Newly minted Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad believes that the move by Malaysians to vote BN out of power on May 9 for the first time in the country's history may inspire neighbouring Singaporeans, who have also been under one-party rule since independence.

"I think the people of Singapore, like the people in Malaysia, must be tired of having the same government, the same party since independence," he said in an interview with the Financial Times.

BN and its predecessor the Alliance Party had governed Malaysia for 61 years, but saw its hold on power abruptly come to an end when Malaysians voted in the new Pakatan Harapan federal government in the 14th general election.

Similarly, the People's Action Party (PAP) has governed Singapore for 59 years, since the country’s first general election in 1959.

The Financial Times noted that Mahathir had "always enjoyed needling neighbouring Singapore".

Prior to Mahathir's comeback, he served as prime minister from 1981 to 2003, a period which saw a rocky relationship between Malaysia and Singapore.

Mahathir, in a separate interview prior to the general election, denied he was hostile to Singapore but said that he and the late former Singapore prime minister Lee Kuan Yew were similar in that both of them were firm in defending the interests of their respective countries.

Yesterday, in a bid to bring the country's debt under control, Mahathir confirmed plans to terminate the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail project initiated by the previous government.