A big stride in Singapore Malaysia relations

Since the sealing of the new land swap deal between Hsien Loong and Najib, relations between the two states have improved beyond anyone’s imagination. There wer more joint developments and more meetings and friendlier comments on both sides, patting each other’s back. This is definitely good for both countries going forward and for people to people relations. Iskandar Economic Zone now got a big boost with Singapore becoming the anchor tenant and biggest investors.

I know things are looking good and fine but did not know that it could be that fine until yesterday when Abdul Ghani, the incumbent Mentri Besar of Johore, paid a friendly visit using the second causeway from Gelang Patah.  This is not all. It was reported that it was part of his election campaign to woo Malaysians working in Singapore. And I thought Lim Kit Siang too would make the same friendly gesture. But he chickened out, did not want to give the wrong impression and be accused of as a branch of the Singapore PAP. DAP has its root in PAP during the days when Singapore was in Malaysia.

So we will miss seeing this grand old politician from across the causeway in Jurong. Let’s hope this friendliness will continue and come 2016, our ministers can visit Iskandar to campaign among the Singaporeans working or staying there. Iskander is likely to see the presence of many more Singaporeans and could justify a visit by the contesting candidates.

This is a good start for a closer Singapore Malaysia relationship. Nice. Singaporeans should not kick a row about applying for police permit to campaign in Singapore. Malaysia could also then extend the same courtesy to our politicians in the next GE. Let’s be abang adek again.

And it is good that no negative retorts were heard when Najib said that there was no Chinese school in Singapore. In the past there would be some rash reactions to a comment like that from either side of the causeway. Our relationship with Malaysia has matured to some degree.

Further improvements are hopeful. If travelling could be made more convenient, Singaporeans more warmly received, more Singaporeans would be selling their HDB flats and buy up properties in Malaysia. This would be a win win solution. Singaporeans could make a killing by selling out their million dollar HDB flats to FTs, and Malaysian developers benefiting from selling more properties to Singaporeans.

A slight drawback is that Singaporeans that sold their HDB flats would never have the chance to buy another property in Singapore again. The prices would be beyond them. They would be perpetual PRs in Malaysia, and may be better to take up Malaysian citizenship if they are welcomed to do so. Malaysia will also see a property boom but this will lead to some inflation and higher cost of living, and jams at the two crossings. With the larger land mass, these changes could easily be absorbed unlike a small island like Singapore.

Overall it would be good for Singapore with Singapore island becoming the land of rich foreigners and FTs, a great vibrant city, while Singaporeans migrate over to Malaysia. Singaporeans can also move nearer to the nursing homes in Johore as well as landed properties for after life.