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
SingaporeÂ’s Minister Mentor is at it again. Last week, Lee Kuan Yew reminded his people of the island stateÂ’s vulnerable position given the hostile elements within Malaysia and Indonesia. That he did so through Berita Harian, SingaporeÂ’s sole Malay daily, was telling.
Still, LeeÂ’s 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 PeopleÂ’s Action Party governmentÂ’s 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 AseanÂ’s 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 Malaysia’s 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 SingaporeÂ’s position as a middle power in the strategically vital Southeast Asia.
Malaysia closed its air space to SingaporeÂ’s 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, JakartaÂ’s 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 criticsÂ’ 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 world’s 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, LeeÂ’s frustrations are only understandable. As he ages, Lee is also showing exasperations and strains that do not befit a statesman.
But again, didnÂ’t 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 MalaysiaÂ’s domestic consumption?