MINISTER of Development Dato Seri Paduka Awang Haji Suhaimi bin Haji Gafar is currently attending the Singapore International Water Week (SIWW), from July 8 to 12.
Among the minister’s delegation are Permanent Secretary (Technical and Professional) at the Ministry of Development Haji Marzuke bin Haji Mohsin, Director-General of the Public Works Departments, Haji Amer Hishamuddin bin Pehin Orang Kaya Amar Pahlawan Haji Zakaria, as well as several officers from the Department of Water Services and the Department of Drainage and Sewerage.
Prior to the opening of the SIWW on July 8, the minister held separate meetings with Minister of National Development of Singapore Lawrence Wong and Minister of Environment and Water Resources of Singapore Masagos Zulkifli bin Masagos Mohamad.
During the bilateral meeting with Lawrence Wong, issues of national development, public housing development and land use were discussed, along with plans for exchange programmes in the near future.
In 2015, the Brunei’s Ministry of Development and Singapore’s Ministry of National Development signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote exchanges of information and cooperation between the two government agencies.
At the bilateral meeting with Masagos Zulkifli, both ministers discussed environmental and water issues of mutual interest, including progress updates in the areas of air quality monitoring, water resources management and environmental youth exchange.
Under the framework of the MoU on Bilateral Partnership in Environmental Affairs between Brunei and Singapore, meetings and exchanges on environmental programmes ranging from solid waste management, air quality, water resources management and environmental education are held on annual basis.
During the separate bilateral meetings, Lawrence Wong was accompanied by officials from the Ministry of National Development of Singapore.
Meanwhile, Masagos Zulkifli was accompanied by officials from the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources of Singapore and the National Environment Agency and Public Utilities Board (PUB), Singapore’s national water agency.