By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Jan 19: Singapore is planning to establish two consulates in Malaysia—one in Kuching and another in Kota Kinabalu—as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral ties, particularly in trade, investment and tourism.
Singapore’s High Commissioner to Malaysia, Vanu Gopala Menon, said the Malaysian government approved the establishment of the consulates in November 2025.
Following this approval, Singapore is now identifying potential locations in Kuching and Kota Kinabalu, including temporary offices in the early stages.
“After receiving approval, I visited Kuching and Kota Kinabalu to assess and identify potential sites for the consulates.
“We hope to finalise suitable locations soon, at least for temporary offices, before sending staff to manage the consulates,” he said during a press conference after paying a courtesy call on Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg at Kompleks Satria Pertiwi here today, as reported by TVS.
Vanu added that the next step involves seeking official clearance from Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs before dispatching officials to run the consulate operations.
Singapore aims for both consulates to be fully operational by mid-2026.
He said the consulates are intended to promote people-to-people ties between Singapore, Sarawak and Sabah, while strengthening regional economic cooperation.
“There is significant potential in tourism, particularly among Singaporeans interested in visiting Sarawak and Sabah. Trade between Singapore and Sarawak has been growing positively, and having a Singaporean representative here will facilitate business and economic relations,” Vanu explained. — DayakDaily
