Malaysia tells Singapore media to stop churning untruths

Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar told Singapore's media April 3 to stop churning out untrue stories about Malaysia that could lead to tension between the two countries.

Asked about a report that Singapore's television had warned citizens over the weekend from visiting Malaysia following an alleged outbreak of "hand, foot and mouth disease", Syed Hamid said he had not personally heard the news.

The New Straits Times daily said Monday a Mandarin news bulletin in Singapore had warned of an outbreak of the disease in Malaysia. The paper said there had been no such outbreak.

"What is very clear is that we must at all times try to establish a relationship that is based on fair comments and telling the truth, and not creating problems," Syed Hamid told reporters.

"We hope that they will not keep on churning stories. I always question the motive behind churning stories that creates tension in our bilateral relationship," he said.

"We do not take Singapore for granted and we hope Singapore does not take us for granted. We are a good neighbour and so we hope our neighbours are equally good to us."

Relations have often been prickly since Singapore was ejected from the Malaysian federation in 1965.

Among contentious issues at present are water supplies from Malaysia to Singapore, customs, immigration and quarantine arrangements on a railway linking the two countries, withdrawal of pensions of Malaysian workers in Singapore and the use of Malaysian airspace by Singaporean aircraft.