SINGAPORE, July 23 – Singapore and Malaysia must not inadvertently let an issue get politicised and played up, or poison the overall relationship between the two nations, said Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
According to the minister, this could make things even more difficult and be very damaging to both sides.
He said over the years, Singapore and Malaysia have had to deal with more difficult and sensitive issues, such as water supply, airspace management, and maritime delimitation, which he expects will take some time to resolve.
“But all in all, both sides have made significant progress in our relationship over the decades. We should appreciate how hard-won and precious this progress has been – both the specific things we have achieved, and the overall good state of our relationship. It is not at all to be taken for granted,” noted Lee.
He was speaking at the Kuala Lumpur Business Club on Sunday as part of his visit to Malaysia. The transcript was made available on the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) website.
Lee said that the three longstanding issues need hard work and serious discussion to identify workable and durable approaches, manage the continuing issues, and accommodate each other’s vital interests.
“This is a difficult task, but even with such difficult tasks, it is possible to find constructive ways to make progress together, as we did with Pedra Branca, and the KTM Land.
“Even as we did with water when we made an agreement to build the Linggiu Dam, which has benefited both countries now for nearly 30 years,” he said.
