Kuala lumpur: Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, Queen of Malaysia, today accompanied the wife of Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Jane Ittogi Shanmugaratnam, on a special visit to the National Art Gallery in conjunction with the President's state visit to Malaysia. Her Majesty's daughter, Tunku Tun Aminah, also joined the visit.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Jane Ittogi, who arrived at 2.30 pm, was welcomed by the Prime Minister's wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and National Art Gallery director-general Amerruddin Ahmad. The delegation toured several exhibition spaces, including the Digital Gallery, which houses more than 5,000 artworks, and viewed collections featuring significant events in Malaysia's history as interpreted by local artists.

Jane Ittogi was also introduced to works by the country's first National Artist in visual arts, the late Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal, as well as contemporary artworks by emerging and established Malaysian artists. The visit concluded at the Art Hospital, which is the National Art Gallery's conservation centre, where the delegation was briefed on efforts to preserve and conserve the nation's artworks.

President Tharman and Jane Ittogi are in Malaysia for a three-day state visit from July 13 to 15 at the invitation of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the visit reciprocates Sultan Ibrahim's state visit to Singapore on May 6 and 7, 2024.