Weighing in on the espionage controversy, a veteran newsman tells Putrajaya that it should not be crying wolf after being caught off guard by its southern neighbour.

Former NSTP group editor-in-chief A Kadir Jasin noted in his blog that Wisma Putra has summoned Singapore High Commissioner Ong Keng Yong over the matter.

NONE "Now what? Are we not going to recall our high commission to Singapore? We should if we are serious and have testicular gumption.

"Or (is it that) our top leaders do not want to be mired in this controversy because they are too close to Singapore leaders and are relying on the republic to prop up the IDR (Iskandar Development Region)?" he asks.

Instead of going berserk over the issue, Kadir said Malaysia should also do the same.

"Apparently we did not or we did, we were so good that neither (former US National Security Agency contractor Edward) Snowden nor (Wikileaks founder Julian) Assange knew about it," he adds on a sarcastic note.

Kadir also said that he was not surprised when the news about Singapore, the United States and Australia carrying out spying activities in Malaysia broke out.

"I did not choke upon reading the news that Singapore spied on us. Naughty, naughty Singapore! But I would choke if I am told that we do not spy on anybody.

"What's the use of having so many political officers at our embassies, high commissions and missions abroad if not for information and intelligence gathering?" he asks in his posting yesterday under the heading ‘Crying Wolf Over Spying'.

Legal battle

Recounting how Malaysia lost to Singapore in the dispute over Pulau Batu Puteh in the International Court of Justice, Kadir said the two neighbours were once at legal loggerheads.

"We lost the island (Pulau Batu Puteh) either because we failed in our information and intelligence gathering or, as being alleged by some quarters, because some of our own people sold us out - a very serious allegation indeed.

"We are facing Singapore again. This time not in The Hague but in Singapore and in accordance with Singapore laws over the huge development charges the Singapore government is demanding for the development of land given to us in lieu of the Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) land that we returned to the republic," he said.

"If the same team that lost Batu Puteh is assigned to represent us at the arbitration, we could end up losing more than our temper over the spying allegation. Khazanah may end up paying a huge amount of fee to the Singapore government to develop our land.

"So, Singapore lovers beware. No point crying wolf when our flock of sheep had been eaten and our chicken coop may soon be raided," he adds.

abdullah ahmad badawi and lee hsien loong langkawi 150507 01 In the case of Singapore, Kadir said its biggest intelligence gathering mission in Malaysia took place openly in 2009 when its supreme leader Lee Kuan Yew travelled the whole length of the peninsula to meet leaders on both sides of the political chasm.

"Soon after Abdullah Ahmad Badawi became prime minister in 2003, I told him about the need for Malaysia to have world-class intelligence gathering mechanism, including in the economic area.

"But both Abdullah and his successor, Najib Abdul Razak, are great admirers of Singapore and are golfing buddies of Singapore leaders.

"Officially and privately, they visited Singapore regularly. Only a foolish government leader would believe that he or she is free from being spied upon," Kadir adds.