Singapore wants good ties with Malaysia, Indonesia: Jayakumar

Singapore wants good ties with Malaysia, Indonesia: Jayakumar

Reuters, Singapore

Singapore wants to maintain good ties with Malaysia and Indonesia
despite recent diplomatic hiccups, and will encourage the United
States to stay in the region, Foreign Affairs Minister S.
Jayakumar said on Sunday.

"Singapore's future is inextricably tied to Southeast Asia.
Managing bilateral relations with our neighbors, especially
Malaysia and Indonesia, will remain a top priority," Jayakumar
said in a statement.

Relations between Singapore and neighbor Malaysia have been
prickly, with disputes ranging from land reclamation in recent
weeks, to water supplies and transport ties.

Singapore's Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew provoked criticism
from several Indonesian leaders and prompted angry protests
outside Singapore's embassy in Jakarta last month after he said
terrorists remained free in the sprawling archipelago.

"Occasional hiccups in our relations with our neighbors are
inevitable. But we will continue to take a broad and long term
perspective of these relations, and not be side-tracked by
differences over individual issues," Jayakumar said.

"We want stable and mutually-beneficial relations," said the
statement, released as an addendum to the president's speech at
the opening of a new session of parliament on Monday.

Singapore and Malaysia, two of the more stable nations in
volatile Southeast Asia, have arrested dozens of suspected
militants in a crackdown following the Sept. 11 attacks on the
United States.

Jayakumar said the city state, which is a regional logistics
base for the U.S. navy, will continue to play its part in
international anti-terror efforts.
Global efforts against terrorism have propelled the major powers
to emphasize common interests and have stabilized the United
States-China-Japan triangular relationship crucial to Southeast
Asia, Jayakumar said.

But China's growth presented uncertainties for the region.

"China's growth will change the balance of influence and power
in the region. Its integration into the international system will
require adjustments and accommodation," Jayakumar said. "We will
continue to engage the United States to ensure that it stays in
the region."

Singapore will also consolidate cross-regional links, its ties
with Europe, and remains firmly committed to the 10-member
Association of Southeast Asian Nations which "must reinvent
itself to keep pace with global changes", Jayakumar said.