Does KL need to listen to MM Lee?

The Straits Times, July 12, 2007
By Zhen Zi Quan


This commentary is translated from Chinese. The original appeared in Malaysia's China Press.


DO WE need Singapore's Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's voice in the Iskandar Development Region (IDR)?

Do his remarks constitute sound advice? Perceptions differ from person to person.

MM Lee has told potential IDR investors from Singapore the truth, which naturally does not appeal to the Malaysian government.

Although Malaysia is still uncouth in its response, it is much better this time compared with its outburst in the past.

Judging from this, it is clear that its skills in dealing with bilateral issues have improved.

Officials on both sides are trained under different political ideologies. Faced with bilateral issues, Singapore is stable like a rock, while Malaysia seems like scattered sand.

Once upset, we fall into the trap and become enraged. As a result, we achieve nothing.

Malaysia and Singapore are neither friends nor foes, yet they share a relationship like that between friends and foes.

A host of bilateral issues is outstanding. Now, with the emergence of the economic zone, politicians on both sides must neither be too soft nor too strong with their words.

If they come across as too soft, they will lose their stand; if they appear too strong, they will upset everybody.

It is impossible for Johor Baru to be another Shenzhen. Where Shenzhen is concerned, Beijing's words count but, in the IDR's case, it is the opposite.

The IDR appears to be an 'emperor', but it is actually a 'beggar' in an emperor's robe given by the government.

What an emperor and a beggar have in common is that they both live on offerings from others.

The IDR at this juncture is striving hard to attract investments.

Since it is far from being a golden economic zone, it has to beg and beg.

It cannot ignore politics and focus on business. It has to take into account political dignity as well as face-saving measures in business, and is burdened by political baggage along the way.

Backed by strong investment teams, wealthy Singapore invariably drives a hard bargain and poses more problems than other potential investors.

Our biggest problem is that we do not have a good team of negotiators to take them on. The slew of outstanding bilateral issues is a reflection of this.

The leadership changes in both countries prove that people come and go and the situation changes.

Although the leaders of the negotiation teams of the past generation have stepped out of their roles, their voices can still be heard.

People are utterly at a loss as to who is running the show.

Bilateral issues can be resolved a little at a time, but not the IDR.

Yet, the tardiness and suspicions that dog bilateral talks have cropped up in the current negotiations on the IDR.

If the Malaysian government takes this opportunity to groom the next generation of negotiators to learn the political language of the other party and understand MM Lee's remarks, it will contribute to the success of the IDR and bilateral talks.

We have to adjust our mindset to be more flexible; being softer is not equivalent to being weak.

So my question is: Do we need to listen carefully to MM Lee's remarks? In the latest exchange between the two sides, I am on MM Lee's side.