Singapore-Malaysia Relations at Risk

December 12, 2010

Singapore-Malaysia Relations: Najib’s Move for Better Relations could be in jeopardy

Comment: It will be interesting to see how Singaporean diplomats can diffuse this situation. One would have thought the Najib-Lee diplomacy had put an end to the sour relations that existed between the two countries in the past.

As someone who has consistently supported better relations between Malaysia and Singapore and regards himself as a friend of Singapore, I am disappointed  to note that  the attitude of  officials in Singapore has remained contemptuous of Malaysia. Old habits of mind are certainly difficult to change. I would have thought our two countries  could move forward on the basis of mutual respect and interests with the warming of relations between the two Prime Ministers.

Now, we are made aware via leaked  US State Department cables  of  these comments by senior officials in the Republic. It is abnormal to call the Malaysian Prime Minister, Najib Tun Razak, who went out of his way at the risk of incurring the ire of hardliners in his own party, UMNO, to mend relations “an opportunist”.

I am particularly surprised because I would expect that Ambassador at Large Tommy Koh who I regard as one of the Republic’s most outstanding diplomats, Civil Service Head Peter Ho, and Singapore Foreign Ministry’s Bilahari Kausikan to be more discreet and nuanced, even to US officials.

Having said that, I note that these comments were made in 2008 and 2009. But the question to ask is whether their views of Malaysia have changed in 2010 and moving forward. So some official explanation is required.–Din Merican

The Malaysian Insider reports:

Malaysia’s improved ties with Singapore could be in jeopardy after the republic’s senior government officials reportedly said “Malaysia’s decline” is fueled by incompetent politicians.

These officials were also less than complimentary about Malaysia’s prime ministers, past and present, with one of them calling Datuk Seri Najib Razak “an opportunist”.

Their comments were contained in leaked US State Department cables and are likely to put pressure on the roller coaster relations which both countries have had over decades.

The cables, obtained by WikiLeaks and published in The Sunday Age, disclose discussions between senior US officials and their Singapore counterparts Peter Ho, Bilahari Kausikan and Tommy Koh.

All three Singaporeans gave damning assessments of Malaysia. The discussions between the Singaporean and US officials took place in 2008 and 2009.

In September 2008, Kausikan, a senior foreign affairs official, told the US Deputy Secretary of Defense for East Asia David Sedney that the “situation in neighbouring Malaysia is confused and dangerous”, fueled by “a distinct possibility of racial conflict” that could see ethnic Chinese “flee” Malaysia and “overwhelm” Singapore.

“A lack of competent leadership is a real problem for Malaysia,” said Kausikan, citing the need for Datuk Seri Najib Razak to prevail politically in order to avoid prosecution in connection with the murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu.

“Najib has his neck on the line in connection with a high-profile murder case,” noted Kausikan.

A few months earlier, Peter Ho told another US official: “The political knives will be out for Abdullah (Ahmad Badawi’s) son-in-law, Khairy Jamaluddin, whom nobody likes because he got where he is through family ties…”

Khairy is now the UMNO Youth chief but has not been given an administrative post in Najib’s government despite being seen as one of the shrewder politicians in the country.

“As for Najib Razak, he is an opportunist. Although he has not been critical of Singapore, he will not hesitate to go in that direction if it is expedient for him to do so. Najib’s political fortunes continue to be haunted by the murder scandal,” Ho had reportedly said.

The leaked cables will give ammunition to hawks in the Malaysian government and UMNO who believe that it is unproductive to have good relations with Singapore, whom they describe as calculative and condescending.

The Najib administration has attempted to keep the relationship on an even keel and even untangled a long-standing dispute over Malaysian-owned railway land in the republic.

This breakthrough was made despite opposition by some quarters in the ruling party. Both governments have agreed to set up a joint-venture company by December 31 to develop land parcels swapped for the prized railway land that cuts through the island state.