A former ambassador tells Singapore to get used to the new status quo in Malaysia, adding that the Pakatan Harapan (PH)-led Malaysian government will not simply let its southern neighbours go unchecked any longer.
The former ambassador speaking to Malaysia media outlet FreeMalaysiaToday described Singapore’s recent actions as ‘needlessly provocative behaviour’ that is intended on destabilising the PH administration.
According to FMT, this former ambassador who remains anonymous, also suggested that these disputes with Singapore was simply due to the fact that the new Malaysian government is dealing with ‘a host of pressing issues’ after coming into power. He also suggested that the airspace and maritime issues specifically had something to do with the recent administrative changes in Singapore.
The former ambassador said that Singapore was used to doing what it wants for some time now. He said to FMT that the reason the previous Malaysian administration didn’t ‘stand up to Singapore’ was that they were busy working with Singapore to protect themselves, and Najib Razak, from the inevitable 1MDB fallout.
Now that the new government is in power and hard at work to bounce the country back from that fallout caused by the previous administration, Malaysia is taking a tougher stand on issues and prioritising the interests of the country and its people above all else, added the former ambassador.
He added that Malaysia had every right to challenge decisions that impinged directly on its own sovereignty. He continued, “If it cherishes good relations with its neighbours, Singapore should work quietly to resolve outstanding issues rather than turn every disagreement into a public spat.”
The former ambassador highlighted the fact that the PH-administration decided not to pursue to Malaysia’s claims to Pulau Batu Puteh in the International Court of Justice as a gesture of goodwill and lamented that “it is unfortunate that Singapore continues to adopt a confrontational approach towards Malaysia.”
Now, FMT did not provide any details about this former ambassador, so we’re not sure who it might be. It could be a former High Commissioner of Singapore in Malaysia or an ambassador of another country altogether. It’s uncertain at this point.
Earlier this week, former Singaporean diplomat Bilahari Kausikan claimed that Malaysia was using Singapore as a ‘bogeyman’ to distract Malaysian’s from domestic political uncertainty following the change of government, a sentiment that was echoed in the video posted by Singapore Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin.
