M'sia may let S'pore use air space
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DAILY EXPRESS NEWS
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M'sia may let S'pore use air space
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia and Singapore agreed on Monday to work on resolving long-standing disputes in what could be a milestone in relations between the two quarrelsome Southeast Asian neighbours.
Singapore Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi made the announcement after talks in Malaysia's new administrative capital, marking the first top-level initiative to improve relations since 2000.
Goh said Malaysia might offer to allow tiny Singapore's air force to use Malaysian airspace for training and, in return, Singapore would release Malaysians' retirement funds locked within the city-state and also consider the joint development of disused Malaysian-owned railway land in Singapore.
Singapore's Central Provident Fund (CPF) is estimated to hold around 2.26 billion ringgit ($595 million) worth of Malaysian retirement savings.
Many Malaysians work in Singapore, drawn by the dynamic economy of a nation whose population is one-sixth the size of their own. But those who leave Singapore before retirement cannot take their retirement savings when they leave, although workers from other countries may do so.
"The prime minister has suggested he will consider allowing RSAF aircraft to use Malaysian air space for training," Goh told a joint press conference.
"On a reciprocal basis, I have said if that could be done I would have no hesitation in releasing the CPF funds of Malaysians and considering the joint development of additional pieces of railway land in Singapore."
Goh added, "It was a candid discussion and we were able to enjoy that because of our personal relationship and our desire for better relations between both sides."
Bilateral relations have been complicated since Singapore and Malaysia formally separated in 1965. But ties have been on the mend since former foreign minister Abdullah took power in October last year, ushering in a more consensus-driven approach.
Monday's proposal does not seek to solve the biggest bilateral dispute, the price of the water Malaysia supplies to land-strapped Singapore, but the two sides agreed to ask their ministers and senior officials to draft proposals to tackle it.
"It's very important," said political scientist Professor P. Ramasamy of the National University of Malaysia.
Abdullah has taken the sting out of relations, which had been held back by political point-scoring between his predecessor, Mahathir Mohamad, and former Singapore premier Lee Kuan Yew, Ramasamy said. "It puts behind them some of the problems that affected the relationship for some years," he said.
In another sign of warming ties, foreign ministry officials from both sides have resumed a tradition of playing a golf tournament each year. The two sides teed off at the weekend for the first time since 2001 in a game involving foreign ministers.
Other outstanding bilateral issues include land reclamation near the narrow Johor Strait that runs between Malaysia and Singapore and a dispute over a new bridge.
"We do not have definite positions in terms of details, and the agreement we have together is we must move forward," Abdullah said.
"We have decided two months from now we will have detailed responses to the matters we are going to look into now.
"The discussion certainly has been successful from the point of view that we are moving forward and not allowing it to stall."
In another first, Goh said Abdullah had given him a plan and an artist's impression of a bridge Malaysia would like to build over the strait between the two nations.
Malaysia wants the bridge to replace the existing causeway connection, arguing that it is a bottleneck for growing road traffic and that a bridge would allow small ships to pass through.
Goh said the plan had some "disadvantages" and that he would study the proposal before discussing them in detail.
Goh and Abdullah would drive negotiations forward, intervening when issues could not be resolved at ministerial level, Goh said. -
Easier for us to get to South China Sea for training
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Originally posted by Old Bird:
Its a east malaysian newspaper.
[b]DAILY EXPRESS NEWS
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M'sia may let S'pore use air space
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia and Singapore agreed on Monday to work on resolving long-standing disputes in what could be a milestone in relations between the two quarrelsome Southeast Asian neighbours.
Singapore Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi made the announcement after talks in Malaysia's new administrative capital, marking the first top-level initiative to improve relations since 2000.
Goh said Malaysia might offer to allow tiny Singapore's air force to use Malaysian airspace for training and, in return, Singapore would release Malaysians' retirement funds locked within the city-state and also consider the joint development of disused Malaysian-owned railway land in Singapore.
[/b]
Anyway. Tiny is never a word used to describe RSAF.
According to my undisclosed sources, Singapore has much more combat aircraft in comparison to Malaysia + Thailand + Indonesia and Brunei added up.. -
I think they are saying that Singapore is tiny, not RSAF?
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Have to agree, singapore is seriously tiny.
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Yes, you are correct, they are referring to Singapore's geographical size, not the size of it's air force.Originally posted by SingaporeTyrannosaur:I think they are saying that Singapore is tiny, not RSAF?Originally posted by SibeiSuayKia:
Just a note, we read Defending the Lion City too!
According to my undisclosed sources, Singapore has much more combat aircraft in comparison to Malaysia + Thailand + Indonesia and Brunei added up.. -
yah, tiny Sg RSAF, not Sg's tiny RSAFOriginally posted by SingaporeTyrannosaur:I think they are saying that Singapore is tiny, not RSAF? -
Just a note, you don't know that my lao pei works @ some undisclosed place!Originally posted by aerozapper:Just a note, we read Defending the Lion City too!
HaHahaHa...
Even those pple who would check my background for NS...
also will smile smile and give me "face" der...
Haiz. Im not capable as my dad though =( -
I think this is very good progress for both countries. We can make effective use of the railway land especially in land scarce Singapore. I am glad to know that the highly confrontational Dr M is out of govt. This will benefit us common people in both countries.
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yah, now they going to start clearing up the mess Dr M started yrs ago. i am optimistic abt it...Originally posted by tankee1981:I think this is very good progress for both countries. We can make effective use of the railway land especially in land scarce Singapore. I am glad to know that the highly confrontational Dr M is out of govt. This will benefit us common people in both countries. -
Good that we can have a fresh start
