Anwar said Malaysia’s readiness reflects the positive sentiment expressed by current Singapore prime minister Lee Hsien Loong, who hoped to see the close relationship between the two countries continue to flourish under Wong’s leadership.

Anwar said that Singapore’s hope was conveyed by Lee when he received a phone call from his Singaporean counterpart.

“PM Lee officially informed me that he will be handing over the reins to Wong next week and expressed his desire to see the close Malaysia-Singapore relationship continue to thrive under the new leadership,” Anwar wrote in a Facebook posting. “I welcome PM Lee’s wish and am ready to continue strengthening Malaysia-Singapore relations under Wong’s leadership.”

Anwar added that he had invited Lee and his wife, Ho Ching, to visit Malaysia soon. Anwar said he and his wife, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, highly valued the close personal relationship with Lee and Ho Ching. “Our conversations in every meeting are always grounded in a friend-to-friend approach,” he wrote.

Wong, the current deputy prime minister and finance minister, takes over from Lee on May 15.