S'pore aid to KL 'not charity'

S'pore aid to KL 'not charity'

SINGAPORE (AFP): Singapore's agreement to help Malaysia raise funds is a deal between the two countries and not an act of charity, Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Sunday.

On Thursday Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong made a surprise visit to his Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohamad in Malaysia, as Kuala Lumpur sought its neighbor's help to raise funds amid the economic crisis.

Mahathir did not disclose how much Malaysia plans to raise in Singapore and Goh said details on Malaysia's proposed fund- raising exercise in the republic would be discussed at a later date.

Malaysia is mired in its first recession in 13 years, but the government is hoping for a rebound and projects 1.0 percent growth in 1999.

Relations between Singapore and Malaysia have hit a thorny patch in recent months, but Goh and Mahathir pledged to narrow the differences between the two countries and work together.