Singapore-Malaysia ties: Cutting through the Gordian Knot

Finally, it looks like a breakthrough in Singapore-Malaysia relations has been achieved, marked by the return at the stroke of midnight (30 June/1 July) of Tanjong Pagar railway station to Singapore. Among the "win-win" agreements signed earlier were joint development of prime property areas in Singapore and investment plans in Johor's new Iskandar region. Congrats to PMs Lee Hsien Loong and Najib Razak for overcoming some of the baggage of history. There may be more hiccups ahead but the momentum has begun.

In 2004, I had written a commentary piece in Today hoping -- prematurely -- to see the Gordian Knot cut. This was what I wrote then:

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/analysis/2004/0115_bilateralrelations.htm
Meanwhile, I will miss the sound of the trains trundling past my condo. I live near the tracks and in fact, there is a footpath not too far away that crosses the tracks. So, when I stepped over the tracks at that point, I had briefly entered Malaysian "territory"! I shall miss that too now that the tracks belong to Singapore.

And I have a teeshirt, bought from a cruise ship shop far away, in the South Pacific, which is either amusing or provocative. Here's a pic of it: