Where exactly do we go from here? Just last week, Malaysia's Foreign Minister said he wanted better relations between Malaysia and Singapore.
Now, its Deputy Defence Minister Abdullah Fadzil Che Wan is telling us something else.
He says that we are a sovereign country, so he will not interfere, and yet he does not "feel good" when the SAF chooses to buy the Spike missile from Israel. He tells us to be more sensitive.
Just what does he "not feel good" about? The fact that we are an independent and sovereign country and make our own decisions without checking with him?
The fact that we always choose to get the best equipment for our national serviceman?
And how are we to be sensitive? By deliberately buying second-rate weapons?
I have done my time in the army during my national service and I am proud of how far we have come. I am quite sure that if Malaysia can produce state-of-the-art weapons that are just what we need, we would gladly consider them as well.
Vincent Tan Ter Lun
(taken from The Straits Times, 22/7/99)