It’s a big logistical headache..

seriously spore, and malaysia fighting will be the last thing that will happened…

anyway before my Malaysian brethren go talk about war so openly who is doing the flying you or the knights of the sky?… btw 18je la keco betul…

During a visit I made to Malaysia some time ago, a Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) officer shared with me an episode in Singapore-Malaysia relations that he said occurred during a period of tension. According to the officer, the MAF was put on alert in late 1998 as politicians on both sides of the Causeway argued over the status of the Customs, Immigration & Quarantine (CIQ) checkpoint at Malaysia’s railway station in Tanjong Pagar.

News articles from the period chronicle the public exchanges, but say nothing of the defence postures that the SAF & MAF adopted during this period.

Kuala Lumpur’s unwillingness to acknowledge its heightened military preparedness - which military officials on both sides privately acknowledge did occur - was an astute move. It indicated a tacit acknowledgement on the part of Malaysia’s defence officials that they could not allow the CIQ issue to flare into a casus belli. The full force potential of the SAF when mobilised renders it a formidable opponent.

There were other telling signs that bilateral ties were not well during that period. These included Singapore’s decision to conduct two open mobilisation exercises in September & October 1998. Records indicate that the SAF rarely calls up its manpower in successive months. It should be noted that such open mobilisation exercises, overt call-ups of defence manpower broadcast over television, radio & in cinemas are probably complemented by silent mobilisations. Few beyond Singapore’s defence establishment would be aware of this.

The CIQ episode resembles an earlier episode in Singapore-Malaysia relations when military power was flexed in a show of force, apparently to intimidate the tiny island nation.

The issue of supplying water to Singapore has, at times, been brought to the forefront of the Malaysian & Singapore political arena. This can be traced to as early as 1965, the year when Singapore was separated from Malaysia. Since then, Singapore has sometimes been the target of resentment, or a political “whipping boy” from segments of the Malaysian polity (ruling & opposition members) & some of its constituents, especially when bilateral relations between these countries have become strained.

The penchant for Malaysian leaders to periodically exploit the asymmetrically dependent relationship, by threatening to terminate the water supply, to express unhappiness over policies pursued by Singapore, to influence governmental decisions in the city-state or for domestic political purposes has generated concerns that Singapore-Malaysia relations may quickly deteriorate, with potentially violent outcomes. In 2001 - 2002 when Malaysian politicians spoke of loose talks of cutting water supplies to Singapore, the SAF launched Silent Mobilisations in response.

Operationally Ready National Servicemen who served in 1991 would recall the joint Malaysian-Indonesian military exercise, codenamed Malindo Darsasa 3AB, that occurred that year. It involved an airborne assault by paratroopers in southern Johor. If the name of the airborne assault, codenamed Pukul Habis (Malay for “Total Wipeout”), as well as the choice of a drop zone just 18km from Singapore, were not sufficiently provocative, the scheduling of the airdrop on Aug 9th - Singapore’s 26th National Day - most certainly was.

The SAF’s response was measured & confident. It triggered an Open Mobilisation on the eve of National Day, a fact that was reported extensively in the local media. The move was calculated not to escalate tensions. But it signalled also Singapore’s determination not to welcome a Trojan horse on its doorstep.

Such episodes cannot be kept secret from NSmen. But because they were deliberately kept low key, many Singaporeans were probably unaware of the full picture. Consequently, they may have failed to see the relevance of a strong military. Singapore has warm & friendly ties with its neighbours. It will often go the extra mile to keep things on an even keel with them. But Singaporeans should understand & accept that there are always undercurrents in bilateral relations.

Those who wonder about the relevance of the SAF should ponder how these past episodes might have panned out if Singapore had yielded to military pressure. A strong & vigilant SAF is Singapore’s hedge against trouble. Singapore’s formidable military arsenal & more crucially, the fighting spirit of its citizen soldiers are guarantors of peace.