Excellent read written by my retired Friend. .... Seven pieces of advice Mahathir probably gave to Hsien Loong on his short visit to the comeback man in Putrajaya:
- Next time when you partying with your new friends, don’t forget your old friends outside the gates. When you were eating Durians with Najib and Rosmah you did not even pay a visit to the old man Mahathir to say hello? Well I guess I was a pariah and you did not want to be associated with me. I understand. But good and insightful politicians never assume fallen leaders people can’t make a comeback. So don’t just visit me or Anwar, make time for Najib later after all he is still your Friend is he not and who says he can’t make a comeback? Look at what I have done at 92. Najib still has some years to go.
- There is no need to wear a batik shirt and smile all the time when you come to congratulate me. We are both PMs and are equal in status. If you are filled with humility and respect it will show in other ways so no need to put it on show. I did not care much for your father and disagreed with his policies but I respected him for his firm resolve and standing up to other countries when it mattered. He was a true leader and had balls.
- Be wise in placing your bets and if you lose it is Ok but never do a Tony Fernandez. When your horse doesn’t come in don’t go around telling people it was a mistake or you were forced to make the bet. People will lose respect for you. Don’t forget the same horse may win the next race. I am a good example.
- Choose your cabinet ministers wisely. Scholars and Generals may be fine in intellect but are they leaders with courage and conviction who care enough for the Rakyat? Look at my team. Many have been imprisoned, persecuted and ostracised by BN and their henchmen but they stayed and fought for the Rakyat. Guan Eng has done wonders for Penang. He was jailed twice but he had steel in him. He did not migrate but stayed on to fight because he believed in Malaysia. Now that’s what I call true leaders of the people not those who have high IQs and come out with fantastic income generating policies that contribute to GDP and GNP but with no real benefit for the Rakyat.
- Choose men and women with backbones. Don’t choose people who always say yes to you. Look at Khairy, BN’s former Youth Minister. He is an Oxford grad and highly intelligent. But what did he do when BN was thrown out? He said “Oh we should have spoken out and it was a mistake not to tell Najib that his policies were wrong, etc.” What bullshit! He had no guts to say no to Najib because he was a Yes man and enjoying all the perks of a Minister. You know what happens when you have Yes men in your cabinet? They think only of themselves. Like Judas they will disown you when the chips are down because now they hope they will be absolved of their past crimes.
- Always remember to govern your country with a paramount emphasis on the rule of law. I admit I did not do so in the past when I was PM and that was a bad mistake. When you politicise the police, the attorney general, the civil service, heads of statutory boards, etc, they take the liberty of enforcing your rule with strong-armed and undemocratic tactics and practices. That is not only wrong but harms your integrity, your people’s integrity and the reputation of your country. The world distrusted us because of it. I realised this when I was in the wilderness and part of the Rakyat.
- Don’t get your wife too involved in the affairs of the state. Look at Rosmah. She did not hold any official appointment but she did give orders to many government officials and they obeyed because she was the PM’s wife. Plus Najib was under her spell. Your Father was wise, your Mother played a very supportive role. I do the same with Siti Hasmah. She like your Mother are highly educated women but they stay in the background and are detached from any form of role that has a say in government, state investment or what to do with the state’s coffers.
You must remember the Rakyat will always talk and such talk can also contribute to a tsunami which happened in our case.
High-speed rail project postponed, not scrapped, Mahathir tells Japanese media
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad seemed to have walked back from an earlier decision when he told a Japanese publication that the high-speed rail project had been merely postponed, not cancelled.
Speaking to Nikkei Asian Review on the sidelines of the Future of Asia conference in Tokyo, he said Malaysia cannot afford the project at this moment but signalled that the door is still open.
"We cannot say we will never have high-speed rail (HSR) in Malaysia. What we can do is we can postpone the project because it is far too costly at this moment," he said. Dr Mahathir said Malaysia would need an HSR but it is something to only consider in the future.
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MAHATHIR MOHAMAD WAS NOT ALWAYS PALS WITH SINGAPORE. WHAT ABOUT THE NEW ONE?
Does Mahathir Mohamad’s return to power in Malaysia mean Singapore will soon find itself fending off – once again – the veteran leader’s grand plan for a so-called crooked bridge between the two countries?
Mahathir’s second time at the helm as prime minister is not only rattling Chinese investors. Singapore, which endured periods of being his main whipping boy during his turn as premier from 1981 to 2003, is having anxieties of its own. The crooked bridge is one of several projects pundits and policymakers are watching as they try to anticipate how ties will change between the neighbours – which were one country before they split in 1965.
The idea for the bridge dates back to 2001, when Mahathir wanted to replace the 1km causeway that links Malaysia and Singapore with a bridge to improve traffic flow and – crucially for the Malaysian economy – allow ships to cross the Johor Strait, providing a boon to the ports in Johor, Malaysia. Singapore never agreed, saying the project was unnecessary because the causeway was in good condition.
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The risks of letting Mahathir be Mahathir in the age of social media
Dr Mahathir posting his belated festive greetings to Malaysians on his Facebook page
When Dr Mahathir Mohamad was last the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Lee Hsien Loong was not yet Prime Minister of Singapore, and social media was not yet the phenomenon it is today.
But it seems that the Singapore government is treating Dr Mahathir the way it did some 20 years ago: Let Mahathir be Mahathir, let him say and do what he wants, we’ll keep mum and we’ll only cross that bridge when we come to it.
With the social media, everything that Dr Mahathir says becomes instantaneously widespread. His remarks that “the people of Singapore, like the people of Malaysia, must be tired of having the same government, the same party since independence,” immediately became the talk of the town. Thanks to the fact that it was all over the Internet and social media applications such as blogs, Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp in double quick time.
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Is Mahathir a changed man?
The Malaysia moment just refuses to leave the headlines. More than two weeks after the historic 9 May election result, hardly a day goes by without yet another dramatic twist, another climactic revelation. From ousted Prime Minister Najib Razak being pulled in to explain his role in the money scandal revolving around the state-funded 1MDB to the disclosure that the country’s debt has breached RM1 trillion (S$336 billion) – not RM685 billion as claimed by his government – to the sensational seizure of RM114 million in cash…the aftermath of the unprecedented election result has, to put it mildly, been jaw-dropping.
That all this is happening on Singapore’s doorstep is raising concerns not just economically but also politically and socially. A diplomat friend whom I met two months before the election was astute when he asked me: Which country is going to be very important to us? I said China. He shook his head. The US? Nope, he said. It is Malaysia, he said with a worried look.
Even though we separated politically decades ago, we are something akin to inseparable Siamese twins: Malaysia is our closest neighbour, we are linked by a shared history, we are one of the biggest investors there, Singaporeans have relatives living there (and vice versa) and the Causeway linking the two nations is the most crowded land link between any two countries. The election result is going to be very important for us, he concluded.
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Dr Mahathir a changed man, says Anwar
Anwar Ibrahim has again declared his support for Dr Mahathir Mohamad, saying his former boss has been vilified by the current government.
“He is a changed man and is committed to the reform agenda,” Anwar told reporters after attending a court proceeding on his suit against the government for allegedly securing his conviction for sodomy through fraudulent means.
Anwar, who served as finance minister and deputy prime minister before he was sacked by Mahathir in 1998, said it was unfair to compare the 92-year-old to ousted Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe.
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The Leader Who Wanted a ‘Crooked Bridge’ With Singapore Is Back
The man who once called Singaporeans a "selfish lot" has returned
Nearly 15 years after he stepped down, Mahathir Mohamad is at the age of 92 again in charge in Malaysia, having pulled off a stunning election upset. But has he changed from the leader who defied the world by pegging his country’s currency in the late 1990s, tussled with the International Monetary Fund and was prone to public attacks on everyone from currency traders to Jews?
That question is particularly pertinent for neighboring Singapore, which had a fractious relationship with Mahathir during his stint in power from 1981 to 2003. The bluntly-spoken Mahathir famously sparred with then-Singapore leader Lee Kuan Yew to the point of accusing him of going "through the formalities" of being democratic.
While the countries carefully built a rapport in the years after Mahathir stepped down, there remains a brittle undertone to the relationship. Mahathir’s plans to review Malaysia’s big ticket infrastructure projects could put fresh scrutiny on a planned high-speed rail link that Singapore is pushing.
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Mahathir stress tests Malaysia-Singapore relations
Relations between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur are being put to the test as Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad revisits a delicate territorial issue.
On Wednesday, the newly elected Mahathir said Malaysia plans to enlarge some offshore rocks near Singapore, a proposal that could rankle its southern neighbor. Days earlier, the prime minister canceled a planned cross-border rail link. "It is our intention to enlarge them to form a small island," said Mahathir.
The prime minister was referring to the Middle Rocks, two tiny islets separated by over 300 meters of open sea. The rocks were part of a territorial dispute with Singapore that was settled in the International Court of Justice in 2008. Malaysia was awarded the Middle Rocks, while Singapore was given Pedra Branca, another outcrop about a kilometer away.
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Mahathir boldly states: “The people of Singapore must be tired of having the same government since independence”
Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad made a bold statement during a recent interview with The Financial Times, seemingly taking a jibe at the ruling party here.
92-year-old Dr Mahathir made history earlier this month by defeating the incumbent at the polls and ushering in Malaysia’s first transition of power since independence, at the watershed 2018 Malaysian General Election.
Mahathir, who helped establish the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition in power and served as Malaysia’s longest-serving Prime Minister, stepped out of retirement and left the ruling party to lead the opposition. Breaking the BN’s six-decade long monopoly, Mahathir beat his one-time protégé Najib Razak and became the world’s oldest head of government.
related: Netizens think Mahathir has “no right to interfere with Singapore’s politics”
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Singaporeans Are Tired Of The Same Government Too, Says Tun M
In an interview with Financial Times, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he believed that the decision by Malaysian voters to vote out BN on 9 May could inspire Singaporeans.
The Pakatan Harapan (PH) pact overthrew the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition which had been in power since the country's independence. Singapore shares the same political history with Malaysia as the city-state has been under the governance of the People's Action Party (PAP) since the first general election in 1959.
The international daily newspaper noted that Mahathir had "always enjoyed needling neighbouring Singapore"
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S’poreans tired of having same govt & party too, cheeky Mahathir tells Financial Times
Fourth and seventh prime minister of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohamad, is going back to top form and being cheeky again.
Despite being 92 years old and going on to 93 in about a month’s time, Mahathir told the Financial Times on May 29 that the opposition ousting the incumbent in the recent May 9 Malaysia election can inspire Singaporeans.
This was what FT wrote:
- Mr Mahathir, who has always enjoyed needling neighbouring Singapore and its long-ruling People’s Action party, said the electoral earthquake in Malaysia would reverberate across the narrow Straits of Johor.
- “I think the people of Singapore, like the people in Malaysia, must be tired of having the same government, the same party since independence,” he said.
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Malaysia faces task of dismantling old regime
Mr Mahathir, who has always enjoyed needling neighbouring Singapore and its long-ruling People’s Action party, said the electoral earthquake in Malaysia would reverberate across the narrow Straits of Johor.
“I think the people of Singapore, like the people in Malaysia, must be tired of having the same government, the same party since independence,” he said.
Malaysia’s own “revolutionary changes” have definitely been good for Mr Mahathir, who finally believes he has answered the many detractors who dubbed him an “authoritarian” and a “dictator” in the past.
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Singapore says will seek compensation if HSR project cancelled
Then prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak visits the KL-Singapore HSR Gallery at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre in Kuala Lumpur October 17, 2017 ― Picture by Yusof Mat Isa
The Singapore government said today it will exercise its rights to seek compensation for expenses incurred if the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR) project is cancelled. Singapore’s Transport Minister and coordinating Infrastructure Minister, Khaw Boon Wan, said Singapore has requested the Malaysian government through diplomatic channels to clarify Malaysia’s formal position on the HSR project.
“Singapore is continuing to incur costs on the project as it awaits Malaysia’s clarification. “In the event Malaysia terminates the HSR project, we will study the implications and exercise our rights to compensation for expenses incurred in accordance with the terms of the HSR Bilateral Agreement,” he said in a statement today. He said Singapore would continue to support the HSR project and fulfil its obligations under the agreement but would only continue the project if the Malaysian government was willing to do so.
On Monday, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had in a press conference confirmed that Malaysia will drop the HSR project as it did not benefit the country. Boon said Singapore agreed to the project when Malaysia proposed it back in 2013 as it was convinced of its benefits to the island nation in the long run.
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Singapore still incurring costs for HSR, will exercise rights to compensation should project be canned: Khaw
Should Malaysia terminate the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR) project, the Republic will study the implications & exercise its rights, including compensation for expenses incurred, in accordance with the terms of the bilateral agreement inked earlier, said Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan on Friday, Jun 1.
In a press statement, Mr Khaw also said Singapore has requested the Malaysian Government to clarify its position on the project. “We have informed the Malaysian Government that Singapore is continuing to incur costs on this project as it awaits Malaysia’s clarification,” he added.
Noting that it was Malaysia which proposed the HSR in 2013, Mr Khaw said Singapore agreed to the proposal because the Government was convinced of the benefits it would bring to the country.
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HSR cancellation was coalition policy from the start, says Mahathir
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said the cancellation was "decided by the party from the very beginning". FOTO: AFP
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad denied on Friday (June 1) that he pre-empted the Cabinet when announcing the cancellation of the High-Speed Rail (HSR) line between Singapore & Kuala Lumpur.
"No, that was decided by the party from the very beginning," Tun Dr Mahathir told a news conference when asked if he had pre-empted the other Cabinet ministers, pointing out that his Pakatan Harapan coalition had campaigned on the issue during the general elections in May.
"We campaigned on that issue. I am not going to go away from the decision of the party simply because I could not form the Cabinet soon enough," he said.
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Malaysia to look at ways of reducing costs if HSR is dropped: PM Mahathir
Malaysia is going to look into how it can reduce the cost of any potential exit from a deal with Singapore for a high-speed rail (HSR) to link its capital Kuala Lumpur with the city-state, said Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in an interview published on Saturday (May 26).
Addressing the need to reduce the national debt and liabilities - which the government puts at around RM1trillion or 80% of its GDP - Mahathir said "at one go we can reduce it by RM200 billion by doing away with all these huge projects". The HSR project, valued by analysts at about US$17 billion, is currently out for tender and is scheduled to be completed by 2026.
"The terms of the agreement (for the HSR) are such that if we decide to drop the project, it will cost us a lot of money," Mahathir told the financial newspaper The Edge. "So we are going to find out how we can reduce the amount of money we have to pay for breaking the agreement."
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Malaysian govt evaluating economic implications of cancelling HSR: Economic Affairs Minister
The Malaysian government is looking at the possible economic implications if it were to cancel the Kuala Lumpur-S'pore high-speed rail (HSR) & East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) mega projects.
Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali said on Sunday (May 27) the government needed to consider all factors involved, including an earlier contractual agreement between the 2 nations for the HSR.
He also highlighted the importance of having talks with Singapore first to discuss how the project can be reviewed.
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Singapore asks Malaysia to clarify position on KL-Singapore HSR: Khaw Boon Wan
"We have informed the Malaysian Government that Singapore is continuing to incur costs on this project as it awaits Malaysia’s clarification, & that in the event Malaysia terminates the project, Singapore will study the implications & exercise our rights (including any right to compensation for expenses incurred) in accordance with the terms of the HSR bilateral agreement," said Mr Khaw.
When Malaysia proposed the project to Singapore in 2013, Singapore agreed because it was convinced of the project's benefits to Singapore, said the minister.
"We still believe that a high-speed rail link between Singapore & Kuala Lumpur would be in our mutual interest, economically as well as in terms of the friendship & mutual understanding of our two peoples." Singapore continues to support the project & to fulfill its obligations under the bilateral agreement, said Mr Khaw.
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Malaysia Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng on KL-Singapore high-speed rail project
While Singapore has asked Malaysia to officially confirm its desire to terminate the KL-Singapore high-speed rail project, Malaysia Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng on Friday (Jun 1) said Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad shall be allowed to "move at his own pace".
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Malaysia's Cabinet agreed to scrap HSR due to high costs: Mahathir
Malaysia's Cabinet has agreed to scrap the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high-speed rail (HSR) project due to high financial costs, subject to discussions with the Singapore Government, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said yesterday.
When asked why the project, estimated to cost RM60 billion (S$20.2 billion), was called off, he said: "The most important thing for us now is to reduce the amount of borrowings by the government. We have borrowed too much money. And we cannot pay so much money if we continue with the project.
"So we are not only looking at HSR but also mega projects, which cost us billions of dollars," he said after chairing the weekly Cabinet meeting.
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Putrajaya prepared to hear S’pore out if Republic requests to continue HSR project: Mahathir
Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad speaks during a press conference after chairing a Cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya on Wednesday, May 30, 2018
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Wed (May 30) that he will hear Singapore out if the Republic requests to continue the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR) project.
Speaking to reporters after a weekly Cabinet meeting, Dr Mahathir announced that his Cabinet has agreed to cancel the HSR project. But this will be subject to discussions with the Singapore government because it involves “high financial implications”, he added.
When asked if he would reconsider should Singapore request for the project’s continuation, Dr Mahathir replied: “We will listen to them. They are our good partners.”
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HSR decision ‘not an ominous sign for bilateral relations’, shows Mahathir-led govt’s priorities
Spore's PM Lee Hsien Loong (left) walks with his Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohamad after a meeting at Putrajaya on May 19. Mahathir's decision to pull the plug on the HSR had some fearing that bilateral relations between the two countries could regress
Malaysia’s decision to scrap the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail (HSR) was driven by a desire to reduce the country’s national debt, & should not be seen as a move to spite Singapore, said political analysts on both sides of the Causeway.
Neither is it an ominous sign for bilateral relations under Dr Mahathir Mohamad, 92, in his 2nd stint as prime minister, they added. Given the fact that the new Pakatan Harapan (PH) government has yet to appoint a foreign minister and Dr Mahathir’s short runway as premier, the analysts also pointed out that for now, Malaysia’s priorities are on its domestic issues, with international relations taking a backseat.
“It is not about personal vendetta. He’s too old for all of that. He wants the country to get back on track before handing over power to Anwar (Ibrahim),” said Dr Serina Abdul Rahman from Singapore’s Iseas-Yusof Ishak Institute. “His focus is Malaysia first, not to give problems to Singapore. He’s doing what it takes to restore Malaysia’s financial situation.”
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Mahathir: Show us proof that Malaysia will lose over RM200 billion if HSR is cancelled
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has urged his detractors to show proof that Malaysia stands to lose more than RM200bil (S$67.5 billion) if the High-Speed Rail (HSR) project with Singapore is cancelled.
Umno strategic communications spokesman Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan had earlier said that cancelling the HSR project would see Malaysia lose an estimated RM209bil in gross national income (GNI) contribution and 70,000 potential jobs opportunities.
"Show proof. When we said Malaysia has RM1 trillion debt, we had the documents to back it up. Don't just talk, show us the proof," he told reporters after attending a buka puasa event at Bukit Aman on Tuesday (May 29).
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No longer possible for Singapore to remain quiet on the HSR issue
Mahathir's statement about the cancellation of HSR marks the end of the HSR deal between Singapore, KL
Following Malaysian Prime Minister's confirmation earlier today that his Government will cancel the KL-Singapore High-Speed Rail (HSR) project, it is no longer possible for Singapore's political leaders to remain quiet - if they indeed value integrity as well as trust and respect from their citizens.
Dr Mahathir said today: "If this country is to avoid bankruptcy, we must learn how to manage our big debts. So one of the ways, of course, is to do away with projects that are not beneficial to the country." The key words are "not beneficial". It is not a case of the Malaysian Government cancelling the project because of national debt. While that is a key concern, the key emphasis of Dr Mahathir's comments made over the past two months (even before his electoral victory) is whether the HSR project will benefit Malaysia. He has always been clear: the project will not benefit Malaysia.
An average reader will conclude from Dr Mahathir's comments that the project is then only beneficial to Singapore. Is that a sentiment agreed and accepted by the Singapore leaders? If not, why is no one speaking up to rebut Dr Mahathir's "allegations"? After all, we have no lack of politicians willing to jump into any debate so as to protect the integrity of our Government, isn't it?
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HSR cancellation: Don't make emotional decisions, says Najib
Datuk Seri Najib Razak has urged the government to be transparent in its decision to cancel the Kuala Lumpur - Singapore High-Speed Rail (HSR) project. Najib said this is because the project was not created based on the decision of one country alone, but done after careful study on its benefits. Najib, who took to his Facebook page to express his disappointment with the ‘hasty’ decision, called for the government to be more transparent and to discuss before making any decisions as it will affect the economic and job opportunities for Malaysians. He said studies also found that Malaysia will benefit most from the project as the majority of the railways are in the country. “The integration between two major cities and economies in Southeast Asia will yield benefits beyond just ticket sales,” he said, adding that cities such as Batu Pahat, Muar, Ayer Keroh, Melaka and Seremban would enjoy double benefits from the project.
Najib also questioned if agencies involved in the project had been given a room to present their case to the Cabinet and the Council of Eminent Persons. “In reality, infrastructure projects such as HSR bring benefits and returns in the form of increase in property values, local economic growth, technology transfer, high-income employment opportunities, more experts into the country from Singapore and tourism, among others. “These infrastructure projects will further spur the country’s economic growth, which subsequently allow the government to earn revenue from taxes derived from a vibrant economy. As for the people, they get to enjoy the facilities and more job opportunities with ease of travel. “The same rationale is used in the construction of HSR. The trip between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur is the world’s busiest international air route. “Thus, there is a great demand for the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore route. That is the reason why HSR is very beneficial to the country,” he said.
Najib said today’s economy is more sophisticated than ever, and as such he would be disappointed if the prime minister (Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad) fails to see the projects returns beyond mere ticket sales. “I would like to ask Dr Mahathir if projects such as Pan Borneo Highway and Central Spine Road that are toll-free, as well as Light Rail Transit (LRT), Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and monorail, only obtain returns via ticket sales alone? Surely not. “Do not make a decision solely based on grudges against individuals or the Barisan Nasional government. Decisions made according to emotions will not benefit the people,” he said.
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Malaysia scraps high speed rail to Singapore
Malaysia's new Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad seeks to cancel a China-funded high-speed rail link between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Mahathir said Malaysia just can’t afford the $17 billion price tag. What are the hard lessons learned in pursuing multi-billion dollar mega-projects?
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Does Malaysia Need High-Speed Rail
A model of China's bullet train is displayed at a high-speed rail exhibition in Kuala Lumpur last year. Photographer: Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has said he’ll cancel a planned high-speed railway that was intended to reduce journey times between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore from about five hours to 90 minutes. Bloomberg Opinion columnists David Fickling and Adam Minter debate the topic.
David Fickling: I think we both agree that high-speed rail, or HSR, doesn’t make sense in all areas. The economic benefits can be surprisingly slight and depend a lot on construction cost, population density, route length and ticket pricing.
But Singapore-Kuala Lumpur seems to me to be one of the corridors where it would clearly work. It’s overtaken Hong Kong-Taipei as the world’s busiest international air route and the potential travel time puts it well within the range where rail can supplant aviation, which would also help free up space at airports. Add to that the huge reductions in carbon dioxide emissions and it seems a no-brainer to me. What’s not to like?
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3 reasons why scrapping the HSR project may be bad for Jurong
Singapore Matters Page Liked · 7 hrs
It is Malaysia's right to cancel the project for whatever reasons. All they need to do is to honour all the conditions as spelled out in the terms of agreement signed between the two countries.
It is HOWEVER, NOT RIGHT to drag Singapore into Malaysian politics by giving the MISLEADING impression that the HSR was a Singapore's idea and not only that, one that would benefit only Singapore since Malaysia WOULD NOT EARN A SINGLE CENT. Blatantly false.
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S'pore-KL High Speed Rail Agreement
Artist's impression of High Speed Rail Terminal in Jurong East. Malaysia is dropping a plan for a high-speed rail link between its capital, Kuala Lumpur & Singapore
Malaysia is dropping a plan for a high-speed rail link between its capital, Kuala Lumpur & Singapore, & will talk with its southern neighbour about the agreement to build it, Malaysia's prime minister said in an interview published on Monday.
Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the 92-yr-old who triumphed over scandal-plagued Najib Razak in a general election this month, has made it a priority to cut the national debt and pledged to review major projects agreed by the previous government.
"We need to do away with some of the unnecessary projects, for example the high-speed rail, which is going to cost us 110 billion ringgit (S$36.9 billion) and will not earn us a single cent. That will be dropped," Dr Mahathir told the Financial Times.
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Malaysia drops their pursuit to possess Pedra Branca, but they’re planning bigger things for Middle Rocks
After scrapping the high-speed rail project between S'pore & Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s newly elected prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has decided to drop their pursuit to possess Pedra Branca
Magnanimous as the move may be, the Malaysian prime minister has a surprise up his sleeve. In a press conference, Tun Dr. Mahathir revealed plans to literally expand their own jurisdiction with Middle Rocks, located about 1km south of Pedra Branch.
“It is our intention to enlarge Middle Rocks so we can form a small island for us,” Mahathir told reporters, without giving further details.
As reported in Bernama last year, Malaysia has already set up a maritime installation on Middle Rocks, complete with a jetty, a helipad, and a lighthouse. The structure was built to conduct marine scientific research, and of course, reaffirm Malaysia’s “absolute sovereignty” over Middle Rocks.
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Malaysia drops challenge to ICJ ruling on Pedra Branca
S'pore is "happy to agree" with Malaysia's request to discontinue the cases it filed in 2017 with the International Court of Justice
Malaysia has discontinued proceedings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) relating to the court's 2008 judgment, which awarded sovereignty of Pedra Branca to Singapore.
In a press statement on Wednesday (May 30), Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said it had been informed by the ICJ of Malaysia's decision to drop two cases to revise & to interpret the judgment.
The statement came shortly after new Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad told a media conference that his government would “reconsider” the previous administration's challenge to the Pedra Branca ruling.
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Malaysia withdraws Pedra Branca case; Singapore 'happy to agree', says Vivian Balakrishnan
Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Malaysia had informed the International Court of Justice that it would stop the proceedings that it had initiated earlier. FOTO: ST FILE
Malaysia has withdrawn its applications to revise & to interpret a 2008 judgment by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that awarded sovereignty of Pedra Branca to Singapore.
In a statement on Wednesday (May 30), Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Malaysia had informed the ICJ on Monday (May 28) that it would stop the proceedings that it had initiated earlier. In response, on Tuesday, Singapore told the ICJ that it agreed with Malaysia's request for discontinuance.
Prior to that, Malaysia's Solicitor General had written to inform Singapore's Attorney-General of Malaysia's intention, & Singapore replied to convey its agreement, MFA said.
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Malaysia’s plans for Middle Rocks could set back bilateral ties: Experts
Malaysia has constructed a maritime base on Middle Rocks comprising a jetty linking the two main outcrops, a lighthouse and a helipad. The base lies close to Singapore's Pedra Branca, which can be seen at the bottom of this foto
The Malaysian government’s plan to expand Middle Rocks into an island is an attempt to burnish its nationalist credentials & assert its sovereignty over the rocky outcrop following its withdrawal of a challenge on an international court ruling on Pedra Branca, say observers.
But they added that while the move appears within Malaysia’s legal rights, carrying it out could have a negative impact on ties with Singapore.
“I see it more as seeking to re-assert Malaysian sovereignty despite dropping for good the claim to Pedra Branca,” said Associate Professor Eugene Tan, a law professor at Singapore Management University, echoing the views of several experts on the announcement, made by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Wednesday.
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MAHATHIR PLANS MALAYSIAN ISLAND ON MIDDLE ROCKS NEAR SINGAPORE
Move follows decision by Malaysia’s new leader to drop opposition to an International Court of Justice ruling that awarded another outcrop, Pedra Branca, to the Lion City – Singapore says it’s “happy to agree”
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s latest set of sweeping policy reforms announced on Wednesday has put neighbouring Singapore in the spotlight, as the recently elected leader confirmed the cancellation of a highly anticipated high-speed rail project between the two countries and revealed a surprise plan to build an island near the city state’s territorial waters.
Mahathir told a press conference of plans to “enlarge” Middle Rocks, a rocky outcrop in the Singapore Strait that was awarded to his country in 2008 following a legal suit over Pedra Branca, a nearby island in the strategic waterway.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in that same ruling awarded to Singapore Pedra Branca – referred to in Malaysia as Pulau Batu Puteh (White Stone island).
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Malaysia plans to build island on strategic Singapore Strait rocks
Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad meets with Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Perdana Leadership Foundation in Putrajaya, Malaysia on May 19, 2018 in this handout photo. Singapore's Ministry of Communication and Information/Handout via REUTERS
Malaysia's prime minister said on Wednesday his government planned to develop some offshore rocks which were the subject of a territorial dispute with Singapore, days after he cancelled a big rail project with his southern neighbour.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) awarded the outcrop, known as Middle Rocks, near the opening of the Straits of Singapore, to Malaysia in 2008. At the same time, the Netherlands-based court ruled the nearby Pedra Branca island belonged to Singapore.
Malaysia sought a review of that ruling last year, in the hope of restaking its claim to Pedra Branca. Singapore opposed Malaysia's bid to review the ruling and the Singapore foreign ministry said on Wednesday the ICJ had informed it Malaysia had withdrawn that request.
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What’s Next for the Malaysia-Singapore Pedra Branca Dispute?
Last week, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) announced that it would hold public hearings in June related to Malaysia’s new challenge of its previous ruling on a decades-long island dispute with Singapore over Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh. The announcement marks just the latest development following the recent revival of the dispute that continues to loom over the broader bilateral ties.
As I have noted before in these pages, Malaysia and Singapore have had a rather prickly relationship in the past, and despite some significant improvements in ties over the past few years, problems still tend to arise in ties from time to time in part due to domestic politics (See: “Malaysia-Singapore Relations in the Spotlight with 2017 Leaders’ Retreat”).
Pedra Branca is a case in point. Though the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled back in May 2008 that Singapore had sovereignty over it after a decades-long row, Malaysia filed a new application to the ICJ in February 2016 to revise the judgment citing new evidence from documents discovered in British archives, with a separate application for interpretation filed in June 2017. In doing so, Malaysia effectively revived the decades-long dispute and complicated a historically rocky bilateral relationship.
related:
Malaysia Reveals New Maritime Base Near Disputed Island With Singapore
Malaysia Deploys First Warship to New Naval Base Near Disputed Island
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Johor Sultan opens Abu Bakar Maritime Base in Batuan Tengah
The Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar yesterday graced the opening of the Malaysian Maritime station in Batuan Tengah (Middle Rocks) and named it Abu Bakar Maritime Base.
Also present at the event were Malaysian Maritime director-general Admiral Datuk Zulkifili Abu Bakar, National Security Council (NSC) director-general Gen (R) Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zin and Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar.
Zulkifili said the construction of Abu Bakar Maritime Base began on April 16, 2012 under the 10th Malaysia Plan and was completed in August last year at a cost of RM61.5 million.
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Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar 1 August 2017
SULTAN JOHOR RASMI PANGKALAN MARITIM ABU BAKAR DI BATUAN TENGAH
DYMM Sultan Johor Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar hari ini (1 Ogos) menzahirkan kedaulatan Malaysia ke atas Batuan Tengah (Middle Rocks) berdekatan perairan Kota Tinggi, Johor dengan merasmikan Abu Bakar Maritime Base.
SULTAN JOHOR OPENS MARITIME BASE AT MIDDLE ROCKS
HRH The Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar today (August 1) officially opened the Abu Bakar Maritime Base, thereby reaffirming Malaysia's absolute sovereignty over the Middle Rocks off Kota Tinggi, Johor
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Malaysia inaugurates new maritime base near disputed island with Singapore
Malaysia's Abu Bakar Maritime Base, which was inaugurated on 1 August 2017. In the background is Singapore's Pedra Branca, which Malaysia believes is part of its territory. (Screenshot from Sultan of Johor's official Facebook page)
The Malaysian government has inaugurated a new maritime base approximately 500 m southeast of Pedra Branca, an outlying island under the jurisdiction of Singapore that Kuala Lumpur believes is part of its territory.
The installation – which has been constructed across two uninhabited features at the eastern opening of the Singapore Strait known as Middle Rocks – was inaugurated by the Sultan of Johor, Ibrahim Ismail bin Iskandar, on 1 August. Accompanying the sultan at the inauguration was chief of the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN), Admiral Ahmad Kamarulzaman bin Ahmad Badaruddin.
The maritime base's construction was initiated as a national security project that seeks to secure Malaysia's territorial waters, according to a video statement from the Sultan of Johor's office. Facilities on the installation, which Malaysia refers to as the Abu Bakar Maritime Base, include a 316 m jetty, a lighthouse, and a helicopter landing pad.
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Malaysia opens maritime base near Pedra Branca
The maritime base on the Middle Rocks was built at a cost of RM61.5 million (S$19.5 million), and has a 316m-long jetty, a helipad and a lighthouse. Singapore's Pedra Branca can be seen in the background. FOTO: FACEBOOK PAGE OF SULTAN OF JOHOR
Malaysia has signalled its keen sovereign interest by completing a maritime base just a kilometre away from Pedra Branca, & hopes to tighten its sea borders in the area where frequent trespasses by Vietnamese fishing boats have hurt the livelihoods of Malaysian fishermen, officials & analysts say.
The Sultan of Johor officially opened the maritime base on the Middle Rocks on Tuesday, after some 5 years of construction at a cost of RM61.5 million (S$19.5 million). The rocky outcrop was awarded to Malaysia in 2008 by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which handed Pedra Branca to Singapore at the same time.
Analysts note that the Abu Bakar Maritime Base should be welcomed as a positive development in maritime security.
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Malaysian navy ship berths at Middle Rocks
The KD Perdana berthing on Thursday at Malaysia's new maritime base on Middle Rocks. The base was built after 5 years at a cost of RM61.5 million (S$19.5 million). FOTO: TWITTER.COM/MYKAMARUL
A Malaysian navy ship berthed for the first time at the country's newest maritime base off Johor on Thursday, 10 days after the Sultan of Johor opened the base on the Middle Rocks outcrop.
"Our vessel - KD Perdana - is the first Royal Malaysian Navy ship to berth at the Abu Bakar maritime base in Middle Rocks," Malaysia's navy chief, Admiral Ahmad Kamarulzaman Ahmad Badaruddin, told The Straits Times yesterday.
"Although it is not being permanently positioned there, it will still frequent the base & carry out patrols in the area with other vessels to ensure maritime security," he said over the phone.
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Horsburgh Lighthouse and Abu Bakar Maritime Base
Horsburgh Lighthouse on Pedra Branca Island of Singapore and Abu Bakar Maritime Base owned by Malaysia in the Singapore Strait.
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Abu Bakar Maritime Base Malaysia
This is a navy base with lighthouse and helipad and dock for warships in the strategic contested location of Middle Rocks Singapore Strait.
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Singapore to return stolen 1MDB money
Malaysia’s special task force investigating the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal is working with its Singapore counterpart to recover money believed to have been misappropriated by the state-owned strategic investment fund.
It said Singapore’s 1MDB Special Task Force has agreed to cooperate with its Malaysian counterpart to return monies. Malaysia’s 1MDB Special Task Force is led by former attorney-general Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Abu Kassim Mohamed, incumbent MACC chief Datuk Seri Mohd Shukri Abdull and the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) special branch department director Datuk Abdul Hamid Bador.
In a statement, Malaysia’s 1MDB Special Task Force said that during a meeting at 9.30am yesterday, it and Singapore’s 1MDB Special Task Force agreed to cooperate to bring back funds related to 1MDB to the Malaysian government.
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Singapore and Malaysia cooperate to retrieve embezzled 1MDB funds
A Malaysian task force investigating a multibillion-dollar scandal at state fund 1MDB is working with counterparts in neighbouring Singapore to retrieve funds believed to have been misappropriated, it said on Thursday.
At least six countries, including the United States and Switzerland, are investigating claims that US$4.5 billion was siphoned out of the fund, 1Malaysia Development Berhad, founded by former prime minister Najib Razak. Malaysia’s 1MDB task force, which met nine Singapore officials, said both sides would cooperate to return the funds to the Malaysian government.
“Our cooperation is also aimed at collecting evidence and tracking down witnesses in Singapore as soon as possible,” the task force said in a statement. “The teams will also establish a money trail to trace funds and existing assets.”
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Malaysian, Singaporean taskforces to track 1MDB money trail
The Special Task Force on 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) met its counterpart from Singapore at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters this morning. — Picture courtesy of MACC
The Special Task Force on 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) met its counterpart from Singapore at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters this morning. In a statement, both teams have agreed to recover the money allegedly embezzled from the fund. “The goal of cooperation between both sides is to collect evidence and indicate witnesses in Singapore as soon as possible. “In addition, the team will go on the money trail to detect the cash and assets that still exist,” it said in a statement.
The meeting today was attended by nine senior members of the Singaporean investigation team, including representatives from its Attorney-General’s Chambers, Commercial Affairs Department and the Monetary Authority Singapore. Malaysia was represented by officials from the Attorney-General’s Chambers, MACC, police and Bank Negara Malaysia.
The four-man taskforce consists of former Attorney-General (AG) Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, former MACC chief Tan Sri Abu Kassim Mohamed, MACC chief commissioner Datuk Seri Mohd Shukri Abdull and former Special Branch deputy director Abdul Hamid Bador. In recent years, Singapore ordered two Swiss private banks to shut, fined other large banks, seized assets and banned at least eight people from the finance industry for their actions in 1MDB-related transactions.
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1MDB task force meets Singaporean investigators in fund probe
The 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) task force met with Singaporean investigators as part of the investigation into the controversial fund.
Held at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters in Putrajaya on Thursday (May 31) morning, members of the task force discussed various issues pertaining to the investigation.
“The task force & Singaporean investigators have agreed to cooperate in recovering funds stolen from 1MDB.
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Abuses pushed Malaysia's debt over 1 trillion ringgit says Mahathir
Malaysia is saddled with over 1 trillion ringgit ($251.70 billion) in debt, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Monday, blaming the previous government led by former protege Najib Razak who now faces domestic graft investigations.
Mahathir, 92, led an opposition coalition to a spectacular win over Najib’s previously undefeated ruling alliance in a general election on May 9, having campaigned aggressively over people’s rising living costs and a multi-billion dollar scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
“We find that the country’s finances for example, was abused in a way that now we are facing trouble settling debts that have risen to a trillion ringgit,” Mahathir said when speaking for the first time to staff of the prime minister’s office.
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KL govt details RM1 trillion debt after Najib dispute
Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng at a news conference in Putrajaya yesterday, where he gave a breakdown of the debts the Malaysian government had incurred under the previous administration.PHOTO: REUTERS
Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng yesterday detailed how the new Malaysia government discovered that federal debt reached RM1 trillion (S$337 billion), a sum disputed by ousted premier Najib Razak.
Datuk Seri Najib wrote in a Facebook post on Wednesday that foreign investors and ratings agencies would be unsettled without details of how government debts could jump to 65 per cent of gross domestic product, when his previous Barisan Nasional government tallied them at 50.9 per cent.
"There must be a clear distinction between political narrative and facts. Mixing them will create doubts on the credibility of our numbers and the professionalism of the institutions that were involved in preparing them, governed by Malaysians laws and international standards," he wrote.
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Malaysia's 1 Trillion Ringgit Government Debt Explained
Lim Guan Eng, Malaysia's finance minister, center, speaks during a Pakatan Harapan alliance event in Petaling Jaya. Photographer: Sanjit Das/Bloomberg
Malaysia’s new Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng on Thursday gave a breakdown of government debt and liabilities exceeding 1 trillion ringgit ($251 billion), a figure that’s fueled market worries and raised the prospect of a credit-rating downgrade.
Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said this week that the number was higher than previously disclosed under the administration of ousted leader Najib Razak, partly because the state had given guarantees to companies, like 1MDB -- the investment fund at the center of a multibillion corruption scandal -- which now can’t repay its debt.
Lim said in a statement Thursday that the government’s liabilities as at the end of last year comprised of the following:
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Singapore government is in DEBT!!
Someone (who runs a fake news site, so let’s not link there) recently published an article saying that the Singapore government is in debt. The offending article concluded that as a result of this borrowing, we need to raise the GST in order to refinance our debt.
I couldn’t believe it. So I went to check. And to my shock and horror, it is true!
Our government is indeed in debt. And heck of a lot of it!
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Tale of 2 Finance Ministers: One abolishes GST while the other increases
Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who became the 7th PM of Malaysia on Thurs (10 May) announced yesterday (12 May) that Lim Guan Eng, also the deputy president of Pakatan, would be the new Finance Minister of Malaysia. The Star reported that Lim's appointment as Finance Minister has been lauded by businessmen and observers.
The new Pakatan government is expected to abolish the highly unpopular GST imposed by the previous Najib's government. This was promised by Pakatan during the election campaign. In Feb this year, just three months before the Malaysia GE14, Lim warned that with GST, it would run the ever increasing risk of GST hike every time the government needs money ('Guan Eng: S’pore GST hike shows PH right to promise abolition').
Meanwhile in Feb this year, Police scholar and Singapore's Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat announced a GST hike from the current 7 to 9 per cent, which is slated to be implemented after 2020. Speaking at a forum organized by Mediacorp, Heng said Singaporeans need to understand that the GST hike is necessary and being done for a “very important purpose” - to finance Singapore’s "growing expenditure needs". When asked how he would alleviate the worries expressed by the ordinary Singaporeans about the GST hike, he said, "I appreciate their concerns but it is important to understand why we need to do this."
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M’sia to scrap GST from 1 Jun and curtail expenditure while S’pore to up GST and borrow for mega projects
Malaysia’s new government announced yesterday (16 May) that it would abolish the Goods & Service Tax from 1 June next month. The move is likely to spur consumer spending but may put pressure on its fiscal position. However, Zeti Akhthar Aziz, a senior adviser to the Malaysian government, earlier had said that Malaysia would be able to reduce the fiscal deficit by controlling expenditure in the absence of GST. Disgruntled Malaysians have been blaming the GST for their rising living costs, since it was imposed in 2015 by the Najib's government.
Meanwhile, at the second session of the 13th Parliament also yesterday, Singapore's Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said that new funding ideas for mega infrastructure projects are on the cards, "particularly through borrowing arrangements" by statutory boards and government-owned companies. "We will leverage the strength of our financial position to optimise our borrowing, and invest sustainably in longer-term infrastructure that will position Singapore well for the future,” he said. One of the mega projects to be financed through borrowings is the upcoming T5 Airport Terminal. It constitutes part of the mega Changi East project.
GST to increase from 7 to 9% - Already, the Singapore government has signaled that it will increase the GST from the current 7 to 9% after 2020, about 2 years' time, so as to help increase the government's revenue. But it appears that it will not be enough to meet Singapore's " growing expenditure needs".
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Questions Raised about Singapore’s GST Hike as Malaysia Slashes GST to Zero Percent
Malaysia has slashed Goods and Service tax from 6 percent to zero percent. The change will be implemented from 1 June this year. The move comes as questions are raised about Singapore’s impending GST hike by 2 percentage points.
Across the Causeway, the removal of GST was down to a promise by newly-elected prime minister Mahathir Mohamad that he would remove the consumption tax to address rising cost of living. Zeti Akhthar Aziz, the former central bank governor and presently a senior adviser to the Malaysian government, said that Malaysia would be able to reduce its fiscal deficit by controlling expenditure in the absence of GST. Ms Zeti said that the government will re-prioritise projects, increase efficiency and reduce wastage in the public sector.
In Singapore, the GST hike here to 9 percent is set to take place sometime between 2021 to 2025. This was announced by Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat in this year’s Budget (Feb 19). He said that said the GST increase is “necessary because even after exploring various options to manage our future expenditures through prudent spending, saving and borrowing for infrastructure, there is still a gap”. The exact timing will depend on three factors: the state of Singapore’s economy, how much the country’s expenditures grow, and how buoyant Singapore’s existing taxes are. Mr Heng said he expects that the Government will need to raise GST earlier rather than later.
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What Tommy Thomas thinks of Singapore's legal system
This speech in 2009 by newly appointed Attorney-General Tommy Thomas is being shared and commented by netizens in Singapore.
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“We are hundred times better than Kiasuland”: Malaysia’s new AG’s comment on Singapore law goes viral
A nine-year-old speech by Malaysia’s new Attorney-General Tommy Thomas, in which he slammed Singapore as “Kiasuland”, has been going viral on social media here.
Contrary to speculation that the AG’s remarks comparing constitutional law between Singapore and Malaysia is recent, the AG’s sharp criticism was actually made on 9 Dec 2009 at a public forum in Petaling Jaya. The speech was actually made months after the Perak constitutional crisis, during which Perak’s one-year-old Pakatan Rakyat state government toppled.
Asserting that Malaysia was fortunate to be a member of the Commonwealth nations – since this means it could refer any constitutional disputes with fellow countries who share similar legal systems that originated from the “intellectual home” of Britain – the 66-year-old cited several examples of nations that he considers to have “constitutional courts of respect”.
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“Singapore does not have a constitution”: Malaysia’s new Attorney-General, Tommy Thomas, in 2009
In a speech froom 2009 which focused on where Malaysia's constitutional lawyers seek inspiration and precedents from, the current Attorney-General ("AG") of Malaysia and constitutional expert, Tommy Thomas highlighted the jurisdictions of India, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. In listing these jurisdictions, he made reference to how their constitution and the constitutional courts have developed a robust system over the years.
However, in addition to stating where their constitutional lawyers seek inspiration from, he also stated, in no uncertain terms, that the one place that they never look to is across the causeway.
"The one place that Malaysia's constitutional lawyers never look to is to Singapore. Singapore does not have a constitution. It does not have a constitutional court. It does not have constitutional judges. It does not have lawyers. So I cannot make this speech in Singapore. So whenever we criticize Malaysia, we must remember that it is a 100 times better than kiasu-land." - Tommy Thomas, Malaysia's AG
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Wake Up, Singapore shared Martyn See's post Yesterday at 18:50
"The one place Malaysian Constitutional Lawyers never look to is Singapore. Singapore has no Constitution. So I cannot make this speech in Singapore. Whenever we crticise Malaysia, we must remember that we are 100 times better than kiasu-land." - Tommy Thomas, the newly minted AG of Malaysia
Following the precedent set by the prosecution of Jolovan and John Tan (https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2018/06/06/malaysias-new-attorney-general-once-argued-that-singapore-does-not-have-a-constitution-heres-what-would-have-happened-if-he-had-made-the-same-statement-today/), who merely made the observation that Malaysian Judges are more independent than their counterparts across the causeway, will Lucien Wong, in the spirit of consistency, also charge his fellow AG for scandalizing the judiciary?
Martyn See Yesterday at 18:31 · Will Singapore's AG Lucien Wong, a former personal lawyer to Lee Hsien Loong, prosecute Tommy Thomas for scandalising our judiciary?
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Martyn See Yesterday at 9:31am
Will Singapore's AG Lucien Wong, a former personal lawyer to Lee Hsien Loong, prosecute Tommy Thomas for scandalising our judiciary?
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Dawn of a new era, in our own backyard!
Photo of the press conference by Dr Mahathir in the morning of Thursday, announcing that Pakatan Harapan has over the simple majority seats to form government (Photo: Lim Huey Teng/Malaysiakini)
As I awoke to news that a change of government has occurred in my neighbor, I'm sure the process has been equally as nail-biting for our Lee Hsien Loong who has to grapple with losing his Bestie!
The result is not only surprising but just as baffling for the People's Action Party government has often accused Malaysia of being racist leading to our succession but I see the opposite happening here instead. M'sians have by and large, casted aside racial differences to oust a government which they deem is the cause of their division, lack of respect for the rule of law and rampant abuses of power in the State Organs.
What's left to be seen now is, how the days and months ahead will play out for Najib (and Rosmah) who by now, should have been deserted by their cronies. Will Anwar (or Mahathir) release to the public, any corrupt deals that were done between LHL, Najib or any of the Royal Families from GE 2008 up to now? Will existing agreements inked by S'pore, M'sia and China still be honored provided no corruption took place? Will there be a reopening of the "Altantuya Shaariibuu" case and other such cases where further investigations were hindered by the BN is best left to speculation.
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related:
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Singapore says will seek compensation if HSR project cancelled
The Singapore government said today it will exercise its rights to seek compensation for expenses incurred if the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR) project is cancelled. Singapore’s Transport Minister and coordinating Infrastructure Minister, Khaw Boon Wan, said Singapore has requested the Malaysian government through diplomatic channels to clarify Malaysia’s formal position on the HSR project.
“Singapore is continuing to incur costs on the project as it awaits Malaysia’s clarification. “In the event Malaysia terminates the HSR project, we will study the implications and exercise our rights to compensation for expenses incurred in accordance with the terms of the HSR Bilateral Agreement,” he said in a statement today. He said Singapore would continue to support the HSR project and fulfil its obligations under the agreement but would only continue the project if the Malaysian government was willing to do so.
On Monday, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had in a press conference confirmed that Malaysia will drop the HSR project as it did not benefit the country. Boon said Singapore agreed to the project when Malaysia proposed it back in 2013 as it was convinced of its benefits to the island nation in the long run.
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Singapore still incurring costs for HSR, will exercise rights to compensation should project be canned: Khaw
An artistic impression of the HSR terminus in Jurong East
Should Malaysia terminate the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR) project, the Republic will study the implications & exercise its rights, including compensation for expenses incurred, in accordance with the terms of the bilateral agreement inked earlier, said Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan on Friday, Jun 1.
In a press statement, Mr Khaw also said Singapore has requested the Malaysian Government to clarify its position on the project. “We have informed the Malaysian Government that Singapore is continuing to incur costs on this project as it awaits Malaysia’s clarification,” he added.
Noting that it was Malaysia which proposed the HSR in 2013, Mr Khaw said Singapore agreed to the proposal because the Government was convinced of the benefits it would bring to the country.
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HSR cancellation was coalition policy from the start, says Mahathir
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad denied on Friday (June 1) that he pre-empted the Cabinet when announcing the cancellation of the High-Speed Rail (HSR) line between Singapore & Kuala Lumpur.
"No, that was decided by the party from the very beginning," Tun Dr Mahathir told a news conference when asked if he had pre-empted the other Cabinet ministers, pointing out that his Pakatan Harapan coalition had campaigned on the issue during the general elections in May.
"We campaigned on that issue. I am not going to go away from the decision of the party simply because I could not form the Cabinet soon enough," he said.
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Malaysia to look at ways of reducing costs if HSR is dropped: PM Mahathir
An artist's impression of a KL-S'pore High Speed Rail (HSR) station. (Photo: MyHSR)
Malaysia is going to look into how it can reduce the cost of any potential exit from a deal with Singapore for a high-speed rail (HSR) to link its capital Kuala Lumpur with the city-state, said Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in an interview published on Saturday (May 26).
Addressing the need to reduce the national debt and liabilities - which the government puts at around RM1trillion or 80% of its GDP - Mahathir said "at one go we can reduce it by RM200 billion by doing away with all these huge projects". The HSR project, valued by analysts at about US$17 billion, is currently out for tender and is scheduled to be completed by 2026.
"The terms of the agreement (for the HSR) are such that if we decide to drop the project, it will cost us a lot of money," Mahathir told the financial newspaper The Edge. "So we are going to find out how we can reduce the amount of money we have to pay for breaking the agreement."
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Malaysian govt evaluating economic implications of cancelling HSR: Economic Affairs Minister
An artist's impression of the high-speed rail terminal in Jurong East. FOTO: FARRELLS
The Malaysian government is looking at the possible economic implications if it were to cancel the Kuala Lumpur-S'pore high-speed rail (HSR) & East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) mega projects.
Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali said on Sunday (May 27) the government needed to consider all factors involved, including an earlier contractual agreement between the 2 nations for the HSR.
He also highlighted the importance of having talks with Singapore first to discuss how the project can be reviewed.
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Singapore asks Malaysia to clarify position on KL-Singapore HSR: Khaw Boon Wan
"We have informed the Malaysian Government that Singapore is continuing to incur costs on this project as it awaits Malaysia’s clarification, & that in the event Malaysia terminates the project, Singapore will study the implications & exercise our rights (including any right to compensation for expenses incurred) in accordance with the terms of the HSR bilateral agreement," said Mr Khaw.
When Malaysia proposed the project to Singapore in 2013, Singapore agreed because it was convinced of the project's benefits to Singapore, said the minister.
"We still believe that a high-speed rail link between Singapore & Kuala Lumpur would be in our mutual interest, economically as well as in terms of the friendship & mutual understanding of our two peoples." Singapore continues to support the project & to fulfill its obligations under the bilateral agreement, said Mr Khaw.
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Malaysia Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng on KL-Singapore high-speed rail project
While Singapore has asked Malaysia to officially confirm its desire to terminate the KL-Singapore high-speed rail project, Malaysia Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng on Friday (Jun 1) said Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad shall be allowed to "move at his own pace".
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Malaysia's Cabinet agreed to scrap HSR due to high costs: Mahathir
Malaysia's Cabinet has agreed to scrap the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high-speed rail (HSR) project due to high financial costs, subject to discussions with the Singapore Government, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said yesterday.
When asked why the project, estimated to cost RM60 billion (S$20.2 billion), was called off, he said: "The most important thing for us now is to reduce the amount of borrowings by the government. We have borrowed too much money. And we cannot pay so much money if we continue with the project.
"So we are not only looking at HSR but also mega projects, which cost us billions of dollars," he said after chairing the weekly Cabinet meeting.
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Putrajaya prepared to hear S’pore out if Republic requests to continue HSR project: Mahathir
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Wed (May 30) that he will hear Singapore out if the Republic requests to continue the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR) project.
Speaking to reporters after a weekly Cabinet meeting, Dr Mahathir announced that his Cabinet has agreed to cancel the HSR project. But this will be subject to discussions with the Singapore government because it involves “high financial implications”, he added.
When asked if he would reconsider should Singapore request for the project’s continuation, Dr Mahathir replied: “We will listen to them. They are our good partners.”
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HSR decision ‘not an ominous sign for bilateral relations’, shows Mahathir-led govt’s priorities
Malaysia’s decision to scrap the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail (HSR) was driven by a desire to reduce the country’s national debt, & should not be seen as a move to spite Singapore, said political analysts on both sides of the Causeway.
Neither is it an ominous sign for bilateral relations under Dr Mahathir Mohamad, 92, in his 2nd stint as prime minister, they added. Given the fact that the new Pakatan Harapan (PH) government has yet to appoint a foreign minister and Dr Mahathir’s short runway as premier, the analysts also pointed out that for now, Malaysia’s priorities are on its domestic issues, with international relations taking a backseat.
“It is not about personal vendetta. He’s too old for all of that. He wants the country to get back on track before handing over power to Anwar (Ibrahim),” said Dr Serina Abdul Rahman from Singapore’s Iseas-Yusof Ishak Institute. “His focus is Malaysia first, not to give problems to Singapore. He’s doing what it takes to restore Malaysia’s financial situation.”
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Mahathir: Show us proof that Malaysia will lose over RM200 billion if HSR is cancelled
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has urged his detractors to show proof that Malaysia stands to lose more than RM200bil (S$67.5 billion) if the High-Speed Rail (HSR) project with Singapore is cancelled.
Umno strategic communications spokesman Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan had earlier said that cancelling the HSR project would see Malaysia lose an estimated RM209bil in gross national income (GNI) contribution and 70,000 potential jobs opportunities.
"Show proof. When we said Malaysia has RM1 trillion debt, we had the documents to back it up. Don't just talk, show us the proof," he told reporters after attending a buka puasa event at Bukit Aman on Tuesday (May 29).
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No longer possible for Singapore to remain quiet on the HSR issue
Following Malaysian Prime Minister's confirmation earlier today that his Government will cancel the KL-Singapore High-Speed Rail (HSR) project, it is no longer possible for Singapore's political leaders to remain quiet - if they indeed value integrity as well as trust and respect from their citizens.
Dr Mahathir said today: "If this country is to avoid bankruptcy, we must learn how to manage our big debts. So one of the ways, of course, is to do away with projects that are not beneficial to the country." The key words are "not beneficial". It is not a case of the Malaysian Government cancelling the project because of national debt. While that is a key concern, the key emphasis of Dr Mahathir's comments made over the past two months (even before his electoral victory) is whether the HSR project will benefit Malaysia. He has always been clear: the project will not benefit Malaysia.
An average reader will conclude from Dr Mahathir's comments that the project is then only beneficial to Singapore. Is that a sentiment agreed and accepted by the Singapore leaders? If not, why is no one speaking up to rebut Dr Mahathir's "allegations"? After all, we have no lack of politicians willing to jump into any debate so as to protect the integrity of our Government, isn't it?
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HSR cancellation: Don't make emotional decisions, says Najib
Datuk Seri Najib Razak has urged the government to be transparent in its decision to cancel the Kuala Lumpur - Singapore High-Speed Rail (HSR) project. Najib said this is because the project was not created based on the decision of one country alone, but done after careful study on its benefits. Najib, who took to his Facebook page to express his disappointment with the ‘hasty’ decision, called for the government to be more transparent and to discuss before making any decisions as it will affect the economic and job opportunities for Malaysians. He said studies also found that Malaysia will benefit most from the project as the majority of the railways are in the country. “The integration between two major cities and economies in Southeast Asia will yield benefits beyond just ticket sales,” he said, adding that cities such as Batu Pahat, Muar, Ayer Keroh, Melaka and Seremban would enjoy double benefits from the project.
Najib also questioned if agencies involved in the project had been given a room to present their case to the Cabinet and the Council of Eminent Persons. “In reality, infrastructure projects such as HSR bring benefits and returns in the form of increase in property values, local economic growth, technology transfer, high-income employment opportunities, more experts into the country from Singapore and tourism, among others. “These infrastructure projects will further spur the country’s economic growth, which subsequently allow the government to earn revenue from taxes derived from a vibrant economy. As for the people, they get to enjoy the facilities and more job opportunities with ease of travel. “The same rationale is used in the construction of HSR. The trip between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur is the world’s busiest international air route. “Thus, there is a great demand for the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore route. That is the reason why HSR is very beneficial to the country,” he said.
Najib said today’s economy is more sophisticated than ever, and as such he would be disappointed if the prime minister (Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad) fails to see the projects returns beyond mere ticket sales. “I would like to ask Dr Mahathir if projects such as Pan Borneo Highway and Central Spine Road that are toll-free, as well as Light Rail Transit (LRT), Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and monorail, only obtain returns via ticket sales alone? Surely not. “Do not make a decision solely based on grudges against individuals or the Barisan Nasional government. Decisions made according to emotions will not benefit the people,” he said.
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Malaysia scraps high speed rail to Singapore
Malaysia's new Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad seeks to cancel a China-funded high-speed rail link between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Mahathir said Malaysia just can’t afford the $17 billion price tag. What are the hard lessons learned in pursuing multi-billion dollar mega-projects?
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Does Malaysia Need High-Speed Rail
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has said he’ll cancel a planned high-speed railway that was intended to reduce journey times between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore from about five hours to 90 minutes. Bloomberg Opinion columnists David Fickling and Adam Minter debate the topic.
David Fickling: I think we both agree that high-speed rail, or HSR, doesn’t make sense in all areas. The economic benefits can be surprisingly slight and depend a lot on construction cost, population density, route length and ticket pricing.
But Singapore-Kuala Lumpur seems to me to be one of the corridors where it would clearly work. It’s overtaken Hong Kong-Taipei as the world’s busiest international air route and the potential travel time puts it well within the range where rail can supplant aviation, which would also help free up space at airports. Add to that the huge reductions in carbon dioxide emissions and it seems a no-brainer to me. What’s not to like?
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3 reasons why scrapping the HSR project may be bad for Jurong
The growth prospects of Jurong’s property market may have dimmed after Malaysia’s new Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad on Monday (28 May) said a “final decision” was made to scrap the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR) project.
Both countries had previously signed a bilateral agreement in 2016 to undertake the 350km mega project, with Jurong East earmarked as the location of the Singapore terminus. The HSR was expected to reduce travel time from Singapore to KL to just 90 minutes.
But the new Malaysian government plans to cancel the project, which Dr Mahathir said would cost RM110 billion (S$37 billion), amidst a whopping debt of over RM1 trillion (S$337.9 billion) worsened by the 1MDB corruption scandal. The decision could impact Singapore’s ambitious plans for Jurong’s future. Here’s why:
- Impact on property prices
- Effect on commercial activity, land bids
- Some missed opportunities
Singapore Matters Page Liked · 7 hrs
It is Malaysia's right to cancel the project for whatever reasons. All they need to do is to honour all the conditions as spelled out in the terms of agreement signed between the two countries.
It is HOWEVER, NOT RIGHT to drag Singapore into Malaysian politics by giving the MISLEADING impression that the HSR was a Singapore's idea and not only that, one that would benefit only Singapore since Malaysia WOULD NOT EARN A SINGLE CENT. Blatantly false.
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S'pore-KL High Speed Rail Agreement
Malaysia is dropping a plan for a high-speed rail link between its capital, Kuala Lumpur & Singapore, & will talk with its southern neighbour about the agreement to build it, Malaysia's prime minister said in an interview published on Monday.
Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the 92-yr-old who triumphed over scandal-plagued Najib Razak in a general election this month, has made it a priority to cut the national debt and pledged to review major projects agreed by the previous government.
"We need to do away with some of the unnecessary projects, for example the high-speed rail, which is going to cost us 110 billion ringgit (S$36.9 billion) and will not earn us a single cent. That will be dropped," Dr Mahathir told the Financial Times.
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Malaysia drops their pursuit to possess Pedra Branca, but they’re planning bigger things for Middle Rocks
Magnanimous as the move may be, the Malaysian prime minister has a surprise up his sleeve. In a press conference, Tun Dr. Mahathir revealed plans to literally expand their own jurisdiction with Middle Rocks, located about 1km south of Pedra Branch.
“It is our intention to enlarge Middle Rocks so we can form a small island for us,” Mahathir told reporters, without giving further details.
As reported in Bernama last year, Malaysia has already set up a maritime installation on Middle Rocks, complete with a jetty, a helipad, and a lighthouse. The structure was built to conduct marine scientific research, and of course, reaffirm Malaysia’s “absolute sovereignty” over Middle Rocks.
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Malaysia drops challenge to ICJ ruling on Pedra Branca
Malaysia has discontinued proceedings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) relating to the court's 2008 judgment, which awarded sovereignty of Pedra Branca to Singapore.
In a press statement on Wednesday (May 30), Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said it had been informed by the ICJ of Malaysia's decision to drop two cases to revise & to interpret the judgment.
The statement came shortly after new Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad told a media conference that his government would “reconsider” the previous administration's challenge to the Pedra Branca ruling.
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Malaysia withdraws Pedra Branca case; Singapore 'happy to agree', says Vivian Balakrishnan
Malaysia has withdrawn its applications to revise & to interpret a 2008 judgment by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that awarded sovereignty of Pedra Branca to Singapore.
In a statement on Wednesday (May 30), Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Malaysia had informed the ICJ on Monday (May 28) that it would stop the proceedings that it had initiated earlier. In response, on Tuesday, Singapore told the ICJ that it agreed with Malaysia's request for discontinuance.
Prior to that, Malaysia's Solicitor General had written to inform Singapore's Attorney-General of Malaysia's intention, & Singapore replied to convey its agreement, MFA said.
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Malaysia’s plans for Middle Rocks could set back bilateral ties: Experts
The Malaysian government’s plan to expand Middle Rocks into an island is an attempt to burnish its nationalist credentials & assert its sovereignty over the rocky outcrop following its withdrawal of a challenge on an international court ruling on Pedra Branca, say observers.
But they added that while the move appears within Malaysia’s legal rights, carrying it out could have a negative impact on ties with Singapore.
“I see it more as seeking to re-assert Malaysian sovereignty despite dropping for good the claim to Pedra Branca,” said Associate Professor Eugene Tan, a law professor at Singapore Management University, echoing the views of several experts on the announcement, made by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Wednesday.
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MAHATHIR PLANS MALAYSIAN ISLAND ON MIDDLE ROCKS NEAR SINGAPORE
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s latest set of sweeping policy reforms announced on Wednesday has put neighbouring Singapore in the spotlight, as the recently elected leader confirmed the cancellation of a highly anticipated high-speed rail project between the two countries and revealed a surprise plan to build an island near the city state’s territorial waters.
Mahathir told a press conference of plans to “enlarge” Middle Rocks, a rocky outcrop in the Singapore Strait that was awarded to his country in 2008 following a legal suit over Pedra Branca, a nearby island in the strategic waterway.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in that same ruling awarded to Singapore Pedra Branca – referred to in Malaysia as Pulau Batu Puteh (White Stone island).
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Malaysia plans to build island on strategic Singapore Strait rocks
Malaysia's prime minister said on Wednesday his government planned to develop some offshore rocks which were the subject of a territorial dispute with Singapore, days after he cancelled a big rail project with his southern neighbour.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) awarded the outcrop, known as Middle Rocks, near the opening of the Straits of Singapore, to Malaysia in 2008. At the same time, the Netherlands-based court ruled the nearby Pedra Branca island belonged to Singapore.
Malaysia sought a review of that ruling last year, in the hope of restaking its claim to Pedra Branca. Singapore opposed Malaysia's bid to review the ruling and the Singapore foreign ministry said on Wednesday the ICJ had informed it Malaysia had withdrawn that request.
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What’s Next for the Malaysia-Singapore Pedra Branca Dispute?
Last week, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) announced that it would hold public hearings in June related to Malaysia’s new challenge of its previous ruling on a decades-long island dispute with Singapore over Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh. The announcement marks just the latest development following the recent revival of the dispute that continues to loom over the broader bilateral ties.
As I have noted before in these pages, Malaysia and Singapore have had a rather prickly relationship in the past, and despite some significant improvements in ties over the past few years, problems still tend to arise in ties from time to time in part due to domestic politics (See: “Malaysia-Singapore Relations in the Spotlight with 2017 Leaders’ Retreat”).
Pedra Branca is a case in point. Though the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled back in May 2008 that Singapore had sovereignty over it after a decades-long row, Malaysia filed a new application to the ICJ in February 2016 to revise the judgment citing new evidence from documents discovered in British archives, with a separate application for interpretation filed in June 2017. In doing so, Malaysia effectively revived the decades-long dispute and complicated a historically rocky bilateral relationship.
related:
Malaysia Reveals New Maritime Base Near Disputed Island With Singapore
Malaysia Deploys First Warship to New Naval Base Near Disputed Island
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Johor Sultan opens Abu Bakar Maritime Base in Batuan Tengah
The Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar yesterday graced the opening of the Malaysian Maritime station in Batuan Tengah (Middle Rocks) and named it Abu Bakar Maritime Base.
Also present at the event were Malaysian Maritime director-general Admiral Datuk Zulkifili Abu Bakar, National Security Council (NSC) director-general Gen (R) Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zin and Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar.
Zulkifili said the construction of Abu Bakar Maritime Base began on April 16, 2012 under the 10th Malaysia Plan and was completed in August last year at a cost of RM61.5 million.
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Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar 1 August 2017
SULTAN JOHOR RASMI PANGKALAN MARITIM ABU BAKAR DI BATUAN TENGAH
DYMM Sultan Johor Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar hari ini (1 Ogos) menzahirkan kedaulatan Malaysia ke atas Batuan Tengah (Middle Rocks) berdekatan perairan Kota Tinggi, Johor dengan merasmikan Abu Bakar Maritime Base.
SULTAN JOHOR OPENS MARITIME BASE AT MIDDLE ROCKS
HRH The Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar today (August 1) officially opened the Abu Bakar Maritime Base, thereby reaffirming Malaysia's absolute sovereignty over the Middle Rocks off Kota Tinggi, Johor
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Malaysia inaugurates new maritime base near disputed island with Singapore
The Malaysian government has inaugurated a new maritime base approximately 500 m southeast of Pedra Branca, an outlying island under the jurisdiction of Singapore that Kuala Lumpur believes is part of its territory.
The installation – which has been constructed across two uninhabited features at the eastern opening of the Singapore Strait known as Middle Rocks – was inaugurated by the Sultan of Johor, Ibrahim Ismail bin Iskandar, on 1 August. Accompanying the sultan at the inauguration was chief of the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN), Admiral Ahmad Kamarulzaman bin Ahmad Badaruddin.
The maritime base's construction was initiated as a national security project that seeks to secure Malaysia's territorial waters, according to a video statement from the Sultan of Johor's office. Facilities on the installation, which Malaysia refers to as the Abu Bakar Maritime Base, include a 316 m jetty, a lighthouse, and a helicopter landing pad.
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Malaysia opens maritime base near Pedra Branca
Malaysia has signalled its keen sovereign interest by completing a maritime base just a kilometre away from Pedra Branca, & hopes to tighten its sea borders in the area where frequent trespasses by Vietnamese fishing boats have hurt the livelihoods of Malaysian fishermen, officials & analysts say.
The Sultan of Johor officially opened the maritime base on the Middle Rocks on Tuesday, after some 5 years of construction at a cost of RM61.5 million (S$19.5 million). The rocky outcrop was awarded to Malaysia in 2008 by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which handed Pedra Branca to Singapore at the same time.
Analysts note that the Abu Bakar Maritime Base should be welcomed as a positive development in maritime security.
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Malaysian navy ship berths at Middle Rocks
A Malaysian navy ship berthed for the first time at the country's newest maritime base off Johor on Thursday, 10 days after the Sultan of Johor opened the base on the Middle Rocks outcrop.
"Our vessel - KD Perdana - is the first Royal Malaysian Navy ship to berth at the Abu Bakar maritime base in Middle Rocks," Malaysia's navy chief, Admiral Ahmad Kamarulzaman Ahmad Badaruddin, told The Straits Times yesterday.
"Although it is not being permanently positioned there, it will still frequent the base & carry out patrols in the area with other vessels to ensure maritime security," he said over the phone.
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Horsburgh Lighthouse and Abu Bakar Maritime Base
Horsburgh Lighthouse on Pedra Branca Island of Singapore and Abu Bakar Maritime Base owned by Malaysia in the Singapore Strait.
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Abu Bakar Maritime Base Malaysia
This is a navy base with lighthouse and helipad and dock for warships in the strategic contested location of Middle Rocks Singapore Strait.
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Singapore to return stolen 1MDB money
Malaysia’s special task force investigating the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal is working with its Singapore counterpart to recover money believed to have been misappropriated by the state-owned strategic investment fund.
It said Singapore’s 1MDB Special Task Force has agreed to cooperate with its Malaysian counterpart to return monies. Malaysia’s 1MDB Special Task Force is led by former attorney-general Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Abu Kassim Mohamed, incumbent MACC chief Datuk Seri Mohd Shukri Abdull and the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) special branch department director Datuk Abdul Hamid Bador.
In a statement, Malaysia’s 1MDB Special Task Force said that during a meeting at 9.30am yesterday, it and Singapore’s 1MDB Special Task Force agreed to cooperate to bring back funds related to 1MDB to the Malaysian government.
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Singapore and Malaysia cooperate to retrieve embezzled 1MDB funds
A Malaysian task force investigating a multibillion-dollar scandal at state fund 1MDB is working with counterparts in neighbouring Singapore to retrieve funds believed to have been misappropriated, it said on Thursday.
At least six countries, including the United States and Switzerland, are investigating claims that US$4.5 billion was siphoned out of the fund, 1Malaysia Development Berhad, founded by former prime minister Najib Razak. Malaysia’s 1MDB task force, which met nine Singapore officials, said both sides would cooperate to return the funds to the Malaysian government.
“Our cooperation is also aimed at collecting evidence and tracking down witnesses in Singapore as soon as possible,” the task force said in a statement. “The teams will also establish a money trail to trace funds and existing assets.”
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Malaysian, Singaporean taskforces to track 1MDB money trail
The Special Task Force on 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) met its counterpart from Singapore at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters this morning. In a statement, both teams have agreed to recover the money allegedly embezzled from the fund. “The goal of cooperation between both sides is to collect evidence and indicate witnesses in Singapore as soon as possible. “In addition, the team will go on the money trail to detect the cash and assets that still exist,” it said in a statement.
The meeting today was attended by nine senior members of the Singaporean investigation team, including representatives from its Attorney-General’s Chambers, Commercial Affairs Department and the Monetary Authority Singapore. Malaysia was represented by officials from the Attorney-General’s Chambers, MACC, police and Bank Negara Malaysia.
The four-man taskforce consists of former Attorney-General (AG) Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, former MACC chief Tan Sri Abu Kassim Mohamed, MACC chief commissioner Datuk Seri Mohd Shukri Abdull and former Special Branch deputy director Abdul Hamid Bador. In recent years, Singapore ordered two Swiss private banks to shut, fined other large banks, seized assets and banned at least eight people from the finance industry for their actions in 1MDB-related transactions.
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1MDB task force meets Singaporean investigators in fund probe
The 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) task force met with Singaporean investigators as part of the investigation into the controversial fund.
Held at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters in Putrajaya on Thursday (May 31) morning, members of the task force discussed various issues pertaining to the investigation.
“The task force & Singaporean investigators have agreed to cooperate in recovering funds stolen from 1MDB.
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Abuses pushed Malaysia's debt over 1 trillion ringgit says Mahathir
Malaysia is saddled with over 1 trillion ringgit ($251.70 billion) in debt, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Monday, blaming the previous government led by former protege Najib Razak who now faces domestic graft investigations.
Mahathir, 92, led an opposition coalition to a spectacular win over Najib’s previously undefeated ruling alliance in a general election on May 9, having campaigned aggressively over people’s rising living costs and a multi-billion dollar scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
“We find that the country’s finances for example, was abused in a way that now we are facing trouble settling debts that have risen to a trillion ringgit,” Mahathir said when speaking for the first time to staff of the prime minister’s office.
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KL govt details RM1 trillion debt after Najib dispute
Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng yesterday detailed how the new Malaysia government discovered that federal debt reached RM1 trillion (S$337 billion), a sum disputed by ousted premier Najib Razak.
Datuk Seri Najib wrote in a Facebook post on Wednesday that foreign investors and ratings agencies would be unsettled without details of how government debts could jump to 65 per cent of gross domestic product, when his previous Barisan Nasional government tallied them at 50.9 per cent.
"There must be a clear distinction between political narrative and facts. Mixing them will create doubts on the credibility of our numbers and the professionalism of the institutions that were involved in preparing them, governed by Malaysians laws and international standards," he wrote.
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Malaysia's 1 Trillion Ringgit Government Debt Explained
Malaysia’s new Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng on Thursday gave a breakdown of government debt and liabilities exceeding 1 trillion ringgit ($251 billion), a figure that’s fueled market worries and raised the prospect of a credit-rating downgrade.
Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said this week that the number was higher than previously disclosed under the administration of ousted leader Najib Razak, partly because the state had given guarantees to companies, like 1MDB -- the investment fund at the center of a multibillion corruption scandal -- which now can’t repay its debt.
Lim said in a statement Thursday that the government’s liabilities as at the end of last year comprised of the following:
- Federal government debt of 686.8 billion ringgit, or 50.8 percent of gross domestic product
- Government guarantees of 199.1 billion ringgit, or 14.6 percent of GDP. The government is committed to paying the debt of entities which are unable to do so, including 42.2 billion ringgit for Danainfra Nasional Bhd, 26.6 billion ringgit for Prasarana Malaysia Bhd and 38 billion ringgit for 1MDB.
- Lease payments for public-private projects of 201.4 billion ringgit, or 14.9 percent of GDP. The government is obligated to pay for rental, maintenance and other costs on a number of projects, such as construction of schools, hospitals and roads.
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Singapore government is in DEBT!!
And what a wonderful thing that is!
Someone (who runs a fake news site, so let’s not link there) recently published an article saying that the Singapore government is in debt. The offending article concluded that as a result of this borrowing, we need to raise the GST in order to refinance our debt.
I couldn’t believe it. So I went to check. And to my shock and horror, it is true!
Our government is indeed in debt. And heck of a lot of it!
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Tale of 2 Finance Ministers: One abolishes GST while the other increases
Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who became the 7th PM of Malaysia on Thurs (10 May) announced yesterday (12 May) that Lim Guan Eng, also the deputy president of Pakatan, would be the new Finance Minister of Malaysia. The Star reported that Lim's appointment as Finance Minister has been lauded by businessmen and observers.
The new Pakatan government is expected to abolish the highly unpopular GST imposed by the previous Najib's government. This was promised by Pakatan during the election campaign. In Feb this year, just three months before the Malaysia GE14, Lim warned that with GST, it would run the ever increasing risk of GST hike every time the government needs money ('Guan Eng: S’pore GST hike shows PH right to promise abolition').
Meanwhile in Feb this year, Police scholar and Singapore's Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat announced a GST hike from the current 7 to 9 per cent, which is slated to be implemented after 2020. Speaking at a forum organized by Mediacorp, Heng said Singaporeans need to understand that the GST hike is necessary and being done for a “very important purpose” - to finance Singapore’s "growing expenditure needs". When asked how he would alleviate the worries expressed by the ordinary Singaporeans about the GST hike, he said, "I appreciate their concerns but it is important to understand why we need to do this."
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M’sia to scrap GST from 1 Jun and curtail expenditure while S’pore to up GST and borrow for mega projects
Malaysia’s new government announced yesterday (16 May) that it would abolish the Goods & Service Tax from 1 June next month. The move is likely to spur consumer spending but may put pressure on its fiscal position. However, Zeti Akhthar Aziz, a senior adviser to the Malaysian government, earlier had said that Malaysia would be able to reduce the fiscal deficit by controlling expenditure in the absence of GST. Disgruntled Malaysians have been blaming the GST for their rising living costs, since it was imposed in 2015 by the Najib's government.
Meanwhile, at the second session of the 13th Parliament also yesterday, Singapore's Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said that new funding ideas for mega infrastructure projects are on the cards, "particularly through borrowing arrangements" by statutory boards and government-owned companies. "We will leverage the strength of our financial position to optimise our borrowing, and invest sustainably in longer-term infrastructure that will position Singapore well for the future,” he said. One of the mega projects to be financed through borrowings is the upcoming T5 Airport Terminal. It constitutes part of the mega Changi East project.
GST to increase from 7 to 9% - Already, the Singapore government has signaled that it will increase the GST from the current 7 to 9% after 2020, about 2 years' time, so as to help increase the government's revenue. But it appears that it will not be enough to meet Singapore's " growing expenditure needs".
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Questions Raised about Singapore’s GST Hike as Malaysia Slashes GST to Zero Percent
Malaysia has slashed Goods and Service tax from 6 percent to zero percent. The change will be implemented from 1 June this year. The move comes as questions are raised about Singapore’s impending GST hike by 2 percentage points.
Across the Causeway, the removal of GST was down to a promise by newly-elected prime minister Mahathir Mohamad that he would remove the consumption tax to address rising cost of living. Zeti Akhthar Aziz, the former central bank governor and presently a senior adviser to the Malaysian government, said that Malaysia would be able to reduce its fiscal deficit by controlling expenditure in the absence of GST. Ms Zeti said that the government will re-prioritise projects, increase efficiency and reduce wastage in the public sector.
In Singapore, the GST hike here to 9 percent is set to take place sometime between 2021 to 2025. This was announced by Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat in this year’s Budget (Feb 19). He said that said the GST increase is “necessary because even after exploring various options to manage our future expenditures through prudent spending, saving and borrowing for infrastructure, there is still a gap”. The exact timing will depend on three factors: the state of Singapore’s economy, how much the country’s expenditures grow, and how buoyant Singapore’s existing taxes are. Mr Heng said he expects that the Government will need to raise GST earlier rather than later.
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What Tommy Thomas thinks of Singapore's legal system
This speech in 2009 by newly appointed Attorney-General Tommy Thomas is being shared and commented by netizens in Singapore.
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“We are hundred times better than Kiasuland”: Malaysia’s new AG’s comment on Singapore law goes viral
A nine-year-old speech by Malaysia’s new Attorney-General Tommy Thomas, in which he slammed Singapore as “Kiasuland”, has been going viral on social media here.
Contrary to speculation that the AG’s remarks comparing constitutional law between Singapore and Malaysia is recent, the AG’s sharp criticism was actually made on 9 Dec 2009 at a public forum in Petaling Jaya. The speech was actually made months after the Perak constitutional crisis, during which Perak’s one-year-old Pakatan Rakyat state government toppled.
Asserting that Malaysia was fortunate to be a member of the Commonwealth nations – since this means it could refer any constitutional disputes with fellow countries who share similar legal systems that originated from the “intellectual home” of Britain – the 66-year-old cited several examples of nations that he considers to have “constitutional courts of respect”.
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“Singapore does not have a constitution”: Malaysia’s new Attorney-General, Tommy Thomas, in 2009
In a speech froom 2009 which focused on where Malaysia's constitutional lawyers seek inspiration and precedents from, the current Attorney-General ("AG") of Malaysia and constitutional expert, Tommy Thomas highlighted the jurisdictions of India, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. In listing these jurisdictions, he made reference to how their constitution and the constitutional courts have developed a robust system over the years.
However, in addition to stating where their constitutional lawyers seek inspiration from, he also stated, in no uncertain terms, that the one place that they never look to is across the causeway.
"The one place that Malaysia's constitutional lawyers never look to is to Singapore. Singapore does not have a constitution. It does not have a constitutional court. It does not have constitutional judges. It does not have lawyers. So I cannot make this speech in Singapore. So whenever we criticize Malaysia, we must remember that it is a 100 times better than kiasu-land." - Tommy Thomas, Malaysia's AG
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Wake Up, Singapore shared Martyn See's post Yesterday at 18:50
"The one place Malaysian Constitutional Lawyers never look to is Singapore. Singapore has no Constitution. So I cannot make this speech in Singapore. Whenever we crticise Malaysia, we must remember that we are 100 times better than kiasu-land." - Tommy Thomas, the newly minted AG of Malaysia
Following the precedent set by the prosecution of Jolovan and John Tan (https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2018/06/06/malaysias-new-attorney-general-once-argued-that-singapore-does-not-have-a-constitution-heres-what-would-have-happened-if-he-had-made-the-same-statement-today/), who merely made the observation that Malaysian Judges are more independent than their counterparts across the causeway, will Lucien Wong, in the spirit of consistency, also charge his fellow AG for scandalizing the judiciary?
Martyn See Yesterday at 18:31 · Will Singapore's AG Lucien Wong, a former personal lawyer to Lee Hsien Loong, prosecute Tommy Thomas for scandalising our judiciary?
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Martyn See Yesterday at 9:31am
Will Singapore's AG Lucien Wong, a former personal lawyer to Lee Hsien Loong, prosecute Tommy Thomas for scandalising our judiciary?
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Dawn of a new era, in our own backyard!
As I awoke to news that a change of government has occurred in my neighbor, I'm sure the process has been equally as nail-biting for our Lee Hsien Loong who has to grapple with losing his Bestie!
The result is not only surprising but just as baffling for the People's Action Party government has often accused Malaysia of being racist leading to our succession but I see the opposite happening here instead. M'sians have by and large, casted aside racial differences to oust a government which they deem is the cause of their division, lack of respect for the rule of law and rampant abuses of power in the State Organs.
What's left to be seen now is, how the days and months ahead will play out for Najib (and Rosmah) who by now, should have been deserted by their cronies. Will Anwar (or Mahathir) release to the public, any corrupt deals that were done between LHL, Najib or any of the Royal Families from GE 2008 up to now? Will existing agreements inked by S'pore, M'sia and China still be honored provided no corruption took place? Will there be a reopening of the "Altantuya Shaariibuu" case and other such cases where further investigations were hindered by the BN is best left to speculation.
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The protege toppled by his mentor
Dear Prime Minister Mahathir, It has been a while since I have seen you personally. It seems you have been well, especially since last week when your upstart coalition won control in Malaysia's first surprising election.
During my two years at Bloomberg's office in Kuala Lumpur, from 1996 to 1998, I regularly attended press conferences you held as prime minister. You once chided me for seeking too many details in your answers. That annoyed me, because when one was based in KL -- as opposed to stopping by to write a quick dispatch, as most Western journalists did -- nuances and details mattered greatly. I'll give you this: You were very available and ready with an answer to almost any question. You didn't hide behind mystique, like Suharto in Indonesia. Look what happened to him!
The time I spent in Malaysia was formative. I have an enormous reservoir of fondness for the country and its rich culture and, yes, awe at its political brutality. As one who watched what went wrong 20 years ago (remember when you jailed your finance minister?), let me offer some advice as your team settles in.
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