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11/06/2006
Johore like New Territories of Hongkong?
If only Malaysia is serious, sign a 100 year agreement with Singapore (JTC/HDB) to develop and manage JB Singapore style but with full sovereignty remaining with Malaysia. Let the developers and infrastructure professionals to go in and develop JB into a twin city of Singapore, the same efficiency and security. The tricky part is the law enforcer.
The Malaysian govt can be guaranteed of a larger and more vibrant JB with all the features of a metropolis within 20 years. A larger scale Singapore integrated into the smaller Singapore like Hongkong and the New territories.
Do they have the will and the vision to want to see that happens?
Sorry to disappoint you. I think Johore will not be like New Territories of Hongkong. Why?
ReplyDelete1. Johore, being part of Malaysia, is dominantly Muslim/Malays; while Singapore is dominantly Chinese.
Whereas, both New Territories and Hongkong are all Chinese. So, there is cultural, race and religion diferences; and therefore also values and mentality differences.
2. Malaysia does not want to develop Johore on Singapore's desire, design and terms.
3. Malaysia prefers to leave Johore as a buffer zone, just in case Singapore starts to have expansionist designs. Therefore, the civilian population in Johore should be as small as possible so that, in time of war, civilian casualties would not be so great.
4. The infrastructure in Johore should not facilitate Singapore's military maneouvres, in time of conflict. In fact, they should bog down and contain them within Johore itself.
5. Too many tall buildings would impede anti-aircraft weapons' effectiveness to counter Singapore's military aircrafts.
6. Hongkong was part of China, temporarily administered by the British for 100 years, and is now returned to China; whereas Singapore is an independent country, which has been at logger-heads with Malaysia since its inception and safeguards its independence with earnest and great determination; whilst Malaysia would like to see Singapore collapse as early and as fast as possible, economically or politically, for obvious reasons.
hi anibodi,
ReplyDeletewelcome to the blog.
yours is an interesting perspective of how malaysian could treat johore from a defence strategy perspective. hope no sensible leaders from both sides ever think that a military solution can solve anything. it will turn us into an endless battlefield jsut like middle east. war is not an option. only the crazy americans think so because of their superior firepower. and they are paying a very heavy price for it.
agree with you that johore/singapore combination is different from new territories/hk combination. but the malaysian has a choice, albeit a very emotional and political one. do they want johore to be a metropolis of the future where secular lifestyle overrules traditional and religious way of life. if they choose the second, then they can forget about their sjer. a metropolis has to blend with the evolving secular priorities of an industrial and technological world.
and that is the only way to go if sjer is to succeed. and singapore will work with them, provided there is an agreement of 100 years to run it as a secular state. you cannot run the place like a kampong or religious fiefdom with kings and sultans and chosen ones being above the law and living off the people who are working for a living.
Johore can never be hong kong, but can be "king kong" though.
ReplyDeleteA country of prosperity depends on the culture of good upbringing not wayangness.
What Johore is doing is just like what Singapore doing all along. Build physical infrastructure, place formal procedures, and rules. But guess what ?? All these has so far limited success because Singapore lack the culture and belief. One build culture then infrastructure not the other way. If one does not have the mindset and passion, no matter what thing given to them will never succeed.
Singapore PAP is already feel threatened by its own internal problem and the republic. Why should they want to have another problem competing with Johore ???? PAP will wayang to work with them but in the wayang is wayang. acting is still acting. When curtain closed, everything will be back to same state.
ReplyDeleteWayang king work with wayang king = 2 wayang king with zero thing done, but money don't know go where.