S'pore-Malaysia debate becomes election issue<\/p>\n
By Ajoy Sen<\/p>\n
SINGAPORE (Reuter): Malaysia and neighboring Singapore seem to
\nbe stoking a row over possible reunification as an issue in
\nelections both face, political analysts and economists say.<\/p>\n
They said while reunification was only a remote possibility,
\nthe debate could lead to a more formal relationship between the
\ntwo members of ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
\nwhich groups them with Brunei, Indonesia, the Philippines,
\nThailand and Vietnam.<\/p>\n
\"Singapore, and particularly Prime Minister Goh (Chok Tong),
\nbrought about the subject in the hope of using it as an election
\nissue,\" said Bruce Gale, Regional Manager, Political and Economic
\nRisk Consultancy Ltd, Singapore.<\/p>\n
But Goh has said the issues were more mundane such as the cost
\nof living, health care, car prices and the upgrading of housing.<\/p>\n
Singapore must hold a general election by April. Malaysia's
\nruling United Malays National Organization (UMNO) party faces
\ninternal elections this year, important because its leaders run
\nthe government.<\/p>\n
Gale said Malaysia's sharp responses on the issue at least
\npartly reflected the fact that UMNO was also facing an election.<\/p>\n
\"I think the present constraint in relations between the two
\ncountries is a passing phase,\" said one economist at a local
\nsecurities house who did not want to be named.<\/p>\n
\"This is all because ruling parties in both the countries are
\nfacing elections and it is always convenient to use an external
\nsource as a reference point,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The row began in July when Singapore patriarch Lee Kuan Yew
\nraised the possibility of eventual reunification if Malaysia
\ncommitted itself to meritocracy. Malaysia has a policy of giving
\nadvantages to indigenous Malays, who it says need to catch up
\neconomically with ethnic Chinese.<\/p>\n
That was precisely the issue that caused the split in 1965
\nbetween ethnic Chinese-majority Singapore and Kuala Lumpur after
\ntwo years together in the Malaysian Federation.<\/p>\n
Goh added fuel to Malaysian ire when he raised the subject in
\nAugust, saying Singapore could be forced to ask Malaysia to take
\nit back, on Malaysian terms, if the republic's economic
\ncompetitiveness faltered.<\/p>\n
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said Singapore
\nleaders were using Kuala Lumpur as a \"bogeyman\" in an election
\ncampaign effectively under way, a charge Goh denied.<\/p>\n
Singapore's Straits Times quoted him as telling reporters he
\nwas not trying to scare anyone. \"If we have to use Malaysia to
\ncampaign as a bogeyman, that will have no effect,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Gale said the incident \"demonstrates once again the way in
\nwhich the Singapore government has underestimated how citizens of
\na foreign country can push their government to protest to an
\naction by Singapore,\" referring to a diplomatic row that erupted
\nlast year between Manila and Singapore.<\/p>\n
The hanging of Filipina maid Flor Contemplacion in March 1995
\nfor double murder triggered protests in the Philippines, where
\nmany people believed she was innocent. Hundreds of Singaporean
\nflags were torched as a result.<\/p>\n
The furore nearly caused a rupture between the Philippines and
\nSingapore. Normal ties were only restored in January.<\/p>\n
Analysts said a remerger was extremely unlikely as neither
\nside could ever be comfortable with the other, a view reflected
\nin the letter pages of The Straits Times.<\/p>\n
\"Let us not put the cart before the horse,\" wrote one reader,
\nS.K. Chakravarti. \"Singapore is an independent sovereign nation
\nand will remain as such forever.\"<\/p>\n
\"The debate, however, highlights a larger issue of Singapore's
\nsearch for a viable economic role in the future,\" said Mukul
\nAsher, associate professor of economics and public policy at the
\nNational University of Singapore.<\/p>\n
\"This is because Malaysia and other ASEAN countries have
\nnarrowed the gap, particularly in physical and financial
\ninfrastructure and in trade logistics. Also, Singapore's internal
\nresource and demographic constraints on its future growth have
\nbecome much clearer,\" Asher said.<\/p>\n
\"Increased competition implied by the narrowing of the gap and
\nthe need to move to the next stage of development by the ASEAN
\ncountries will also have implications for the form and the
\nstructure of ASEAN itself,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"ASEAN may need to consider more formal and rule-based
\ncooperation in the future,\" Asher added.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/spore-malaysia-debate-becomes-election-issue-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}