June 29, 2011
KTMB LAND ISSUE: The final Train in to Tanjung Pagar
by Din Merican
In signing the Points of Agreement (POA) upon Malayan Railway (KTM) Land with Singapore upon Jun 27, 2011 Minister in the Prime Ministers Department, Nor Mohamed Yakcop said, Its the very happy day. Its the brand brand new commencement for us in team-work in attracting investment. Its excellent for both countries. We have been confident this is the brand brand new commencement for great team-work as great as plenty of investments. Certainly, not usually Iskandar will do great though the sum of Malaysia will do great since of confidence factor in attracting unfamiliar investment.
In reciprocation, Singapore Foreign Minister K Shanmugam said: It unequivocally takes the attribute to the different level. Its win-win.for both countries as great as promises much more. In which sense, in every sense, the ancestral moment.
As the prolonged time crony of Singapore who had the payoff of critical as great as working there in late 1980s, I join Malaysians as great as Singaporeans in ancillary as great as welcoming this enhancement in shared family in in between the dual countries upon the mutually fitting basis, the single which could be continuously strengthened in the future. But I am of the perspective which to sustain this certain momentum in shared relations, mild efforts as great as alternative confidence office building measures cannot be undertaken in an opaque manner. There is, therefore, the need for the supervision to keep Malaysians sensitive upon critical issues like the KTMB Land issue.
Murkiness, obfuscation as great as poser have unfortunately overshadowed the supposed win-win understa! nding in respect of the land swap understanding in Singapore involving KTMB (Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd), which was concluded to in in between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak ! as great as his Singapore counterpart, Lee Hsien Loong, in Kuala Lumpur May 24 as great as September 20, 2010.
Six rounds of talks have been hold in in between Heads of Foreign Ministries) of both countries, even if
the main negotiators have been the Khazanah National Bhd as great as Temasik Holdings, the respective governments investment arm.
To-date, no sum upon the decisive result of the understanding have been done open by possibly supervision even after the end of the sixth as great as final talks, which were hold in Singapore upon Dec 31 final year. Instead, out of the blue, The STAR journal ran the story upon Jun 9, 2011 underneath the caption Party plans upon track for final sight float to Tanjung Pagar. And upon Jun 14, 2011, The New Straits Times in the front page report pronounced Tickets snapped up for KTMBs final Tanjung Pagar service.Apparently, KTMB had not prolonged ago taken the little of the reporters upon the tour/special trip down to Tanjung Pagar (picture above right).
Historical Significane of Jun 30, 2011
It would crop up which KTMB as great as the little in the media tend to treat the pending closure of the nearly 100-year old Tanjung Pagar Station as great as the ancestral office building as something merely nostalgic. Seeking out as great as keeping the open sensitive regarding sum upon the result of the 6 rounds of executive talks by the dual countries or upon related issues of the railways make use of or the story ! seems in significant to them.
Singaporeans contingency have been in joviality over KTMBs thought of entertaining the history-deficient journalists, who do not seem to know which the republic could have taken for the float by Singapore over tens of billions of KTMB genuine estate in Singapore though adequ! ate comp ensation.
A rsther than perceptive part of of the public, the sure Karim Mahsood, upon Jun 13, 2011 wrote to The STAR newspaper, reminding readers which Jun 30, 2011, the date of the final sight to Tanjung Pagar is not the joyous affair, though the distressing episode in the story of KTMB in Singapore
Karim Mahsood attributed this growth to the series of unfortunate steps which were taken by the own leaders, which began in 1990 with the unilateral agreement in in between Malaysia as great as Singapore called the Points of Agreement (POA), as great as culminating in the 2010 understanding for KTMB to relocate the services from Tanjung Pagar to Woodlands upon Jun 30, 2011.
The Najib-Lee Hsien Loong Deal
Under the Najib-Lee Hsien Loong deal, the Singapore Government would vest four little land parcels in Marina South as great as dual parcels of land in Ophir-Rochor in MS Pte Ltd. (a joint-venture association set up by Khazanah National Bhd. as great as Temasik Holdings in the 60-40 % equity agreement respectively, for the growth of the pronounced 6 parcels when KTMB vacates the Tanjung Pagar Railway Station), in lieu of the three parcels of supposed POA land in Tanjung Pagar, Kranji as great as Woodlands as great as three pieces of land in Bukit Timah. The prolonged as great as reduced of the understanding is which KTMBs Tanjung Pagar Station will be closed upon or by Jul 1, 2011 as great as relocated ! to Woodl ands temporarily.
And upon Jun 26, 2011, there was nonetheless an additional bolt out of the blue: which Nor Mohamed Yakoop (and not Foreign Minister Anifah Aman) as great as Singapores Minister of Foreign Affairs as great as Law, K. Shanmugam, would signed the instrument containing sum of the implementation of the POA upon KTMB land in Singapore upon Jun 27. It was couched innocuously which Tanjung Pagar would be closed down upon Jul 1, 2011. ! Perhaps, both governments wish this useful event to pass off unnoticed.
Nor Mohamed as great as Shanmugam additionally reliable which Malaysia as great as Singapore have concluded to open the fast transformation system (RTS) link in in between the dual countries by 2018 and, secondly, which nonetheless an additional joint-venture association had been determined in addition to MS Pte Ltd great known as Iskandar JV Co. , hold 50-50 by Khazanah Bhd as great as Temasek Holdings to commence dual growth projects in Iskandar Malaysia involving 87 hectares of land.
Despite the above, the open in both countries, particularly in Malaysia, sojourn ignorant generally as to how the Najib-Hsien Loong understanding would minister to mutually fitting attribute in in between the dual countries in the future and, specifically, how the understanding would safeguard Malaysias inhabitant interest. Indeed, there have been wider domestic implications which the Government leaders contingency face.
The KTMB Land saga(and alternative properties in Singapore) does lift multiform important points:
a) The pierce by KTMB to Woodlands will signal the commencement of the send to
Singapore, not usually the ancestral railway station office building in Tanjung Pagar, though addit! ionally the little 175.7 hectares of KTMB land, in sell for corner growth of 6 parcels of land in Marina South as great as Ophir-Rocher whose sum worth is additionally not great known to the public. ASIAWEEK magazine in the March 31, 1995 issue estimated the 32 hectares of budding skill of Tanjung Pagar alone to be worth USD 2 billion, creation KTMB the republics second-biggest land owner after the local government.
b) When KTMB vacates Tanjung Pagar Railway Station to tumpang during Singapore CIQ office building in Woodlands by Jul 1, 2011, it would essentially mean which al! l KTM la nd in the Island nation, south of Woodlands, will revert to Singapore. This Malaysian genuine estate in Singapore the little 175.7 hectares in all will be left perpetually though competent remuneration to Malaysia. Again based upon ASIAWEEKs guess in 1995 of the 32 hectares of Tanjung Pagar property, KTMBs complete 175.7 hectares of genuine estate in the island Republic could today simply be worth in in between USD 0.25 to USD 0.5 trillion.
c) The Woodlands checkpoint is not the railway station in the normal clarity though the Customs, Immigration as great as Quarantine (CIQ) checkpoint belonging to Singapore. It is in truth formidable to suppose how KTMB can effectively make use of the Woodlands checkpoint as the brand brand new terminal in Singapore. It does demeanour like KTMB will be constrained to retreat further north to Johar Bahru, sooner rsther than than later. When which happens, the stately chapter in the story of KTMB operations to as great as from Singapore would be forced in to an early closure.
d) The 1990 POA was Lee Kuan Yews vital pierce to subtly di! g the KT MB Railway line which literally divides the Island State in to dual halves from North to South. Therefore, the pierce by KTMB from Tangung Pagar to Woodlands is additionally the commencement of the accomplishment of Lee Kuan Yews mental condition since 1990.
e) The injection of the supposed growth charges by the Prime Minister of Singapore during the eleventh hour in to the negotiations in Kuala Lumpur is seen as the single done in bad faith. As the make the difference of fact, Singapores insistence which Khazanah will have to pay sure growth charges might mean which in being Singapore would get KTMBs complete 175.7 hectares in Singapore as great as Khazanahs investment in joint! develop ment projects in Singapore scot-free.
f) And, in the meantime, the brawl over the supposed growth charges has still not been resolved. There is comprehensive overpower over the standing of the matter, which both countries concluded in Kuala Lumpur in 2010 to be brought up to the Permanent Court of Arbitration.
g) No reduction critical have been genuine concerns here which not usually will KTMB remove 175.7 hectares of the land as great as even Khazanahs investments in Singapore but, some-more importantly, which Malaysia, as the whole, over the longer haul, would effectively remove carry out of large chucks of Johor as great as even land as distant as Malacca to Singapore by the Iskandar- Malaysia ventures as great as alternative similar plans.
How the little Singaporeans demeanour during the Najib-Hsien Loong Deal? Many Singaporeans who have been friends of Malaysia have been undetermined because the Malaysian negotiators concluded to such the understanding in the initial place? They ask what probable quid pro quo benefits Malaysia could have. Surely, they contend Malaysia does not need the money. Is progressing KTMBs assets in Singapore the weight to Malaysia? If this is not the case, then Malaysia has the top hand. So,! what as great as because the rush as great as because the bending-backwards? Why so eager to close the deal? Worse still, friendly Singaporeans ask because so cheap?
Many Singaporeans hold Malaysia is incompetent and, as the result, gets short-changed. That Malaysia is regularly ill-prepared as great as which it is not thorough enough. They attribute this to the series of factors:
i) partly due to division by the politicians as great as which the polite servants have been marginalized;
ii) structurally, Malaysia does not have as great as fails to capture the brightest brains in to the Civil Service, people with the long-term seductiveness of the republic during heart;
and iii) politicians as great as polite servants with to much personal, short-term interests to quarrel the kiasu, no-holds-barred, win-all, no tolak ansur (no give as great as take) Singapores Team. This, Singaporeans say, is during the base of the problem, o! ne which is many unfortunate.
Why Nor Mohamad, not Anifah Aman
Singaporeans have been additionally generally undetermined as to because Nor Mohamed Yakoop represented Malaysia during the new signing rite in Singapore? They approaching Foreign Minister Anifah Aman to have accompanied Nor Mohamed as great as do the honours for Malaysia.
But as unapproachable Singaporeans, they contend the understanding is fine after all it is Malaysias loss as great as Singapores gain. As Singaporeans they feel unapproachable of their Team, who got the best understanding for Singapore. As for Lee Kuan Yew, removing such the understanding from Malaysia creates the result even sweeter.
Need for Transparency
All told, transparency is consequential in ensuring positive, forward transformation in shared family as great as in winning the hearts as great as minds of the public. One can try to mask underlining problems of any understanding by words as great as promises of future infrastructural growth ! as great as consequent mercantile growth. But great intentions can produce bad results.
Foreign process should be concerned with the countrys inhabitant interest. Diplomacy as an instrument of Foreign Policy is the art of negotiation, of removing deals which offer the inhabitant interest. In alternative words, inhabitant seductiveness should dictate Foreign Policy. Unless inhabitant seductiveness is resolutely embedded in the minds of supervision ministers, it is not likely which the creation of unfamiliar process will lapse to the proper, executive place during the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (in the case, Wisma Putra). In this regard, Singaporean diplomats as great as their domestic masters have been stark realists, regularly serving their countrys inhabitant interest.
In conclusion, there is the need for proper inhabitant discuss upon the Najib- Hsien Loong understanding in the country: in the media, in intellectual as great as commercial operation circles and, indeed, in conclusion in Parliament. Perhaps, the White Paper should be presented to the legislators in Parliament.
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