I refer to the letter Iskandar's two major investors offended .

I disagree with Richard Teo's premise that our proposed Iskandar Development Region (IDR) project is set to falter just because our present two biggest investors have been offended by our government's actions on other issues.

By virtue of being our main investors, this would mean that they are not as easily offended as the writer claims. If business was predicated by either party not being offended, I dare say there would be not much business going on.

The lukewarm response to the IDR so far can be more attributed to a 'wait and see' attitude taken by prospective investors. Our government has never been short of ambition but it is in the execution that they have been oft times found wanting.

Why should investors rush in until we put the money where our mouth is and make the IDR a viable reality? At the moment, it is just another pipe dream.

Singapore has a growing population and land there is scarce. Unless they start ripping out their green areas and forgo their deserved reputation of being a garden state, one can see little option but for them to look north and yet be within a short bridge distance of their idyllic sanctuary.

As for the Americans, depending on one's own political leanings, Dr Mahathir Mohamad's war crimes tribunal, at worst, will be seen as a cheap stunt by a supporter of the far left. I would think the majority are more amused rather than offended. Besides, the last I heard, we were negotiating a trade agreement with the Americans.

The IDR project needs the impetus to kick start the show and it is up to our government to get it right and make it happen.