Two months ago, I was asked by a correspondent from Radio Singapore International on the prospects of further improvement in the thawing ties between Malaysia and Singapore in 2006.

In reply, I opined that while the bilateral relations had been moving slowly but steadily in a positive direction, to what extent Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi could shape his policy constructively towards the island state would largely depend on how well he coped with or even overcame the jingoistic nationalists within Umno.

In other words, once hard-pressed by the conservative forces in his own party, even a business-friendly and gentle leader like Pak Lah could turn aggressive vis vis "that little red dot" south of the border.