Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's comment re-the above has, as might be expected, resulted in a plurality of responses. Among these was that Kuan Yew was merely 'testing the waters' in a futuristic projection of the Singapore re-merging with Malaysia with the impact of the rapid and accelerated GDP growth of both China and India.

Since a re-merger is an important consideration for both Singapore and Malaysia, I believe it to be a matter of some interest at least to keep the momentum of the discussion moving, even if it means a 'read only' type presentation, rather than a comprehensive in-depth analysis.

Anyone who is familiar with the "Singapore Story" cannot but be intrigued by its dramatic success in being the city state Metropolis that it is today. However the question is whether the Republic will be able to sustain this success in the foreseeable future. There is one school of thought that argues that the Island Republic is already 'bursting at the seams" in development terms and accordingly, despite the adoption of state of the art high tech leap frog technology and fine-tuned management techniques, the economic outcomes must inevitably result in the 'law of diminishing returns' with the accompanying falling rate of profits across the board.

This situation may not be entirely academic. According to the president of the Asian Development Bank (in an interview with CCTV International ) whereas in the past China had focused more on manufacturing and India in service industries, both countries now were gradually reducing the gap in the contribution of these industries to their respective GDP. As a leading business and financial hub in the Asian region therefore, there is reason to believe that Singapore will inevitably bear the brunt of the greater part of this development, and given its scarcity of natural resources, there is a further limit to the possibility of a major diversification of the economy to escape this negative economic onslaught.

Quality of life

But with respect, I believe the central question in this futuristic projection of a merger lies not only in the economic dimension itself but rather and more especially on the dimension of "space" .This is not so much a matter of physical (geographical space, important as this obviously is), but rather more the social impact of space constraints on the pattern of social interaction among Singaporeans.

The government would have the statistics over the years that would recognize the gradual per capita increase of the rates of emotional maladjustment, mental ill health and suicide that are now comparable with that of the developed countries in the West. What is most worrying is that of a growing number of children seeking psychiatric help.

However, I believe the record will also show that the government has been in the forefront of introducing a variety of cultural programmes to the extent that it is now possible for hitherto fledging artists in the area of the fine arts being able to make a comfortable living for themselves. This is another clear indication that the high incomes and prestigious accommodation have added to the improvement in the quality of life of Singaporeans that was hitherto unimaginable.

It would seem however that these measures aimed at improving the quality of life are only relevant to the local elite groups and particularly the expatriate community. Even so, there appears to be some evidence that such measures have not stopped a steady out-migration of the elite and professional classes among the Singapore Chinese who tend to use Singapore as a stepping stone before finally settling down in countries in the West (as well as Australia). It is understood that one contributing factor here is the dissatisfaction of what is considered to be the "pressure-cooker" educational system and the intense competition their children have to face in seeking admission to centres of quality higher education.

As for the working classes of Singapore it is a case of "What is this life if full of care we have no time to stand and stare"

The question of a re-merger with Malaysia however can take on a sharper focus if one seriously considers the more realistic possibility of a link up with the hinterland of Malaysia ion South Johor. A full scale re-merger is too complex a possibility fraught with many constraints, that will take time to sort out. In the meantime China and India would have forged even further ahead from where they are now, so that to wait for a full merger would be like "locking the door of the barn when the horse has bolted"

Outstanding basic questions

Working on a possible re-merger through a link up with the hinterland of Malaysia in Southern Johor should therefore be very seriously considered. This is something that the Joint Ministerial Committee of (Malaysia and Singapore JMC) in the Iskandar Development Regional Plan should now concentrate on as a matter of priority. There are obviously outstanding basic questions, such as sovereignty and immigration that need to be resolved to the satisfaction of both countries, but these matters need not necessarily pose problems provided the JMC adopts an imaginative, rational and realistic perspective.

For instance, in the matter of sovereignty safeguards could be introduced based on English Land Law where there is provision for even a 99 year lease! In the matter of immigration, I understand that Singapore has already made provision for five year renewable permanent residences which can be extended to the region, and such provision would also go a long way towards allaying the fear of Malaysians of being physically 'swamped' by Singaporeans.

As for manufacturing industries, initially there are real possibilities for an initial link up between such activities that already exist in the region, with that of Singapore manufacturers. For instance, linking with Felda oil palm industries will mean greater emphasis on processing of the raw material as well as the manufacturing of food and industrial products. Likewise, there would be opportunities to link up with the SME's in Johor so that with the more sophisticated high tech and management strategies of Singapore these industries might be able to forge ahead on their own accord instead of continuing to be dependent on FDI investments and thereby break away from the negative grip of the multinationals.

In this connection, I have submitted a draft "Blueprint" for the development of the IDR based on my experiences as Malaysian Government Social Development Consultant to both the Johore and Pahang Tenggara Regional Master Plans, to the relevant authorities, and in all humility would urge the JMC to kindly take a close look at this draft.

It has been suggested that if this question of a (mini-re-merger) were to be approached bearing in mind the benefits that would accrue to both sides, it is estimated that some one hundred thousand Singaporeans may be willing to move over to live and work in Malaysia or else live in Johor and commute to their workplace in Singapore daily.

Dr Collin Abraham is a social development consultant.