Malaysia, Singapore should end discord

Malaysia, Singapore should end discord

Malaysia's Acting Foreign Minister, Abang Abu Bakar Mustapha,
has denied his government is to freeze bilateral relations with
Singapore. He conceded that Malaysian-Singaporean relations were
discussed in a cabinet meeting Wednesday, but said the outcome
was not as reported by the media.

We take a breath of relief on reading the official statement
issued by the government of Malaysia, with whom we not only have
good neighborly relations, but are also cooperating in the
context of ASEAN. We can understand that the air has not yet been
entirely cleared and that some implications remain. But, in spite
of this, the latitude for preventing the situation from
deteriorating further and to gradually restore normal bilateral
relations seems to remain widely open and will stay that way.

The problem is actually one between the former Singaporean
Prime Minister (Lee Kuan Yew) and his compatriot, the opposition
leader Tan Lian Hong, who is being charged with slander. In a
testimony in court, Lee made remarks about the Malaysian state of
Johor, where his political adversary is at the moment staying.
The Malaysians considered his remarks derogatory.

The point we would like to underscore is that history and
proximity have ordained that relations between Malaysia and
Singapore cannot be just normal relations such as those that
exist between most other countries. They are much more closely
intertwined.

It is possible that the situation will be more damaging to
Singapore if the present incident develops further and gets out
of hand. Malaysia, however, will also be in a difficult
situation.

The best thing to do, therefore, is to contain the incident --
and it is probably in this direction that the two countries will
be moving. Lee Kuan Yew's apology can become the starting point
for restoring relations, although this may take time. At the same
time it is to be hoped that other leaders in Singapore can follow
in the same spirit.

It is fortunate that there is cooperation within ASEAN.

--Kompas, Jakarta