Just to share this with you this article, as we seldom get such
critical analyses of Sgp politics in our local media. Malaysiakini
is M'sia's most prominent internet-media-website that serves as a
watchdog via-a-vis the govt-owned media.
THE SINGAPORE DILEMMA, by Josh Hong
Singapores Minister Mentor is at it again. Last week, Lee Kuan Yew
reminded his people of the island states vulnerable position given
the hostile elements within Malaysia and Indonesia. That he did so
through Berita Harian, Singapores sole Malay daily, was
telling.
Still, Lees sharp comments came at a time when many honestly
believed Singapore had made some significant progress in its
relations with the two immediate neighbours.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has secured some diplomatic
successes recently. Last April, Singapore conferred an honorary
doctorate on Sultan Iskandar Ismail of Johor as a goodwill gesture.
It signifies the Peoples Action Party governments determination
to maintain a cordial relationship with the southernmost state of
West Malaysia.
One month later, the prime minister and his cabinet colleagues gave
their blessings to the Iskandar Development Region (IDR) by
agreeing to the formation of the Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC),
a consultative body, with their Malaysian counterparts. To avoid
arousing unnecessary ill feelings, the Singapore leaders were
shrewd enough to emphasise the consultative nature of the
committee.
The IDR, a brainchild of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, is
now touted as an epitome of the strategic partnership between
Malaysia and Singapore, and it is for the two governments to prove
to other countries if it could be a positive response to the rise
of China and India as regional economic powers breathing down
Aseans neck.
Churlish sentiments
Unfortunately, sentiments among the Malays in Malaysia remain
churlish. This is especially so when Abdullah is fighting an uphill
battle to establish his own authority vis à vis his charismatic
predecessor. Those close to Dr Mahathir Mohamad have lost no time
in cashing in on the issue, the latest being criticisms by Kadir
Jasin that the JMC might have grave implications for Malaysias
sovereignty.
It is not sure if the JMC has hit a snag. What is certain is
Singapore is still awaiting an official notice from Malaysia.
Another diplomatic achievement of Prime Minister Lee seems more
astounding.
Late May, the Indonesian government, after much contemplation,
finally reached agreement on two areas where Jakarta would work
closely with Singapore.
As far as Singapore is concerned, the signing of the landmark
extradition treaty with Indonesia sends a clear message that the
island state is ready to ditch the negative image of its being a
safe haven for corrupt Indonesians, an impression that has stuck
with the Muslim masses in Malaysia and Indonesia for years.
More important is the Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA), which is
crucial to Singapores position as a middle power in the
strategically vital Southeast Asia.
Malaysia closed its air space to Singapores Air Force in the late
1990s following a plethora of bilateral disputes, and the
suspicious, almost paranoid, minds of Umno grassroots rule out any
reopening for sometime to come.
As such, Jakartas willingness to sign the DCA in exchange for the
extradition treaty is revealing.
Despite numerous assurances by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
(SBY), certain quarters within Indonesian society remain sceptical,
who were weary that the presence of foreign troops could undermine
Indonesia as an independent nation, and threaten its territorial
integrity.
For instance, some retired army officers have expressed their
reservations over the DCA and called on the House of
Representatives Commission to reject it.
Close US ally
Needless to say, the fact that Singapore is a close ally of the
United States in the region has not escaped the critics attention.
Under a 1990 Memorandum of Understanding, Washington has access to
Singapore military facilities, and the US Navy logistics unit was
set up in Singapore in 1992 following the loss of Subic Bay Naval
Station in the Philippines. Naval exchanges between Singapore and
the US are among the most intense in the region.
Major General Benny Mandalika, a former military attaché in the US,
openly conjectured that Washington turned to Singapore for a
military logistics depot after its failure to get one from
Indonesia.
The signing of the DCA raises the eyebrow of the Indonesians also
because SBY is well received by the Bush administration, which
believes the US should give its full support to a president who
wants to do the right thing in the worlds largest Muslim
country. With the DCA now a reality, some are worried the US will
soon establish a strong foothold in Southeast Asia in addition to
its existing military prowess.
The minister mentor, quite clearly, is not bemused by all these
negative sentiments that continue to abound in both Malaysia and
Singapore.
And this is precisely the dilemma of a small, prosperous state that
happens to be in the wrong corner of the world. On one hand,
Singapore is determined more than ever to make the country global
by forging close ties with major powers the world over, while
seeking to convince its weary and jealous neighbours of its sense
of destiny and solidarity with the region of Southeast Asia. No
easy task indeed.
In light of all this, Lees frustrations are only understandable.
As he ages, Lee is also showing exasperations and strains that do
not befit a statesman.
But again, didnt Lee himself once reveal that the Singapore
leadership had been advised by some Malaysian politicians not to
react to the fiery remarks that were merely for Malaysias domestic
consumption?