Is Tanjung Pagar swap another Limbang?

By FMT Staff

SHAH ALAM: Will the swap deal between Malaysia and Singapore regarding Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd's (KTMB) land in Tanjung Pagar end up like the Limbang crisis?
That’s the question uppermost in the minds of Pakatan Rakyat leaders, said PAS' Kuala Selangor MP Dzulkefly Ahmad.
He said the sudden announcement yesterday by the government was a reminder of the hush-hush manner in which the Limbang deal was carried out.
“After swapping Limbang with two oil blocks L and M in Sabah and Sarawak waters (in a pact with Brunei), there are questions regarding the Tanjung Pagar exchange,” he said.
He urged Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to explain the benefits behind the exchange of six land parcels in Tanjung Pagar for two areas in Singapore.
“We would like to know how this compromise was reached between Najib and Lee Hsien Loong (Singapore Prime Minister). We don’t want another Limbang,” said Dzulkefly.
News reports yesterday said that the KTMB railway land could be swapped for land parcels in two of Singapore's most expensive districts, including the site of the multibillion-dollar Marina Bay Sands casino complex which opened in April.
Najib in a meeting with Lee had agreed to shift the contentious KTMB presence in Tanjung Pagar to Woodlands, an industrial zone located just across a narrow strait from Johor by July 1, 2011.
Malaysia will also place its customs, immigration and quarantine complex at the industrial zone.
According to reports, a company known as M-S Pte Ltd will then be established to take ownership of the vacated area and other parcels of land, with 60% equity held by Malaysia's investment agency Khazanah Nasional Bhd and 40% by Singapore’s Temasek Holdings.
'Era of leaders know all is over'
Meanwhile, Dzulkefly reminded Najib that the era of “only the leader knows everything” is over.
He said the government must take into consideration the opinions of others in ensuring the sovereignty and interest of the country are given priority.
“The era when only the leadership knew everything, especially in the areas of sovereignty, national and public interest is long gone.
“So don’t just decide without analysing and doing a detailed study of the situation,” he said.
Dzulkefly added that Najib must be transparent and open on the terms of the agreement with Singapore.