Finance minister and likely next prime minister of Singapore has sounded a note of optimism in his Jan. 8 Facebook post.

This was after Singapore and Malaysia reached an agreement on Jan. 8 over recent bilateral disputes.

This was following a meeting between Vivian Balakrishnan and Saifuddin Abdullah -- the foreign ministers from Singapore and Malaysia.

Heng wrote:

Glad that, today, Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and his counterpart Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah reached a common understanding on initial steps to resolve airspace and maritime issues.

Meeting seen as way forward

Both Singapore and Malaysia were reported to have reached a mutual consensus, which resulted in a joint press statement on the recent bilateral developments.

These developments include:

- Malaysia immediately suspending the permanent Restricted Area it imposed over Pasir Gudang, Johor, for one month.

- Singapore immediately suspending the implementation of the instrument landing systems (ILS) for Seletar Airport for one month.

This allows for discussions to occur in a conducive environment and to "de-escalate the situation on the ground", Heng said.

"In addition, both countries agreed on the need to keep the situation calm in order to allow discussions to proceed in a conducive atmosphere," Heng wrote.

"As neighbours, Singapore and Malaysia have deep historical, economic, cultural, and people-to-people ties. It is important that we have a constructive and peaceful relationship and find win-win solutions that benefit the peoples of both countries."

Dec. 31, 2018 meeting with Mahathir

This Jan. 8 development is more than a week after Heng laid the ground work with a visit to Malaysia.

Heng and Teo Chee Hean, who is Deputy Prime Minister and the Coordinating Minister for National Security, met with Malaysia prime minister Mahathir Mohamad in Putrajaya on Dec. 31, 2018.

The two Singapore ministers went north to deliver a message on behalf of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

That meeting was to make plans for Singapore and Malaysia foreign ministers, Vivian Balakrishnan and Saifuddin Abdullah, to meet in Singapore on Jan. 8.

This is Heng's post:

https://www.facebook.com/195137123858154/posts/2093550620683452/