Just yesterday I was reminded of the following: The issue of air space over Riau.
LKY talked about sand. Malaysia used to threaten us with water. Today haze is the issue of the moment and shortly the Indonesians will visit the issue of airspace again. Because we are close neighbors, the issues are endless especially when we are so different not to mention the historical baggage that exist between us. The memory of the two warships named after the two commandos we hanged is still fresh on our minds.
Never forget this HARD TRUTH of our neighbors. So be steadfast and remember that we gotta be extraordinary. That is the baseline meaning of good enough. Good enough to control the airspace over Riau because we have been doing it will not be good enough eventually. We have to be super and maintain a huge gap and edge over them to keep our place.
Update: Sep 30 10:35 am
This is analysis for my children.
In the clip LKY was focused on one activity and the lessons to be learnt from it: Sand.
One of you had done a module of geopolitics and appreciate very well the geopolitical angle of enlarging our territory through reclaiming the sea for land.
We are forced to be realists and practical people. Whilst others especially the Americans secured by her resources, talent and especially the two huge oceans, a friendly north who are like brothers to them and a Mexican south which presented no threat they can experiment like crazy, make mistakes and recover. Tiny Singapore is restricted to working things out in the mind, in models and computer simulations because the cost of failure is often too large to bear. However as we become richer and our people more educated and skilled the room for experimentation grows.
Very important. We can't put back the cards our leaders had drawn on our behalf in the past. This grossly simplifies our analysis. This is the mistake "Red Dot Heartlander" made. I sincerely wish our relations with Malaysia were like those between the USA and Cananda or at least among states in the EU. Our relations could have deteriorated to become like those between Israel and her immediate neighbors but we had worked hard to prevent that.
By forever I do not mean it in the absolute but practical sense. Anyway since when this blog isn't about the practical? Even ideals are used to inform the practical.
LKY has for a long time tried to portray that our north and south neighbours are hostile. It began as early as the time we got independence. Since then, many a time this phobia has been played over and over like a broken record. Let's look if those threats are real or just imagination.
ReplyDeleteWater threat. This is really laughable. It can be considered a crime under the Geneva Convention if Msia were to cut off water supply to Sg. To think that Msia would even do that is so naive. Msia wants to renegotiate water deal after it expires. What is wrong with that? Sg on the other hand wants the water deal to be on the same exact terms even after it expires, and claims that our sovereignty is affected if that is not acceded. That's like you telling your grocer that he must keep his grocery prices the way it is till eternity, failing which, it is war between you and him.
As for Indo, we have been stashing illegal corrupt funds from corrupted crooks who were govt officials from the Suharto era. Indo govt wants those corrupt officials extradited and the funds returned. Sg refuses. So Indo retaliates with sand ban and naming their warships where it touches Sg's sensitive parts. So are we being unreasonable or is Indo the bad guy?
As for Riau, Indo now has the resources to manage their own airspace when previously they could not. What is wrong if they want their airspace back? Isn't it that Sg is the one that is being unreasonable, staying around when we are no longer needed in somebody else's land?
It is time Sg govt know its fault and play diplomacy instead of trying to be the brat bawling at the “bullies”. That way we would be more likeable and it would pave the way for better foreign relations. Instead, because of LKY's policy then, which has today evolved into “they are out to get us” mentality, we always have friction.
The late LKY knew there would be people who think like you and he simply said, "Grow up!"
DeleteYou are an impractical idealist. Was there anything practical or reasonable when Sukarno conducted Konfrontasi against us? Look around you and see how international relations is conducted.
Finally we have made it and will put in the effort to make it because fortunately for us folks like you are a minority. My wish for you is to over time realize your error of judgement and adjust your views.
You idol worship LKY too much. To him, anyone who does not agree with him has to grow up. That includes officials from the very govt he displaced, including David Marshall and Lim Yew Hock.
DeleteAh, the Sukarno Konfrantasi where Sg was targeted. Another myth by LKY, and perpetuated by his worshippers. Sukarno was against MALAYSIA, not Sg per se. He was against the formation of Sabah, Sawarak and Singapore merging with Malaya. To him, it was an expansionist plan. So when he targeted the Federation of MALAYSIA, Sg was involved simply bcos we were part of MALAYSIA then. Get your facts right.
Also if you do a search, you will find that our Paya Lebar Airport was used as a launching pad for Brit military aircraft to provoke Sukarno. These planes skirted round the Indonesian airspace. At the same time, the CIA also worked against Sukarno bcos he was pro-Commie. In view of the Korean and start of Viet War, the US and its allies did not want Indo to fall under Commie rule, making NE and SE Asia a Commie haven. That's another plot to the Konfrantasi.
Pls recall the it was Suharto, backed by US, who killed of many of Sukarno's men. Yes, Sukarno's commie men, who were mainly Chinese of course. But then once again, LKY and his worshippers churned lies about that event by twisting that as ethnic Indonesians killing ethnic Chinese.
So the Konfrontasi, which is a war between Msia and Indo, as well as CIA's covert plan to topple Sukarno, was twisted into an Indo-vs-Sg conflict. At the same time, the US backed Suharoto's men killing Sukarno's incident men was twisted into an ethnic Indo killing ethnic Chinese event.
Please, it is you are your likes who need to wake up. We are now in the 21st C. There are loads of unclassified docs released by US govt since. Do your research and stop worshipping LKY.
To me you have made up your mind and chosen to join the dots of facts to make the picture you want. You must bring the rigor of historical analysis, broaden your thought with counter factuals for insight. Federation of MALAYSIA was an excuse Sukarno was looking for to make trouble. The man didn't even had the honor to declare war in order to "enjoy the benefits of heads and tails". Sukarno would still have attacked us anyway. He wanted to have Singapore as well as Malaysia under Indonesia. Illegal wars are always legitimized with lies. Let's not look too far back. Just start with Hitler and Tojo, then Saddam into Kuwait and the latest being Russia into the Crimea. I shall not respond to any more comment from you. Had you been anonymous I would have ignored you from the beginning.
DeleteIsn't your decision not to respond further no diff from your fingerpointing that others who don't agree with you have already made up their minds? Suit yourself. In any case, since you are so adamant that you are right and don't even care to do real research, here is an article which leads you to links that support my earlier claims. Singapore, a pawn in CIA's covert plan to overthrow Sukarno
DeleteYes, Sukarno was looking to make trouble (so was US and its allies). But he was making trouble for Malaysia as a nation, not targetting Sg per se. LKY dishonestly portrayed it as Indo vs Sg to whip up nationalistic sentiments after independence.
Also, talking about being selective, why stop at Saddam's Kuwait and Russia's invasion? Why not talk about the World's Number One invader and pillager, the United States of America? The only continent America has not gotten involved in causing trouble is Antartica.
But all this is digression. Let's get back to the original point of the main post ie – our neighbours are “up to no good”. The links in the article I linked above support the claim that the Confrontation was about Indo and Msia, not Sg per se. Furthermore, there was CIA involvement to topple Sukarno because he was pro-Communist. Those are the historical facts. The “our neighbours are up to no good” is a scare tactic to whip up your nationalistic sentiments, propagated by none other than LKY and his team.
This comment is for my children.
DeleteI must finally say this about this Red Dot Heartlander. He is stupid and I don't have time to explain, well it is kinda off obvious right? He comes here and comment but conveniently forget that "I am blogging for myself". I was making use of him to write alternative points of views for my children to consider. I was never interested or free enough to engage him. He is not intellectually honest and therefore couldn't see what I was up to.
If he continues to be stupid and comment further, I would just delete them. He forgets like some had that I control this blog. Because I am blogging for myself I never cared to attract eyeballs either.