Badawi's visit to S'pore spurs hopes for resolving squabbles
Badawi's visit to S'pore spurs hopes for resolving squabbles
Associated Press, Kuala Lumpur
Malaysian leader Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's first visit to Singapore
since becoming prime minister might brighten prospects for
settling stubborn disputes that have blemished the two countries'
relations, officials said.
Badawi said he would discuss how to heal the rifts with his
Singaporean counterpart, Goh Chok Tong, during a five-hour visit
to the city-state on Monday. The Malaysian leader is making a
series of trips to Southeast Asian countries this month.
"For neighbors, we have too many disturbing issues," Badawi
said in an interview published on Sunday in Singapore's Straits
Times newspaper. "If it cannot be managed properly, it
potentially can create tension."
"A new leader, a new style gives us an opportunity to try and
establish a new relationship," Goh said on Sunday.
Malaysia and Singapore have bickered for years over a wide
range of disputes, including territorial claims, the price of
water that Malaysia supplies to Singapore and the use of military
airspace.
Pundits are watching Badawi -- who is considered less
confrontational than his predecessor, veteran leader Mahathir
Mohamad, who retired in October -- for signs of a new approach to
Malaysia's relations with Singapore.
Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar expressed hopes
that ties will improve if both sides focus on a "mutuality of
benefits" that could outweigh their disagreements, Malaysia's
Sunday Star newspaper reported.
"Both prime ministers are friendly with each other," Syed
Hamid said, stressing that internationally, Abdullah was widely
considered to be a champion of "transparent and value-emphasized
policies."
Malaysian officials have said no formal agenda is being set
for Badawi's meeting with Goh, and all topics would be open for
discussion.
Goh appeared to downplay any expectations that Badawi's visit
would result in any breakthroughs.
"To be fair, I don't think we'll be discussing the details of
any issue. It's basically a courtesy visit," he said.
Mushahid Ali, a senior fellow with Singapore's Institute of
Defense and Strategic Studies, said both leaders would probably
try to "strike the right note and produce good vibes" during
their talks, but resolving the bilateral disputes would take more
time.
Nevertheless, Badawi and Goh could engineer "quite an
achievement" if they agree to resume stalled negotiations on a
package of outstanding bilateral issues, Mushahid said.
Despite their spats, Malaysia and Singapore have decades of
close economic and cultural ties. The two former British colonies
were united in 1963 but split amid bitter political discord two
years later.