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Presenter/Interviewer: Kanaha Sabapathy
Speakers: Sinnapan Samydorai, president of the Think Centre in Singapore; Professor P. Ramasamy from the National University of Malaysia

SABAPATHY: The issue that sparked off the dispute was the patrolling of the islet of Pedra Branca by the Malaysian navy. The islet, also known as Pulau Batu Puteh by Malaysia, lies just off the north east coast of Singapore. Under Singapore's control since the 1840s when the British colonial government built a lighthouse there, a claim was staked by Malaysia in 1979 when the islet was included in a map of its territorial waters. Unable to settle the territorial dispute, both countries have agreed to bring the matter to the International Court of Justice early next month. So why the need to get into an open slanging match now? Some believe the current tension is an extension of the wrangle over the price of water. But, Sinnapan Samydorai president of the Think Centre in Singapore believes it goes beyond that.

SAMYDORAI: Some of us believe that it is basically for local consumption. Put it that way. I mean, some of call it a Wayang Kulit, it is a shadow dance. That is not a surprise. I mean both the governments do not cooperate on water and other issues which have an impact directly on the local populations.

SABAPATHY: Why do you say this is for local consumption? In which sense? Do you see it as UMNO trying to refocus the Malay view against the Chinese state rather than the differences it has with PAS?

SAMYDORAI: Precisely that, and taking away the tension on the local crisis they are facing. I mean Singapore is having an unemployment rate of 4.8 -- that's more than 80,000 people being unemployed. This kind of tension actually creates more nationalistic feeling, and a sort of a reaction.

SABAPATHY: When Singapore separated from Malaysia in 1965, two water agreements were enshrined in the Independence of Singapore Agreement and the amended Malaysian Consitution. These agreements ensured water supply to Singapore at a fixed price. And that price fixed in 1962 and open for review in 2061 was three Malaysian cents per thousand gallons. Rankled by Singapore's resale of refined water to Malaysia at a much higher price, resulted in negotiations to up the price of water to 60 cents per thousand gallons and for a five yearly price review. But since the negotiations in september 2001, the talks have stalled.

P Ramasamy, professor of politics at the National University of Malaysia says what we are seeing is merely an ongoing ethnic divide, Singapore a Chinese entity in a Malay world.

RAMASAMY: Underneath all this agreement, all this debate, there is a feeling that Singapore is a Chinese society. So what you find in the Malay newspapers .. of course they don't say it's ethnic, but underlying is an ethnic issue of a Malay state versus a Chinese state. How come Singapore is benefitting so much from water supplies, how dare they say these things, and so on?

SABAPATHY: Mr Samydorai concurs with the view of an ethnic divide, adding it even reflects in the way the two countries approach the negotiations

SAMYDORAI: In terms of negotiation, I think both sides have to learn each other's culture of negotiation. I think the Malay culture has a particular way of negotiating things. So Singapore being a minority in a dot of Malay, Islamic reality, Singapore always feels a siege mentality and we stick to the rules, or try to say this is the agreement we have made, gentlemen's agreement, or whatever, in black and white. But in this style of negotiation I think one has to be sensitive and negotiate behind doors rather than make it a public issue. I don't think it helps either country to go on like that.

SABAPATHY: So is there any substance to the current war-mongering? Professor Ramasamy.

RAMASAMY: If it's just a water issue, and it's just an issue of the islands, I don't think this conflict will just go on. But I think you need to look at the historical relationship between Malaysia and Singapore, and why very minor conflicts sometimes take on a very serious note.

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