Malaysia and Singapore share the same history until the independence of Singapore in 1965 when Singapore detached itself from Malaysia.

It was a bitter episode for Malaysia and Malaysians of that time. The Umno leaders found it difficult to contain the fury of young Umno members (Including Dr Mahathir Mohamad). It is better we leave it at that point and move on to the present time.

Actually, it is an obvious fact the people Malaysia and Singapore share so many things in common. In short, we can say the difference is only the nationality otherwise everything is the same.

It is a curse that only those who are closely related have bitter antagonism ie, the Japanese and the Koreans, the South Koreans and North Koreans, the Indians and Pakistanis and, of course, Malaysians and Singaporeans.

History, however, corroborates that enmity between peoples would only be a loss to both parties.

The remedy to this is to patch up and team up. This would bring many benefits and advantages.

Economically, Singapore has a marginal lead over Malaysia. However, Singapore has limited land, so it could invest in Malaysian land.

The land would be cheaper and could be used for plantation, farming, industries and housing.

In terms of other resources, both countries could complement each other depending on who is having the upper hand.

Singapore, for instance, has a solid foundation in banking, manufacturing and shipping industries.

On the other hand, Malaysia has the upper hand in natural resources (like petroleum and timber), plantations, agriculture and most importantly, a greater purchasing power.

In the field of information technology ie, TV, radio, Web-based products, skills between both the countries could be shared and exchanged.

It would eventually mean greater satisfaction with more variety at a lesser cost. This is very evident in the entertainment, amusement and leisure industries.

When it comes to sports, many would remember the significant loss to both countries when the invitation to Singapore to take part in the Malaysia Cup was not sustained. No one could deny that the standard of football of both the countries have eroded drastically.

In order to patch up, both the countries should be sincere, understanding, and considerate.

Apart from that, we need to practice mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual help. With these values, both countries will be able to resolve all major problems associated with any bridge, water, sand or others matters.