Tak Perlu Tanya Singa

I didn't read the papers until very late today. Nor did did I watch the news. But my friend alerted me of Pak Lah's (welcomed) backtracking on Singapore's involvement with SJER. He attributed the whole fiasco to "silap sebut" on Singapore's part. The Utusan front page story is as follows:

Tidak libat Singapura -- PM: Malaysia tidak perlu rujuk republik itu mengenai WPI
Daripada Aznan Bakar
TOKYO 24 Mei – Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi berkata,Malaysia tidak perlu merujuk kepada Singapura dalam menjayakan pembangunan di Wilayah Pembangunan Iskandar (WPI) di Johor.Tegas Perdana Menteri, kerajaan Singapura juga tidak akan terlibat dalam apa juga bentuk perancangan di wilayah itu.Malah, tegas Perdana Menteri, status jawatankuasa peringkat menteri antara Malaysia dan Singapura untuk WPI bukan jawatankuasa perundingan.

‘‘Ia berlaku mungkin kerana silap sebut (di pihak Singapura),” katanya ketika menjawab satu soalan pada sesi bersama media Asia sempena Persidangan Antarabangsa Nikkei Ke Arah Masa Depan Asia di sini hari ini.Beliau berkata demikian ketika ditanya oleh seorang wartawan mengenai kebimbangan penduduk Johor berhubung pembabitan Singapura di WPI melalui jawatankuasa tersebut.Sebelum ini dilaporkan bahawa Malaysia dan Singapura bersetuju menubuhkan sebuah jawatankuasa khas peringkat menteri khusus untuk WPI di Johor selepas Abdullah mengadakan pertemuan dengan Perdana Menteri republik itu, Lee Hsien Loong di Pulau Langkawi baru-baru ini.

Antara lain jawatankuasa itu akan memperincikan penggunaan kad pintar bagi memudahkan keluar masuk pelabur ke WPI dari Singapura. Menurut Perdana Menteri, kebimbangan penduduk Johor itu berpunca daripada salah faham.“Orang berpendapat apa kita nak buat kena rujuk dengan Singapura. Itu tidak betul. Itu tidak akan berlaku,” tegasnya.

Rather unlikely it was a 'silap sebut' if you ask me. The lion is known never to say anything without first calculating the damage. But as long as Pak Lah stays put with THIS decision not to let Singapore have a say over Iskandar, I'm fine with whatever excuses he gives.

Meanwhile, the Star, although playing down the issue, had this take on the debacle:

PM: No meddling by Singapore
SAODAH ELIAS
TOKYO: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has brushed aside fears expressed by some quarters of Singapore meddling in the development of the Iskandar Development Region (IDR).
He said the fears arose after Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong inadvertently used the word consultative committee at a press conference in Langkawi last week.
Abdullah and Lee had agreed to set up a special ministerial committee to discuss areas of co-operation including the usage of smartcard for easier travel between IDR and Singapore and the promotion of tourism.
A minister will be appointed from each country to sit on the committee. “That (Lee’s announcement) was a mistake, a slip of the tongue. I have clarified the matter,” he said in reply to a question by a Singapore journalist who had asked him to comment on reports that Johoreans were fearful of Singapore’s involvement in the project during the 13th Nikkei Conference here yesterday.
After that announcement, Abdullah said, the people of Johor were worried that it would mean that any decision that needed to be made with regards to the IDR would have to be referred to Singapore for approval.
“But that is not correct. That will never happen,” he added.

Pak Lah says the Ministerial involvement of Singapore is just to sort out the smartcard issue for easy passage of lionites into Iskandar. I can live with that I suppose. Contrary to what was greatly misinterpreted about my last posting, I'm not against Singapore investing in Iskandar.

I am just completely against giving them any say at all on the policy and direction of Iskandar, beyond the ordinary fora available to them as investors . They must never have any role as direct policy makers.

I hope this decision stays and doesnt become a victim of flip flopping which is so common ever since October of 2003. Jangan pulak ada Langkawi getaway sekali lagi ada perubahan pula.