Respect thy neighbor (II)
Respect thy neighbor (II)
Despite the success the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) has achieved in boosting cooperation and confidence among
its members, there will always be discord between member
countries which, at times, may put extra strain on the relations
between the countries concerned. This is natural, as it is part
of the dynamism of how friendship and solidarity are molded.
As in the case of the recent barbed exchanges between Malaysia
and Singapore, following Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir
Mohamad's accusation that the Singaporeans had spread negative
rumors regarding his health and Malaysia's economy because of
business competition between the two countries.
"From Singapore, you get three rumors a day. And Malaysians
acted in full faith on those rumors, but if the Malaysian prime
minister told them the truth, they would say he is lying,"
Mahathir reportedly said.
Understandably, Mahathir's remarks enraged the Singaporeans
who feel they are being made the scapegoat for Malaysia's
financial crisis. Singaporeans' outrage, despite calls for calm
from both Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Home Affairs
Minister Wong Kan Seng, was reflected in the city state's
newspapers.
A love-hate relationship between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore
occasionally surfaces because the two countries are
geographically very close -- with Singapore lying on the southern
tip of the Malay peninsula and formerly part of the Malaysian
federation -- so that any careless remarks by leaders of the two
countries could end up being a bone of contention.
Only eight months ago, Singapore's senior Minister Lee Kuan
Yew had to apologize to the Malaysian government and people for a
slip of the tongue when he referred to Malaysia's state of Johor
as a notorious place. The apology was accepted and no harm was
done to the countries' relationship.
History has shown that Singapore and Malaysia always
complement, if not rely greatly on, each other. While Malaysia
requires Singapore to be its gateway for some of its export
commodities and access to foreign lenders, Singapore also needs
an abundant supply of drinking water from Johor, just to mention
a few examples.
All in all, we believe that the diplomatic spat between the
two countries will subside in no time. Even the longest day comes
to an end. Besides, Malaysian Foreign Minister Abdullah Badawi
responded positively Tuesday to the Singaporean leaders' appeal,
saying that both countries should continue to cooperate and that
the two cannot be separated easily.
"Malaysia and Singapore are old friends, but sometimes we
forget and do careless things," Abdullah said, stressing that the
best choice for both governments is to work together and that
economic relations between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore are still
strong and stable.
Although it is common for neighboring countries to experience
occasional discord, the recent spat between the two ASEAN members
shows us that more dialogs have to be undertaken and deeper
understanding should be demonstrated by each member of the
regional grouping if it wishes to see cooperation among member
countries greatly improved and their solidarity enhanced.