KUCHING (April 16): The Sarawak government has welcomed the appointment of Lawrence Wong as Singapore's next prime minister, while also expressing interest in studying further the republic's approach to assisting its low-income sector.

Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said Wong, currently Singapore’s deputy prime minister and finance minister, brings valuable experience and understanding of Singapore-Malaysia ties, particularly with Sarawak.

“As you know, he is the finance minister, and he has informed me in our previous discussions about how he helped the B40 (the bottom 40% income group in Singapore).

“The assistance provided by the Singapore government, particularly their approach of using vouchers and establishing stores for essential items operated through trade unions, is quite commendable.

“When you talk about targeted assistance, I believe Singapore has a good approach,” Abang Johari told reporters after attending a Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house hosted by an adviser to the state International Trade, Industry and Entrepreneurs Development Ministry, Datuk Naroden Majais, here on Tuesday.

The Prime Minister's Office of Singapore announced on Monday that Wong would be sworn in as the republic's fourth prime minister on May 15, succeeding Lee Hsien Loong, who took office in 2004.

According to Abang Johari, Sarawak has enjoyed a good relationship with Singapore, particularly in trade and energy collaborations, which eventually led to the establishment of the Sarawak Trade and Tourism Office Singapore (Statos) in 2019.

With Wong being part of the government led by Lee, Abang Johari sees this positive relationship continuing through further collaborations in the future.

“I'm sure it's going to be a smooth leadership transition, because it is still the same government, except the commander will change,” he added.

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