Thursday, May 17, 2007

What Is The Hidden Rationale
Behind IDR Joint Committee?

Everyday, there is a new twist in the bilateral co-operation between Malaysia and Singapore, especially concerning the Iskandar Development Region (IDR) in southern Johore.

The latest, Malaysia and Singapore yesterday agreed to the setting up a “ministerial-level joint committee” to “oversee areas of co-operation” in IDR.

Here are three main paragraphs of a news item about it by Bernama - the national news agency of Malaysia:

LANGKAWI, May 15 (Bernama) -- Malaysia and Singapore have agreed to set up a ministerial-level joint committee to oversee some areas of cooperation between the two countries in the Iskandar Development Region (IDR) in southern Johor.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said today the joint committee would be represented by a minister from each side.

“They will be supported by officials, and at any time that they feel that someone has to be invited to discuss, they can,” he told reporters at the conclusion of a two-day unofficial meeting with his Singaporean counterpart, Lee Hsien Loong. – Bernama

Next, here are some important links about IDR for background reading. They enable us to have a sufficient knowledge about this mega project:

http://www.irda.com.my/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=38&Itemid=50

http://www.irda.com.my/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=41

http://www.irda.com.my/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=28&Itemid=38

http://www.irda.com.my/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=38&Itemid=50

http://www.irda.com.my/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16&Itemid=28

http://www.irda.com.my/pdf/cdp/3._Foreword%20and%20Acknowledgements.pdf

Now, here are my comments about IDR in the context of Abdullah’s statement made in Langkawi yesterday:

IDR is a mega project by Khazanah Nasional - an investment agency of the Malaysian government. Abdullah and Dato’ Abdullah Ghani Othman are IDR’s joint-chairman. IDR also has its own panel of advisers.

So why does the government need to set up a Malaysia-Singapore “ministerial-level joint committee to oversee some areas of cooperation between the two countries in IDR”?

IDR is not limited only to investors from Singapore. It is meant for all investors world wide. So, why only a joint committee with Singapore? Is IDR jointly owned by Singapore?

So what actually is the hidden rationale behind the setting up of this committee? To prove to the world that Malaysia now allows a foreign nation to directly interfere in the development of IDR?

Does the joint committee not giving the impression that Malaysians are not competent enough to manage and develop IDR? Does the government forget that Malaysia is an independent and sovereign nation?

Fellow bloggers and surfers in the Malaysian cybersphere definitely have more comments and questions about the same subject.

The government has to be accountable by furnishing Malaysians with the most satisfactory answers as to why such a joint committee needs to be formed. – Ruhanie Ahmad

9 comments:

Unknown said...

this move is just another in the long line of ridiculous decisions our pak lah has taken.

yes, i agree that singapore can be a good and important player in the development of idr, but it doesn't mean that they have to be part of the committee that plans and executes decisions. it's as if singapore and malaysia are one country, not 2 different nations.

bit by bit, our sovereignity is being eroded. i want singapore to be a major player in idr, along with other interested nations, but i want it to be on our terms, not theirs. i want malaysia to be the sole deciding entity, not share the responsibility with singapore.

ini sampai ministerial level pulak committee ni, melampau betul.

pak lah is a badut ok. sorry if people want to say i'm rude. i don't care, i write whatever i feel of somebody. he's selling the country off sub-consciously. singapore, realises that this is their best chance to enlarge their nation subliminally, because they are dealing with malaysia's first ever truly incompetent prime minister, backed by a gutless cabinet. it also helps that the pm's son in law loves singapore.

congrats singapore. you will be occupying our country without technically breaking any rules. congrats pak lah and kj, for selling off our country.

Unknown said...

want to relax NEP rules in certain sectors of IDR, i can accept, indeed i think it is a forward-thinking move, very progressive.

want to use smart-cards for easy entry, sure, i can still accept. again, that move is still acceptable and is very progressive.

but to form a ministerial level committee to plan the IDR together, that is simply ridiculous. it is as ridiculous as our current administration's suggestion months ago, that people can cross into malaysia from singapore without going through any immigration control. well, they backtracked on that suggestion due to fierce opposition from past leaders and grassroots' sentiments, let's see if we can make this badut government backtrack on this proposed ministerial level committee.

lamandau said...

I share you view Datuk. This definitely uncalled for decision by AAB. This also strengthen the suspicion that Singapore is having strong grip on Pak lah for whatever reason(s). I can bet you Dtuk, we are not getting anything from Singapore in return.Hidung Pak lah telah dicucuk dengan menggunakan tali nylon yang terkenal kekuatannya , dan sudah pasti ia akan menurut jika di tarik oleh pemgembalanya!
Datuk, pl tell shabery chik, he is not competent to give explaination because he is too junior and ignorant of the interplay of two nation. What a stupid answer he gave to the parliment yesterday. May be he thought that all parlimentarian (MPs + Senators) are stupid. Why not he declare on behalf of PM that IDR is exclusively for Singapore only!
Day by day stupid decisions are being made by our leaders expecting that the rakyat will swallow it!

I have been commenting that the invisible fingers of 'foreigners' are slowly but surely seen to have influenced our leaders.In no time Datuk, Singapore will station their security people as what happened in the Water intake in Pulai!

sahabat said...

“ministerial-level joint committee”
antara singapore dan malaysia.

Jadi isu ke?

Sesungguhnya manusia itu yang tidak sukakan orang lain disebut sebagai anti sosial.

Dalam hubungan antarabangsa maka orang anti sosial ini mungkin juga dianggap sebagai pengganas.

kerana ciri - ciri pengganas ialah anti sosial

Malaysia Boleh! said...

Bagus! Langkah yang bijak membuat 'ministerial-level joint committee' utk IDR

Malaysia Boleh! said...

Lagi Bagus kalau 'ministerial-level joint committee diadakan untuk Putrajaya

Unknown said...

What is going on? Something is not right somewhere? When can we have the free flow of water in Selat Tebrau? Can someone tell me about the shallow passage over Tg Perling. Isn't it enough with all the Tanjogn Pagar Rail Station still unresolved?
What is going on actually??????

renegix_01 said...

day by day..i dont know anymore how to say or react..i feel like I dont want to come back anymore..but..that's the place where i've been born..making friends!..and the same goes to all of us..n for sure i wiil defend it!...what had happened actually?..seems like yesterday Tun stepped down as a Prime Minister..in a swift..lots have changed..the policies,projects..etc...Ya Allah..lindungilah Negara kami..pertahankanlah ia..amin

renegix_01 said...

datuk..why didnt you or others that had some power organize a talk,forum or anyhting bout this thing(WPI)?..mayb a lot of us out there still didnt know bout this!..ok..maybe they know..but they just neglect it due to the unforseen consequences!..so please act datuk...