Brunei Crown Prince wraps up five-day Singapore visit after oceanarium, Punggol Digital District tours

SINGAPORE — Brunei Crown Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah wrapped up his five-day official visit to Singapore on Oct 2, after touring Punggol Digital District and the Singapore Oceanarium a day earlier, where Prime Minister Lawrence Wong hosted him to dinner.

PM Wong said on Facebook that his team had arranged an underwater banner bearing the words “Deepening our friendship” at the oceanarium, describing it as a fitting message for the close and enduring ties between the two countries.

“At the heart of this special relationship are the strong personal bonds built up over many years,” he added. 

PM Wong also said he always valued the chance to catch up with Billah, who is also Senior Minister at Brunei’s Prime Minister’s Office, and looked forward to many more exchanges as the two countries continued to strengthen their ties.

The dinner on Oct 1 was followed by breakfast with Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong the next morning. The Crown Prince and his delegation also rode in autonomous vehicles during a visit to Punggol Digital District, where they were shown how the precinct will bring industry, the community and academia together.

In a Facebook post, Gan said JTC and the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) briefed them on the development concept and future plans for the district. SIT students also demonstrated robots performing various tasks, showcasing how they learn and work with robotic systems.

He also said he hoped the Crown Prince and his delegation enjoyed their rides in the autonomous vehicles.

Billah was in Singapore from Sept 28 to Oct 2 at the invitation of PM Wong. The two leaders co-chaired the 12th Singapore-Brunei Young Leaders’ Programme, which aims to deepen ties between the next generation of leaders in both countries.

Launched in 2013, the annual programme provides a platform for discussing areas of shared interest, including the digital and green economies, finance, defence and food security.

The Crown Prince’s visit started with a tour of Tuas Port hosted by Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow on Sept 28. 

Day two started with a welcome lunch hosted by Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, followed by tea with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam before Billah called on PM Wong at the Istana.

On Sept 30, he toured SAFTI City, where he observed battlefield-effect simulations, operated an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance drone, and fired the Singapore Assault Rifle 21 and SAKO TRG-22 Sniper Rifles, MINDEF said in a statement.

The SAFTI City tour was hosted by Senior Minister of State for Defence Zaqy Mohamad. Chief of Defence Force Vice-Admiral Aaron Beng and senior officials from Singapore and Brunei were also present.

On the same day, Billah also met Temasek Holdings chairman Teo Chee Hean and Temasek Trust chairman Ho Ching. He toured Temasek Shophouse, where he was briefed on initiatives focused on sustainable design and social impact.

On Oct 1, the Crown Prince visited the SingHealth Duke-NUS Institute of Biodiversity Medicine, hosted by Health Minister Ong Ye Kung. His itinerary also included visits to Sultan Mosque and the Malay Heritage Centre, hosted by Zaqy, who is also Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs. 

The visit comes as Singapore and Brunei mark 50 years of defence ties in 2026. The two countries will also mark the 60th anniversary of their Currency Interchangeability Agreement in 2027.

The Crown Prince was accompanied by a delegation that included Brunei’s Minister of Transport and Infocommunications Awang Mohammed Riza and senior officials.