a week between Penang and Singapore, creating much potential for cooperation in the services industry.
Besides Mr Lim, Singapore's minister mentor and his delegation also met the former chief minister of Penang and current president of the Gerakan party, Dr Koh Tsu Koon, and party members.
Dr Koh, who lost in the last general elections, is now a senator and minister in Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak's Cabinet.
Apart from being updated on Penang's development, Mr Lee has also been getting a feel of the political situation in Malaysia.
- CNA/so
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