By IPS Correspondents
SINGAPORE, Apr 13 1997 (IPS)

Like jealous siblings, Malaysia and Singapore quarrel incessantly over petty things like which one of them has more computers, or which is the true shopping paradise.

From the time they parted ways over racial differences nearly 32 years ago, the two countries have been competing on showing the world how well their run their economies and how hardworking they are. Some say Malaysia and Singapore are have done so well precisely because of this competition.

Diplomacy has tried to put things in balance over the years, but occasional acts of what may appear like insensitivity stir up dormant tension between the two countries that used to be part of the Malaysian federation.

When Singapore’s elder statesman Lee Kuan Yew branded Malaysia’s Johor state as being “notorious for shootings, muggings and car-jackings”, the delicate ties were put on a perilous perch–as if the wounds that scarred them in August 1965 still festers beneath a scab that can easily be peeled off.

While competition in areas like information technology and ports services seems friendly enough, an apparent obsession to put one over the other is fuelling the two countries’ drive to succeed. Malaysia trumpets its soaring growth rate and abundance in natural resources, from which Singapore draws much of its water supply; Singapore calls itself an economic powerhouse and boasts of its superiority in information technology (IT).

Malaysia likes cutting Singapore down to size. For its part, Singapore is prone to pick on Kuala Lumpur as being inhospitable to its ethnic Chinese minorities.

Malaysia takes pride in having in Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad a leader with the confidence to talk down to superpowers. Singapore reveres Lee Kuan Yew and recalls glorious memories of his almost singlehanded struggle to rebuild the island after it split from Malaysia.

There are other sources of tension which high-level diplomacy has been trying to hold in check, or at least prevent from rupturing official civility. But once in a while, as the Johor episode showed, remarks and actions that would seem ordinary enough if said or done by others could provoke hysteria if it involved Singapore and Malaysia.

“We try hard to be friends but sometimes with Singapore it is very difficult to be friends. Sometimes they utter something, sometimes they do something,” Malaysian Premier Mahathir Mohamad said in exasperation during a press conference on the Johor incident.

This is the second time in less than a year that Malaysia had felt offended by remarks emanating from Singapore. In June last year, Lee said Singapore would consider rejoining Malaysia if it practised “meritocracy”, where no one race is above another.

Mahathir did not immediately react, though Malaysian leaders and his political supporters picked up the fight for him. He broke his silence only after the meritocracy debate became an election issue, and accused Singapore’s ruling Peoples Action Party of using his country as “bogeyman” to scare voters.

Actually, the tiny republic became an advanced economy ahead of Malaysia. For many years Singapore’s reign in ASEAN remained unchallenged, until some neighbors — Malaysia is one of them — managed to get close to what it has achieved.

Kuala Lumpur has registered a steady growth between 8% to 9% over the last eight years, slowly catching up with that of Singapore. Singapore was getting “jealous” of Malaysia’s success, its leaders said while a Singaporean theorised Malaysia’s outburst was probably brought about by its “newfound affluence.”

Emboldened by recent economic success that has fueled its heavy overseas investments in Asia, Malaysia has embarked on a high- profile public relations spree to proclaim itself an industrialised country by the year 2020. To prepare its entry into the elite club of Tiger Economies, the government in Kuala Lumpur said it will transform the country into a regional information hub, a move seen to shatter Singapore’s dominance in the IT market.

Mahathir commented on the potential IT rivalry before Stanford university students in one of his visits to California to meet with IT moguls.

He said: “Singapore has shown excellent developments (in the IT industry) but that doesn’t mean we cannot do better.”

Singapore has adopted an aloof above-it-all attitude, preferring to let industry officials do the talking. “There is no need to fear (Malaysia’s MSC),” said Stephen Yeo, chairman of Singapore’s National Computer Board. Singapore has a clear “lead” over Malaysia, in terms of infrastructure and skilled manpower.

“We’ve had 15 to 20 years of experience and headstart. We’re well-plugged electronically,” he said.

Singapore is trying to secure its hold on the IT market, launching recently the ‘Singapore ONE’ project which hopes to make the city-state an “intelligent island” where people become even more computer-literate than they already are.

“In the area of trade and investment, our two countries have built up substantial stakes in each other’s economy,” Malaysian High Commissioner Datuk Emam Mohd Haniff said in a statement.

Singapore is Malaysia’s third largest trading partner after Japan and the United States. In fact, Kuala Lumpur gets the biggest chunk of Singapore investments, receiving 9.7 billion Singapore dollars, according to official figures. Proximity is believed to be the number one reason for setting up shops just across the straits.

But let it not be said that the two countries have allowed enmity to rule their relations. Infrastructure projects to facilitate trading and communications are under negotiations. They include a wider bridge to replace the causeway linking Singapore to Johor Baru, a modern train system and more frequent ferry services.

“After some time when both sides feel comfortable to resume our dialogue I believe we should begin to pursue these projects quite earnestly,” said Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong who urged that ties “move on” after the Malaysian Cabinet had accepted Lee’s apology.

Both know they need each other to survive, but deep-rooted suspiciion will continue to keep Singapore and Malaysia from becoming real friends.

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