Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will make his first official visit to neighbouring Singapore on Jan 12, local media reported today.

Abdullah, who took over from Dr Mahathir Mohamad on Oct 31, will meet his counterpart Goh Chok Tong, President RS Nathan and several senior ministers.

No agenda has been set for the meeting with Goh, Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times.

"There will be no restriction on issues. The only restriction is perhaps the time since it is only a one-day visit."

Ties between the neighbours have been prickly due to disputes over issues such as the price at which Malaysia sells water to the resource-starved city-state, a proposed new bridge linking the two and the use of Malaysian airspace by Singaporean aircraft.

Asked about the progress of talks on these disputes, Syed Hamid said: "Our relations with Singapore are not just about solving such issues. We have other common interests, ranging from economic to the social well-being of people in both countries."

Abdullah's visit to Singapore is part of a traditional tour of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) countries for newly-installed regional leaders. - AFP