Should we slow progress to please
our neighbours?
By Leong Ching
February 14, 2007
SLOW down our pace of development and pacify our neigbours.
This suggestion came from Madam Ho Geok Choo (West Coast GRC) after
a spate of questions concerning Singapore's rocky relations with
Indonesia and Malaysia.
She said that our neighbours may not be happy with the pace of our
development.
'If that were so, would Singapore be reviewing itself to be more
measured in its pace so as to pacify our neighbours?' she
asked.
Madam Ho noted that Singapore's success and fast growth may be
creating tension with its neighbours, who may feel threatened and
stressed.
'Our neighbours could be feeling low and a loss of face when so
often we talk about offering help.
SLOW DOWN
'My question, therefore, is that perhaps we should slow down,' she
asked.
Objecting, Miss Irene Ng (Tampines GRC) said we should not do so as
we answer to Singaporeans.
Miss Ng was one of five MPs in yesterday's session who asked about
Singapore's spat with its neigbours.
This included Indonesia's decision to ban the export of sand, as
well as Thailand's accusation of 'eavesdropping'.
In his reply, Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yeo said he
agreed with Miss Ng's view that Singapore should not slow
down.
'We should do what is in the interest of Singapore.
'Of course, where we can, we should help our neighbours with their
economic development and indeed we are,' he said.
Minister for National Development Mah Bow Tan, replying on the
issue of sand, assured the House that Singapore was coping well
with the ban and that overall costs of development would increase
by only about 1 per cent.
In fact, he noted, Singapore had stopped importing sea sand from
Indonesia since 2003. What it had imported since then was sand from
the interior of the country.
Picking up the cue, MP Sin Boon Ann (Tampines GRC), a lawyer, asked
pointedly: 'Is it true that the Indonesians are very concerned over
the significant impact to the environment arising from our purchase
of sand from them?
'And if it is so, can we not impress upon the Indonesians to be
equally concerned about the haze problem, which is also an issue of
the environment?' asked Mr Sin pointedly.
Mr Mah said that the Minister for Foreign Affairs would be able to
answer that question better.
Mr Yeo explained that as land sand did not come from the coastline
of Indonesia, it was not possible for its export to change
Indonesia's borders.
On the Thai accusation of Singapore eavesdropping through its
ownership of Shin Corp, he replied that this was not only
economically unfeasible, it was also 'absurd for Temasek to sully
its reputation in this way'.
Another MP, Ms Lee Bee Wah (Ang Mo Kio GRC), put a practical twist
to the whole issue.
She noted that the Thais had wanted to suspend some
government-to-goverment programmes. How much did Singapore spend on
such programmes?
And if the Thais did not want them, 'why don't we spend the money
on lift-upgrading in Nee Soon South?' she asked.
GOODWILL
Mr Yeo said with a laugh: 'While I am all for giving sufficient
funds to the lift-upgrading programme, it is important for us to be
very rational in our response.'
He also added that when considering such bilateral programmes, it
was not just about dollars and cents but the effort needed and the
goodwill generated.
Thailand was going through a 'rough patch' now, he said, adding
that he hoped that the country would return to constitutional law
soon.
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Minister: Property price rise 'exaggerated'
PROPERTY prices have gone up but there is no bubble, said National
Development Minister Mah Bow Tan.
Reports of a 25 per cent rise in top-end property prices were
'exaggerated,' he said, and released data to show that prices had
risen by an average of 10 per cent last year.
Public housing, he said, had risen by about 2 per cent.
He was replying to a question from MP Alvin Yeo (Hong Kah GRC)
about a 'steep run up in prices for super luxury residential
property projects'.
The minister also addressed a concern about flipping or speculative
activity.
In the last quarter of last year, he revealed, there were 426
sub-sales, which refer to transactions in which property is sold
before it had been completed.
This number accounted for a mere 5.4 per cent of all
transactions.
