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 really happy day. Its the brand brand new commencement for us in team-work in attracting investment. Its glorious for both countries. We have been assured this is the brand brand new commencement for great team-work as good as plenty of investments. Certainly, not usually Iskandar will do good though the sum of Malaysia will do good since of certainty factor in attracting foreign investment.
In reciprocation, Singapore Foreign Minister K. Shanmugam said: It really takes the attribute to the different level. Its win-win.for both countries as good as promises most more. In which sense, in every sense, the ancestral moment.
As the prolonged time friend of Singapore who had the payoff of living as good as working there in late 1980s, I join Malaysians as good as Singaporeans in supporting as good as welcoming this encouragement in shared family in in in in in between the dual countries upon the jointly fitting basis, the single which could be invariably strengthened in the future.
But I am of the perspective which to sustain this certain momentum in shared relations, mild efforts as good as alternative certainty office building measures cannot be undertaken in an ambiguous manner. There is, therefore, the need for the supervision to keep Malaysians sensitive upon vital issues similar to the KTMB Land issue.
Murkiness, obfuscation as good as poser have unfortunately overshadowed the supposed win-win understanding in respect of the land barter understanding in Singapore involving KTMB (Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd), which! was con cluded to in in in in in between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak as good as his Singapore counterpart, Lee Hsien Loong, in Kuala Lumpur May 24 as good as September 20, 2010.
Six rounds of talks have been hold in in in in in between Heads of Foreign Ministries of both countries, even if
the categorical negotiators have been the Khazanah National Bhd as good 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 good as last talks, which were hold in Singapore upon December 31 last year.
Instead, out of the blue, The STAR journal ran the story upon Jun 9, 2011 underneath the caption Party skeleton upon lane for last sight ride to Tanjung Pagar. And upon Jun 14, 2011, The New Straits Times in the front page inform pronounced Tickets snapped up for KTMBs last Tanjung Pagar service.Apparently, KTMB had not long ago taken the little of the reporters upon the tour/special outing down to Tanjung Pagar (picture above right).
Historical Significane of Jun 30, 2011
It would appear which KTMB as good as the little in the media lend towards to provide the pending closure of the nearly 100-year old Tanjung Pagar Station as good as the ancestral office building as something merely nostalgic. Seeking out as good as gripping the open sensitive per sum upon the result of the 6 rounds of executive talks by the dual countries or upon associated issues of the railways use or the story seems unimportant to them.
Singaporeans contingency have been in joviality over KTMBs thought of interestin! g the h istory-deficient journalists, who do not seem to know which the country could have taken for the ride by Singapore over tens of billions of KTMB genuine estate in Singapore but competent compensation.
A rather keen part of of the public, the sure Karim Mahsood, upon Jun 13, 2011 wrote t! o Th e STAR newspaper, reminding readers which Jun 30, 2011, the date of the last 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 hapless stairs which were taken by the own leaders, which began in 1990 with the lopsided agreement in in in in in between Malaysia as good as Singapore called the Points of Agreement (POA), as good as culminating in the 2010 understanding for KTMB to immigrate 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 good as dual parcels of land in Ophir-Rochor in MS Pte Ltd. (a joint-venture association set up by Khazanah National Bhd. as good as Temasik Holdings in the 60-40 % equity arrangement 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 good as Woodlands as good as three pieces of land in Bukit Timah. The prolonged as good as reduced of the understanding is which KTMBs Tanjung Pagar Station will be sealed upon or by Jul 1, 2011 as good as relocated to Woodlands temporarily.
And upon Jun 26, 2011, there was nonetheless another bolt out of the blue: which Nor Mohamed Yakoop (and not For! eign Min ister Anifah Aman) as good as Singapores Minister of Foreign Affairs as good as Law, K. Shanmugam, would sign 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 sealed down by or upon Jul 1, 2011. Perhaps, both governments wish this useful event to pass off unnoticed.
Nor Mohamed as good as Shanmugam additionally reliable ! which Mal aysia as good as Singapore have concluded to open the rapid movement system (RTS) couple in in in in in between the dual countries by 2018 and, secondly, which nonetheless another joint-venture association had been determined in further to MS Pte Ltd known as Iskandar JV Co. , hold 50-50 by Khazanah Bhd as good as Temasek Holdings to commence dual growth projects in Iskandar Malaysia involving 87 hectares of land.
Despite the above, the open in both countries, quite in Malaysia, sojourn ignorant especially as to how the Najib-Hsien Loong understanding would contribute to jointly fitting attribute in in in in in between the dual countries in the destiny and, specifically, how the understanding would safeguard Malaysias inhabitant interest. Indeed, there have been wider political implications which the Government leaders contingency face.
The KTMB Land saga(and alternative properties in Singapore) does raise multiform important points:
a) The pierce by KTMB to Woodlands will vigilance the commencement of the transfer to
Singapore, not usually the ancestral railway hire office building in Tanjung Pagar, though additionally the little 175.7 hectares of KTMB land, in sell for corner growth of 6 parcels of land in Marina South as good as Ophir-Rocher whose sum value i! s additi onally not known to the public.ASIAWEEK magazine in the March 31, 1995 emanate estimated the 32 hectares of budding skill of Tanjung Pagar alone to be value 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(squat) during Singapore CIQ office building in Woodlands by Jul 1, 2011, it would essentially meant which all KTM land in the Island nation, south of Woodlands, will revert to Singapore. This Malaysian genuine estate in Singapore the little 1! 75.7 hec tares in all will be gone forever but competent remuneration to Malaysia. Again formed upon ASIAWEEKs estimate in 1995 of the 32 hectares of Tanjung Pagar property, KTMBs entire 175.7 hectares of genuine estate in the island Republic could today simply be value in in in in in between USD 0.25 to USD 0.5 trillion.
c) The Woodlands checkpoint is not the railway hire in the normal sense though the Customs, Immigration as good as Quarantine (CIQ) checkpoint belonging to Singapore. It is in truth formidable to imagine how KTMB can effectively use the Woodlands checkpoint as the brand brand new depot in Singapore. It does look similar to KTMB will be constrained to retreat further north to Johar Bahru, earlier rather than later. When which happens, the glorious chapter in the story of KTMB operations to as good as from Singapore would be forced into an early closure.
d) The 1990 POA was Lee Kuan Yews strategic pierce to subtly uproot the KTMB Railway line which literally divides the Island State into dual halves from North to South. Therefore, the pierce by KTMB from Tanjung Pagar to Woodlands is additionally the commencement ! of the a ccomplishment of Lee Kuan Yews dream since 1990.
e) The injection of the supposed growth charges by the Prime Minister of Singapore during the eleventh hour into the negotiations in Kuala Lumpur is seen as the single done in bad faith.
As the matter of fact, Singapores insistence which Khazanah will have to pay sure growth charges competence meant which in reality Singapore would get KTMBs entire 175.7 hectares in Singapore as good as Khazanahs investment in corner growth projects in Singapore practically for free.
f) And, in the meantime, the brawl over the supposed growth charges has still not been resolv! ed. Ther e is absolute 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 serious have been genuine concerns here which not usually will KTMB remove 175.7 hectares of the land as good 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 vast chucks of Johor as good as even land as far as Malacca to Singapore through the Iskandar- Malaysia ventures as good as alternative similar plans.
How the little Singaporeans look 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 possible quid pro quo benefits Malaysia could have. Surely, they contend Malaysia does not need the money.
Is progressing KTMBs resources in Singapore the weight to Malaysia? If this is not the case, afterwards Malaysia has the top hand. So, what as good as because the rush as good as because the bending-backwards? Why so fervent to close the deal? Worse still, friendly Singaporeans ask because so cheap?Many Singaporeans hold Malaysia is incompetent and, as the result, get! s short- changed. That Malaysia is regularly ill-prepared as good as which it is not thorough enough. They attribute this to the series of factors:
i) partly due to division by the politicians as good as which the polite servants have been marginalized;
ii) structurally, Malaysia does not have as good as fails to capture the brightest smarts into the Civil Service, people with the long-term seductiveness of the country during heart;
and iii) politicians as good as polite servants with as good most personal, short-term interests to fight the kiasu, no-holds-barred, win-all, no tolak ansur (no give as good as take) Singapores Team. This, Singaporeans say, is during the root of the problem, the single which is most unfortunate.
Why Nor Mohamad, not Anifah Aman
Singaporeans have been additionally in all undetermined as to because Nor Mohamed Yakoop represented Ma! laysia the t the recent signing rite in Singapore? They expected Foreign Minister Anifah Aman to have accompanied Nor Mohamed as good as do the honours for Malaysia.
But as unapproachable Singaporeans, they contend the understanding is fine after all it is Malaysias detriment as good as Singapores gain. As Singaporeans they feel unapproachable of their Team, who got the most appropriate understanding for Singapore. As for Lee Kuan Yew, getting such the understanding from Malaysia makes the result even sweeter.
Need for Transparency
All told, transparency is crucial in ensuring positive, brazen movement in shared family as good as in winning the hearts as good as minds of the public. One can try to mask underlining problems of any understanding by words as good as promises of destiny infrastructural growth as good as accompanying mercantile growth. But great intentions can furnish bad results.
Foreign process should be endangered with the countrys inhabitant interest. Diplomacy as an instrument of Foreign Policy is the art of negotiation, of get! ting dea ls which offer the inhabitant interest. In alternative words, inhabitant seductiveness should dictate Foreign Policy.
Unless inhabitant seductiveness is firmly embedded in the minds of supervision ministers, it is not expected which the creation of foreign process will return to the proper, executive place during the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (in the case, Wisma Putra). In this regard, Singaporean diplomats as good as their political masters have been sheer realists, regularly portion their countrys inhabitant interest.
In conclusion, there is the need for correct inhabitant debate in Malaysia upon the Najib- Hsien Loong understanding in the media, in intellectual as good as business circles and, indeed, in conclusion in Parliament. Perhaps, the White Paper should be presented to the legislators in Parliament.
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