Singapore-Malaysian relations

Singapore-Malaysian relations
1 Feb 2006

THE PEOPLE'S ACTION PARTY created Singapore out of its image, the
work of its long-term leader, Mr Lee Kuan Yew. It dismantled the
British superstructure in the island colony and put in its place the
sinews of a modern administrative state. But in doing so, it created
a whole colony of beavers, who worked hard, kept their thoughts to
themselves, and did what they were asked to do. Those who did not
follow the general trend were severely dealt with, and that
included recalcitrant journalists and overseas magazines, The
officials assumed a persona of their own, believed they could do no
wrong, and looked down upon the people they negotiated with, if they
were Malaysians, and got the edge over them by slick public
relations. The general feeling in Singapore is that the country
across the causeway is their's for the kicking. The one time they
clashed over water, in which Singapore assumed it was theirs and did
Malaysia a favour by giving it treated water, it took Mr Lee Kuan Yew
to see his counterpart, Tun Mahathir Mohamed, in 1986, and gave the
Malaysians the upper hand in relations with the island republic.

Singapore thinks it is a Chinese island surrounded by a hostile
Islamic sea, and first patterned itself to Israel in the Middle East,
and then a United States outpost in the region. It remained afraid of
Malaysia, and became globalisation's South-East Asian centre. It
ignored its traditional entrepot trade with its neighbours, Malaysia
and Indonesia, and thought it had a march on its neighbours by being
as Western as possible. Mr Lee had a plan, and has faithfully
followed it, but he has created a capitalist soceity with a communist
heart. The people who carried this out kept their mouths shut and
made themselves rich and western. The second generation of civil
servants knew the value of keeping their mouths shut, and doing what
they are told. It brought in the US armed forces into the island
republic so that it assumed a Malaysian attack on the island republic
would be an attack on the United States. But it could also be the
other way. In any case, if the past is any guide, it would harm
Singapore more than Malaysia. The US leaning towards Pakistan has
not prevented India from attacking it.

When Malaysian teachers and people in the education ministry had
their retreat in Teluk Kemang (Port Dickson), they invited their
Singapore counterparts, who kept mum throughout the retreat. A
spokesman for the Singaporeans had to explain why they kept quiet.
They keep their thoughts to themselves for even the walls have ears.
They did what they were told. Nothing more nothing less. And they
envied their Malaysian colleagues who criticised what needs to, even
the most junior! A Malaysian working for a multinational company is
posted to its Singapore office. He suggested a course of action
against Malaysia, which he later found was much lower than the
Malaysians were prepared to pay. But the Singapore head of the office
did not want to do anything that will make him a sore thumb. So he
took safe decisions, he and his officers did not think, so the
current phrase goes, out of the box.

It will grow worse with time. But the comforting fact for them is
that Mr Lee, 82, is around now. He is the only person left who was
elected to the legislative assembly and the PAP, with him as prime
minister, came to power. He is now minister mentor, two steps higher
than the prime minister. He promises to stay on in the legislative
assembly for five more years. But time is a great leveller, and he
would possibly not be around in his nineties. That is when Singapore
will falll apart. The new leaders, in the modern Singapore mould, and
its thinkers will fall apart. Singapore knows this, and has cranked
its public relations machine to show the world it does not need
Johore's water. It has expensive desalination plants planned. It
converts sewage into drinkingable water, calling it Newater. It hopes
to get water from the outer islands, including Indonesia's Batam. It
gives the impression that it sells Johore its own water, after
treatment, though that is in the contract, which expires in 2061, is
not mentioned. Malaysia insisted that the agreement calls for giving
the Singaporean drinking water, but not to make money of it by
selling water at higher prices to commercial organisations.

Rightly, Malaysia insisted on a share of that profits. Another public
relations barrage attacked Malaysia for asking a share of the
profits. But Singapore is on the defensive. It knows it cannot look
Malaysia in the eye. There is talk of invading Malaysia. The crooked
bridge is not as fanciful or odd as it seems. This would prevent a
Singapore army from ever invading Malaysia. They do not have the
ingenuity of the Japanese army, who finding the Australian sappers
had bombed the causeway, crossed into the island from Johore Bahru by
cross the channel on bicycles with propellers. The British were sure
the Japanese would attack the island in conventional ways, had all
its heavy guns trained outside, when the Japanese army caught them
unawares from behind.

The second link is away from Johore Bahru, between Jurong and Gelang
Patah, but its army would have to fight on touching Malaysian
territory. But the Singapore army cannot fight, like the Americans,
and depend on modern warfare, which has no relevance in Malaysia. In
the year 2061, the water agreements expire, and would have to be
renogiated. But Johore, and Malaysia, may not want to extend the
agreement. If it wants the water agreement extended, Malaysia would
probably ask Singapore to be part of Johore, a much smaller entity
than Singapore was when it was in Malaysia. Sixty years is a long
time in politics. But for Malaysia, intensely political, it is a
short time indeed. It may not happen as predicted, of course, but it
may!

M.G.G. Pillai
pillai@streamyx.com