‘Despite improved ties, Malaysia, Singapore wary of each other’

Observers say traces of suspicion towards Singapore within Malaysia’s foreign policy and defence establishments continue to exist.

PETALING JAYA: Analysts have cautioned against extreme optimism in the close bilateral ties between Malaysia and Singapore due to their recent increased cooperation, saying deep suspicions still linger between the two neighbouring countries.

They say the upbeat official visit of Prime Minister Najib Razak to the island republic last week belied the fact that both sides were still wary of each other.

The South China Morning Post (SCMP) yesterday cited Shahriman Lockman, a senior analyst in foreign policy and security studies with the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS), as saying that Malaysia was still treading with caution.

“There is this sense that Malaysia needs to be extra careful and play its cards close to the chest when it deals with Singapore – that Singapore would swiftly capitalise on any mistake or hint of compromise,” he was quoted as saying.

“There continues to be traces of suspicion towards Singapore within Malaysia’s foreign policy and defence establishments, though considerably less so in recent years,” he added.

On Jan 16, Najib had said during the 8th Malaysia-Singapore Leaders’ Retreat with the republic’s prime minister Lee Hsien Loong that they did not want to return to “the era of confrontational diplomacy and barbed rhetoric” between the two countries.

“We believe that the position of the current (Malaysian) government is a position that will bring mutual benefit to both Singapore and Malaysia and we stand by our policy, by our agenda and by our ability to deliver real and tangible benefits to the peoples of Malaysia and Singapore,” he had said.

Among the tensions between the two neighbours is Malaysia’s move last year to file two applications at the International Court of Justice to challenge the court’s 2008 ruling awarding the tiny island of Pedra Branca to Singapore.

The SCMP report said the dispute was not publicly discussed by Najib and Lee at the summit.

It quoted Mustafa Izzuddin, a Singapore-based researcher on Southeast Asian diplomacy, as saying that Malaysia’s claim over the rock island known locally as Pulau Batu Puteh would likely be played up in the 14th general election (GE14).

He also said the main reason for the thaw in bilateral ties was the personal camaraderie between Najib and Lee.

He was quoted as saying that they had replaced confrontation with “cooperation at different levels of government and on a variety of issues including trade and investment, defence and security as well as cultural diplomacy.”

During Najib’s visit, the two leaders had also signed an agreement to build a 4km cross-border Rapid Transit System (RTS) link that would let commuters travel seamlessly between Johor Baru and Woodlands North.

They had also officially opened the Marina One and DUO projects in downtown Singapore, with a total value of S$11 billion (RM32.8 billion), jointly developed by the two country’s sovereign wealth funds Khazanah Holdings Bhd and Temasek Holdings.

Earlier in 2016, the two nations signed an agreement to build the 350km Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high-speed rail line. -FMT