[Brunei]
1. At the launch of the $20 commemorative notes by Brunei and Singapore, with a common back face, the Sultan said that, while many people might not understand international finance, they readily understood the significance of our currency interchangeability agreement. Without a deep relationship based on trust and responsibility, such an agreement would not have been possible. It was right that both sides celebrated the 40th Anniversary of the Agreement on Wednesday in a special way.



2. The new $20 note will be a collector's item. Entire sheets which printed the Bruneian and Singapore versions alternately were snapped up in Brunei, I was told. Pairs of notes, bearing the same serial numbers are being sold for $88 which is not a bad profit for the two Finance Ministries. I'm sure special numbers will fetch higher values.



3. Many of our soldiers train in the jungles of Brunei. We also have a helicopter detachment there. It is unusual for two countries to have such a close relationship with each other. At PM's call on the Sultan, the royal family turned up in full force.



Do also read my posts on Beyond SG