03/06/2026
The AIAC was honoured to participate in a series of engagements in Singapore today, culminating in the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) and the Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC).
The MoU signing ceremony was witnessed by Yang Berhormat Dato' Sri Azalina Othman Said, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) of Malaysia, and Mr Edwin Tong SC, Singapore's Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs. The AIAC was represented by our Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Datuk Danesh Chandran, while the agreements were signed respectively with Ms Gloria Lim, Chief Executive Officer of SIAC, and Mr Wee Meng Chuan, Chief Executive Officer of SIMC.
Also present were H.E. Dato' Indera Dr. Azfar Mohamad Mustafar, High Commissioner of Malaysia to Singapore; Dato’ Mary Lim Thiam Suan, President of the AIAC Court of Arbitration; and Dato Dr. Punitha Silivarajoo, Deputy Director-General (Policy and International Relations), together with Datuk Thiyagu Ganesan, Deputy Director-General (Law Reforms Sectors) from the Legal Affairs Division of the Prime Minister’s Department of Malaysia.
The MoUs establish a framework for cooperation in advancing arbitration, mediation and ADR across the region. Areas of collaboration include joint conferences, seminars and workshops, the exchange of knowledge and expertise, and greater engagement between the dispute resolution communities of Malaysia and Singapore.
The visit also included a bilateral engagement with Mr Edwin Tong SC and members of Singapore's Ministry of Law (MinLaw), during which discussions touched on developments within the dispute resolution landscape, opportunities arising from the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone, and the important role that legal and ADR institutions can play in facilitating cross-border commerce, investment and economic cooperation.
The AIAC also met with representatives of the Singapore International Mediation Institute (SIMI) to explore deeper collaboration and the continued development of commercial mediation through professional credentialing and international standards. The AIAC also engaged with the Community Mediation Unit (CMU) under Singapore's Ministry of Law to better understand its community mediation framework and its role in enhancing access to dispute resolution.
These engagements mark another step in strengthening the longstanding relationship between the dispute resolution communities of Malaysia and Singapore. The AIAC looks forward to working closely with MinLaw, SIAC, SIMC, SIMI and its regional counterparts in advancing arbitration and mediation while contributing to a more connected and collaborative dispute resolution landscape across Asia and beyond.
