MAY 20 — More than a week after GE 14 the world is still gaping and gasping at events in Malaysia.
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s return to the office of Malaysian prime minister came as a shock even for seasoned Malaysia observers and, I suspect, even for many of Tun M’s own supporters.
Was one of the many actors, parties and forces that have been caught off guard by developments the Singapore government? Perhaps, even their usually thorough contingency planning didn’t cover the possibility of an outright Pakatan Harapan victory in much detail.
However, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was swift to offer his congratulations to his new (old?) counterpart whom he met with yesterday in Kuala Lumpur.
PM Lee is among the first world leaders to have talks with Dr M. Yes, PM Lee met PM M who was the counterpart (rival? bête noire? nemesis?) of PM Lee senior. It’s like something from Star Wars.
Of course both are representatives of the old guard of South-east Asian politics but somehow 92-year-old Dr M is a symbol of new hope.
Does he represent the rebellion or the Empire striking back? He seems to be some kind of Jedi.
But in all seriousness this strange encounter is an important event. There is no relationship more important to Singapore than its relationship with Malaysia.
In simple terms, bilateral trade stands at S$100 billion (RM295 billion). My parents recall a time when we were one country, our linkages are much deeper than the crowded causeway.
How the two governments interact will impact the lives of millions of Singaporeans and Malaysians.
The last time PM Mahathir was dealing with a PM Lee, relations were frosty at best — but a return to the rivalry of the 90s is unlikely.
The world has changed, our economies have changed. As great powers and their ambitions swirl around us, I think it’s clear to the leadership on both sides that the interests of both Singapore and Malaysia are best served by co-operation.
However, beyond the broad platitudes about mutual development, a level of personal trust and chemistry between the two leaders is needed if ties are to really flourish.
Will they throw their weight behind the KL-SG high speed rail link or will we now see re-negotiations or worse a cancellation? Will we see a Johor Bahru-Singapore MRT link or will Malaysia shift its focus away from Iskandar to other cities? What about the debate over who owns the island Pedra Banca?
Of course, none of these issues will be resolved this weekend but what we can hope to ascertain is a broad direction. The tone and body language of the two leaders should give us some hint as to whether we are going to see accelerated co-operation or painful stagnation.
While Lee Kuan Yew and Dr M seemed to eventually reach a point of grudging respect for one another, Mahathir and Lee Hsien Loong will need to develop a truly positive relationship if we are going to unlock the potential Singapore-Malaysia relations and deliver opportunities on both sides of the causeway.
* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.
