S'pore eyes cooperative relationship with M'sia
Singapore's Goh Chok Tong: It's time for new ties with Malaysia. Picture: EPA
Friday, March 16, 2007
SINGAPORE'S Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said he believed the island state can start a new "cooperative relationship" with Malaysia, a report here said.
He said that Malaysia's plans for the Iskandar Development Region in Johor could bring about real cooperation between both countries.
Iskandar Development Region, also known as the South Johor Economic Region, is a 2,200-square kilometre development region in Johor and expected to create 800,000 jobs over 20 years.
The services and manufacturing sectors are the two main pillars of Iskandar Development Region's economy.
Goh said that in the new cooperation, "we would not be counting who wins more.
"I think a very dangerous way of cooperating is if we start to count who wins more; is it A who wins more or is it B who wins more in the cooperation?" Channel News Asia reported him as telling Singapore media covering his visit to Iran.
Goh said that if one was to count on who wins more in a cooperation, then "there will be no cooperation".
"In any venture, sometimes A benefits a bit more and B benefits a bit less," he said.
Goh said that Singapore would want to cooperate if it was welcome, adding that such cooperation must go on, despite possible ups and downs in future bilateral relations.
Goh's remark came after a recent statement by Foreign Minister George Yeo in Parliament that the relations between both countries were "good and getting better".
In May, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will be visiting Malaysia where he is scheduled to hold a retreat with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his cabinet colleagues. Bernama
He said that Malaysia's plans for the Iskandar Development Region in Johor could bring about real cooperation between both countries.
Iskandar Development Region, also known as the South Johor Economic Region, is a 2,200-square kilometre development region in Johor and expected to create 800,000 jobs over 20 years.
The services and manufacturing sectors are the two main pillars of Iskandar Development Region's economy.
Goh said that in the new cooperation, "we would not be counting who wins more.
"I think a very dangerous way of cooperating is if we start to count who wins more; is it A who wins more or is it B who wins more in the cooperation?" Channel News Asia reported him as telling Singapore media covering his visit to Iran.
Goh said that if one was to count on who wins more in a cooperation, then "there will be no cooperation".
"In any venture, sometimes A benefits a bit more and B benefits a bit less," he said.
Goh said that Singapore would want to cooperate if it was welcome, adding that such cooperation must go on, despite possible ups and downs in future bilateral relations.
Goh's remark came after a recent statement by Foreign Minister George Yeo in Parliament that the relations between both countries were "good and getting better".
In May, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will be visiting Malaysia where he is scheduled to hold a retreat with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his cabinet colleagues. Bernama
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