June 29, 2011
KTMB Land Issue: The final Train in to Tanjung Pagar
by Din Merican
In signing a Points of Agreement (POA) upon Malayan Railway (KTM) Land with Singapore upon Jun 27, 2011 Minister in a Prime Ministers Department, Nor Mohamed Yakcop said, Its a really happy day. Its a brand brand new commencement for us in team-work in attracting investment. Its glorious for both countries. We have been confident this is a brand brand new commencement for great team-work as well as plenty of investments. Certainly, not only Iskandar will do well though a total of Malaysia will do well since of certainty factor in attracting unfamiliar investment.
In reciprocation, Singapore Foreign Minister K Shanmugam said: It really takes a relationship to a different level. Its win-win.for both countries as well as promises most more. In which sense, in every sense, a ancestral moment.
As a long time friend of Singapore who had a payoff of vital as well as working there in late 1980s, we stick upon Malaysians as well as Singaporeans in supporting as well as welcoming this encouragement in shared family in in in in between a dual countries upon a jointly fitting basis, a single which could be continuously strengthened in a future. But we am of a perspective which to sustain this certain movement in shared relations, mild efforts as well as alternative certainty office office building measures cannot be undertaken in an opaque manner. There is, therefore, a need for a supervision to keep Malaysians informed upon vital issues like a KTMB Land issue.
Murkiness, obfuscation as well as poser have unfortunately overshadowed a supposed win-win understanding in apply oneself of a land barter unde! rstandin g in Singapore involving KTMB (Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd), which was concluded to in in in in between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak ! as well as his Singapore counterpart, Lee Hsien Loong, in Kuala Lumpur May 24 as well as Sep 20, 2010.
Six rounds of talks have been hold in in in in between Heads of Foreign Ministries) of both countries, even if
a categorical negotiators have been a Khazanah National Bhd as well as Temasik Holdings, a respective governments investment arm.
To-date, no sum upon a decisive outcome of a understanding have been done open by either supervision even after a conclusion of a sixth as well as final talks, which were hold in Singapore upon December 31 final year.
Instead, out of a blue, The STAR journal ran a story upon Jun 9, 2011 under a heading Party skeleton upon lane for final sight float to Tanjung Pagar. And upon Jun 14, 2011, The New Straits Times in a front page report said Tickets snapped up for KTMBs final Tanjung Pagar service.Apparently, KTMB had recently taken a little of a journalists upon a tour/special outing down to Tanjung Pagar (picture upon top of right).
Historical Significane of Jun 30, 2011
It would appear which KTMB as well as a little in a media lend towards to provide a tentative closure of a scarcely 100-year aged Tanjung Pagar Station as well as a ancestral office office building as something merely nostalgic. Seeking out as well as gripping a open informed per sum upon a outcome of a 6 rounds of official talks by a dual countries or upon associated issues of a railways use or a story seems insignificant to them.
Singaporeans contingency hav! e been i n joviality over KTMBs idea of entertaining a history-deficient journalists, who do not seem to know which a republic could have taken for a float by Singapore over tens of billions of KTMB real estate in Singapore without! adequat e compensation.
A rsther than perceptive part of of a public, a sure Karim Mahsood, upon Jun 13, 2011 wrote to The STAR newspaper, reminding readers which Jun 30, 2011, a date of a final sight to Tanjung Pagar is not a joyous affair, though a heartbreaking part in a story of KTMB in Singapore
Karim Mahsood attributed this expansion to a series of unfortunate steps which were taken by a own leaders, which began in 1990 with a unilateral agreement in in in in between Malaysia as well as Singapore called a Points of Agreement (POA), as well as culminating in a 2010 understanding for KTMB to immigrate a services from Tanjung Pagar to Woodlands upon Jun 30, 2011.
The Najib-Lee Hsien Loong Deal
Under a Najib-Lee Hsien Loong deal, a Singapore Government would vest 4 tiny land parcels in Marina South as well as dual parcels of land in Ophir-Rochor in MS Pte Ltd. (a joint-venture association set up by Khazanah National Bhd. as well as Temasik Holdings in a 60-40 % equity arrangement respectively, for a expansion of a said 6 parcels when KTMB vacates a Tanjung Pagar Railway Station), in lieu of a three parcels of supposed POA land in Tanjung Pagar, Kranji as well as Woodlands as well as three pieces of land in Bukit Timah. The long as well as short of a understanding is which KTMBs Tanjung Pagar Station will be closed upon or by Jul 1, 2011 as well as relocated to Woodlands temporarily.
And upon Jun 26, 2011, there was nonetheless an additional bolt out of a blue: which Nor Mohamed! Yakoop (and not Foreign Minister Anifah Aman) as well as Singapores Minister of Foreign Affairs as well as Law, K. Shanmugam, would sign a instrument containing sum of a doing of a POA upon KTMB land in Singapore upon Jun 27. It was couched innocuously which Tanjung Pagar would be closed down by or upon July! 1, 2011 . Perhaps, both governments wish this momentous eventuality to pass off unnoticed.
Nor Mohamed as well as Shanmugam additionally reliable which Malaysia as well as Singapore have concluded to open a rapid movement complement (RTS) couple in in in in between a dual countries by 2018 and, secondly, which nonetheless an additional joint-venture association had been established in addition to MS Pte Ltd well well known as Iskandar JV Co. , hold 50-50 by Khazanah Bhd as well as Temasek Holdings to commence dual expansion projects in Iskandar Malaysia involving 87 hectares of land.
Despite a above, a open in both countries, particularly in Malaysia, sojourn uninformed generally as to how a Najib-Hsien Loong understanding would contribute to jointly fitting relationship in in in in between a dual countries in a destiny and, specifically, how a understanding would safeguard Malaysias inhabitant interest. Indeed, there have been wider domestic implications which a Government leaders contingency face.
The KTMB Land saga(and alternative properties in Singapore) does lift several important points:
a) The move by KTMB to Woodlands will vigilance a commencement of a send to
Singapore, not only a ancestral railway station office office building in Tanjung Pagar, though additionally a little 175.7 hectares of KTMB land, in exchange for corner expansion of 6 parcels of land in Marina South as well as Op! hir-Roch er whose total value is additionally not well well known to a public. ASIAWEEK magazine in a March 31, 1995 emanate estimated a 32 hectares of prime skill of Tanjung Pagar alone to be value USD 2 billion, creation KTMB a republics second-biggest land owners after a internal government.
b) When KTMB vacates Tanjung Pagar Railway Station to tumpang(squat) during Singapore CIQ office office building in Woodlands by Jul 1, 2011, it would actu! ally mea n which all KTM land in a Island nation, south of Woodlands, will revert to Singapore. This Malaysian real estate in Singapore a little 175.7 hectares in all will be left perpetually but adequate remuneration to Malaysia. Again based upon ASIAWEEKs guess in 1995 of a 32 hectares of Tanjung Pagar property, KTMBs complete 175.7 hectares of real estate in a island Republic could today easily be value in in in in between USD 0.25 to USD 0.5 trillion.
c) The Woodlands checkpoint is not a railway station in a normal clarity though a Customs, Immigration as well as Quarantine (CIQ) checkpoint belonging to Singapore. It is in truth formidable to suppose how KTMB can effectively use a Woodlands checkpoint as a brand brand new terminal in Singapore. It does look like KTMB will be compelled to shelter serve north to Johar Bahru, earlier rsther than than later. When which happens, a glorious section in a story of KTMB operations to as well as from Singapore would be forced in to an early closure.
d) The 1990 POA was Lee Kuan Yews strategic move to subtly dig a KTMB Railway line which literally divides a Island State in to dual halves from North to South. Therefore, a move by KTMB from Tangung Pagar to Woodlan! ds is ad ditionally a commencement of a accomplishment of Lee Kuan Yews dream since 1990.
e) The injection of a supposed expansion charges by a Prime Minister of Singapore during a eleventh hour in to a negotiations in Kuala Lumpur is seen as a single done in bad faith.
As a make a difference of fact, Singapores insistence which Khazanah will have to pay sure expansion charges might meant which in being Singapore would get KTMBs complete 175.7 hectares in Singapore as well as Khazan! ahs inve stment in corner expansion projects in Singapore practically for free.
f) And, in a meantime, a brawl over a supposed expansion charges has still not been resolved. There is absolute silence over a standing of a matter, which both countries concluded in Kuala Lumpur in 2010 to be brought up to a Permanent Court of Arbitration.
g) No reduction critical have been real concerns here which not only will KTMB remove 175.7 hectares of a land as well as even Khazanahs investments in Singapore but, some-more importantly, which Malaysia, as a whole, over a longer haul, would effectively remove control of vast chucks of Johor as well as even land as distant as Malacca to Singapore through a Iskandar- Malaysia ventures as well as alternative similar plans.
How a little Singaporeans look during a Najib-Hsien Loong Deal? Many Singaporeans who have been friends of Malaysia have been undetermined because a Malaysian negotiators concluded to such a understanding in a first place? They ask what probable quid pro quo benefits Malaysia could have. Surely, they contend Malaysia does not need a money.
Is maintaining KTMBs resources in Singapore a weight to Malaysia? If this is not a case, afterwards Malaysia has a upper hand. So, what as well as because a rush as well as because a bending-backwards? Why so eager to close a deal? Worse still, accessible Singaporeans ask because so cheap?Many Singaporeans hold Malaysia is incompetent an! d, as a result, gets short-changed. That Malaysia is always ill-prepared as well as which it is not consummate enough. They charge this to a series of factors:
i) partly due to division by a politicians as well as which a polite servants have been marginalized;
ii) structurally, Malaysia does not have as well as fails to capture a brightest brains in to a Civil Service, people with a long-term seductiveness of a republic during heart;
and iii) politicians as well as polite servants with to most personal, short-term interests to quarrel a kiasu, no-holds-barred, win-all, no tolak ansur (no give as well as take) Singapores Team. This, Singaporeans say,! is during t he base of a problem, a single which is most unfortunate.
Why Nor Mohamad, not Anifah Aman
Singaporeans have been additionally generally undetermined as to because Nor Mohamed Yakoop represented Malaysia during a recent signing rite in Singapore? They expected Foreign Minister Anifah Aman to have accompanied Nor Mohamed as well as do a honours for Malaysia.
But as proud Singaporeans, they contend a understanding is okay after all it is Malaysias detriment as well as Singapores gain. As Singaporeans they feel proud of their Team, who got a best understanding for Singapore. As for Lee Kuan Yew, removing such a understanding from Malaysia creates a outcome even sweeter.
Need for Transparency
All told, clarity is crucial in ensuring positive, forward movement in shared family as well as in winning a hearts as well as minds of a public. One can try to facade underlining problems of any understanding by difference as well as promises of destiny infrastructural expansion as well as accompanying mercantile growth. But great intentions can produce bad results.
Foreign process should be endangered with a countrys inhabitant interest. Diplomacy as an instrument of Foreign Policy is a art of negotiation, of! removin g deals which serve a inhabitant interest. In alternative words, inhabitant seductiveness should dictate Foreign Policy.
Unless inhabitant seductiveness is firmly embedded in a minds of supervision ministers, it is not likely which a creation of unfamiliar process will return to a proper, central place during a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (in a case, Wisma Putra). In this regard, Singaporean diplomats as well as their domestic masters have been sheer realists, always portion their countrys inhabitant interest.
In conclusion, there is a need for proper inhabitant discuss upon a Najib- Hsien Loong understanding in a country: in a media, in intellectual as well as commercial operation circles and, indeed, ultimately in Parliament. Perhaps, a White Paper should be presented! to a legislators in Parliament.
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