Strong ties not built on dollars and cents, Anwar tells Singapore
KUALA LUMPUR — Singapore should not be “so businesslike” in its relationship with Malaysia, said Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The PKR president-elect, in an interview with Mr Yang Razali Kassim, a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, said to forge stronger ties, it should not just be about “dollars and cents, rule and order”.
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“For Singapore, the problem is, we in Malaysia take it like… how to say it… not so businesslike.”
He said Singapore should look at the “realities”, and the things that have kept the two neighbours close for so long.
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“I think realities are realities – the sociocultural fabric is something we (Malaysia) tend to be more relaxed about,” he said in the interview, part of an RSIS series on the 14th general election and its aftermath, that was uploaded on the university’s website on Thursday (Sept 13).
Mr Anwar said bilateral ties “will improve” after he takes over as prime minister from Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
It is widely accepted that Dr Mahathir will step down in two years, as per a leadership plan agreed to between Pakatan Harapan (PH) parties before GE14.
The return of Dr Mahathir as prime minister has, in Singapore’s view, “revived some old difficulties” between the countries.
Soon after PH’s unexpected election victory, Dr Mahathir announced his intention to scrap a high-speed rail (HSR) link between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore in an effort to reduce the country’s RM1 trillion debt.
The prime minister in June said he would seek to renegotiate a long-standing water supply agreement.
On August 13, he suggested that the price of water sold to Singapore be increased tenfold.
In response, Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said the city-state was not in talks with Malaysia to renegotiate the price. Singapore has stood firm that both countries have to adhere to the agreed terms relating to water prices.
Mr Anwar said things will improve, but “I think it is not just because of Dr Mahathir”.
“I think if you see the relationship (with Singapore) under (then) prime minister Najib (Razak) as good… it was not necessarily something positive, because some deals were suspect, dubious.”
This follows Economic Affairs Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali’s remarks last week, that elements of corruption had added to the prohibitive cost of HSR.
“They (Singapore) agreed to postpone the project until 2020, once we have resolved our economic problems,” he told the crowd at a PH ceramah.
Mr Anwar said during the Barisan Nasional administration, there were PH leaders who viewed some of the positions taken by Singapore, particularly those on politics, as “excessive”.
“But I think we have to move on. It is quite right for Dr Mahathir to raise those issues.
“What is important is to continue to engage, to try and resolve and move beyond these two issues. The bottom line is, we have to work together.
“The general thinking, the consensus, is to establish strong bonds, very close cooperation. Singapore is exceptional because of historical, economic, trade, cultural (factors).”
He added that he seeks similarly close relationships with Indonesia and Thailand.
“With Singapore, specifically, we would like to see more exchanges, some of the initial problems we have notwithstanding.
“Everything should be done to cement this relationship. Both countries will need each other.” THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT
https://www.todayonline.com/world/strong-ties-not-built-dollars-and-cents-anwar-tells-singapore
KUALA LUMPUR — Singapore should not be “so businesslike” in its relationship with Malaysia, said Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The PKR president-elect, in an interview with Mr Yang Razali Kassim, a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, said to forge stronger ties, it should not just be about “dollars and cents, rule and order”.
ADVERTISING
inRead invented by Teads
“For Singapore, the problem is, we in Malaysia take it like… how to say it… not so businesslike.”
He said Singapore should look at the “realities”, and the things that have kept the two neighbours close for so long.
Advertisement
“I think realities are realities – the sociocultural fabric is something we (Malaysia) tend to be more relaxed about,” he said in the interview, part of an RSIS series on the 14th general election and its aftermath, that was uploaded on the university’s website on Thursday (Sept 13).
Mr Anwar said bilateral ties “will improve” after he takes over as prime minister from Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
It is widely accepted that Dr Mahathir will step down in two years, as per a leadership plan agreed to between Pakatan Harapan (PH) parties before GE14.
The return of Dr Mahathir as prime minister has, in Singapore’s view, “revived some old difficulties” between the countries.
Soon after PH’s unexpected election victory, Dr Mahathir announced his intention to scrap a high-speed rail (HSR) link between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore in an effort to reduce the country’s RM1 trillion debt.
The prime minister in June said he would seek to renegotiate a long-standing water supply agreement.
On August 13, he suggested that the price of water sold to Singapore be increased tenfold.
In response, Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said the city-state was not in talks with Malaysia to renegotiate the price. Singapore has stood firm that both countries have to adhere to the agreed terms relating to water prices.
Mr Anwar said things will improve, but “I think it is not just because of Dr Mahathir”.
“I think if you see the relationship (with Singapore) under (then) prime minister Najib (Razak) as good… it was not necessarily something positive, because some deals were suspect, dubious.”
This follows Economic Affairs Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali’s remarks last week, that elements of corruption had added to the prohibitive cost of HSR.
“They (Singapore) agreed to postpone the project until 2020, once we have resolved our economic problems,” he told the crowd at a PH ceramah.
Mr Anwar said during the Barisan Nasional administration, there were PH leaders who viewed some of the positions taken by Singapore, particularly those on politics, as “excessive”.
“But I think we have to move on. It is quite right for Dr Mahathir to raise those issues.
“What is important is to continue to engage, to try and resolve and move beyond these two issues. The bottom line is, we have to work together.
“The general thinking, the consensus, is to establish strong bonds, very close cooperation. Singapore is exceptional because of historical, economic, trade, cultural (factors).”
He added that he seeks similarly close relationships with Indonesia and Thailand.
“With Singapore, specifically, we would like to see more exchanges, some of the initial problems we have notwithstanding.
“Everything should be done to cement this relationship. Both countries will need each other.” THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT
https://www.todayonline.com/world/strong-ties-not-built-dollars-and-cents-anwar-tells-singapore
