LAST week, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng urged a group of local entrepreneurs to be poised to give neighbouring Singapore some healthy economic competition.

“Why must we lose to Singapore every time? Beat them at their own game, you can do it,” said Lim.

Competition between the two countries is nothing new, but for far too long, Malaysia has played the role of the underdog.

Since striking out on its own after leaving the Malaysian federation in 1965, Singapore has done well for itself. 

In the early years of its independence, the tiny nation state cleverly used its strategic location to be an attractive doorway to the region, efficiently managing its wealth to become one of the most prosperous countries in the world today.

Malaysia, on the other hand, appears to have travelled down a different road.

Resource and talent-rich, our nation has struggled – and largely failed – to keep our parochial politics and deep-rooted mismanagement from corrupting our otherwise bustling economy.

As proof of how far behind we’ve fallen, Singapore’s GDP per capita in 2016 was US$57,960.60, more than six times Malaysia’s US$9,502.

Economic performance aside, in that same year, Singapore ranked as the seventh least corrupt country in the world in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index, while Malaysia landed in the 55th spot.

Singapore was also voted the world’s safest country in the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index 2017– 2018, while Malaysia came in 41st safest, bested by even Serbia and Mongolia.

Two of the island republic’s universities – National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University – consistently top global university rankings, while Malaysian universities celebrate just breaking into the top 100.

Of course, not all is rosier in Singapore, but these stark differences have so often been brandished by its leaders – at times shamelessly – as proof that the grass is greener on their side of the Causeway.

During an election rally in the country’s last election in 2015, former manpower minister Lim Swee Say from the ruling People’s Action Party was espousing the virtues of being Singaporean.

Lim said he often reflected on how his life would have turned out so much worse had his ancestors not moved from China, and had Malaysia and Singapore not gone separate ways in 1965.

“So I am thinking, if we didn’t separate in 1965, today you and I would be Malaysians,” he told voters.

“’Heng’ (‘lucky’ in Hokkien) ah,” he proclaimed to cheers from the crowd.

Lim, now the member of Parliament for East Coast GRC, later apologised but he was certainly not the only government candidate to draw a comparison – and inference of superiority – between Singapore and Malaysia.

This superiority complex is not helped by the fact that hundreds of thousands of Malaysians commute daily across the Causeway to work in the republic, braving hours-long traffic jams to earn a salary in a currency three times the value of the ringgit.

Just months before the 14th general election, Singapore’s ambassador-at-large Bilahari Kausikan said in an interview that he “should certainly hope Barisan Nasional and Prime Minister Najib (Razak) are returned” to power, but conceded the election results were “not my business”.

Mr Bilahari, who is policy adviser to Singapore’s ministry of foreign affairs, said while Singapore was ready to work with whoever takes charge of Malaysia, “it would “be easier to deal with some kinds of government”.

I’ll not try to make any inference as to why Mr Bilahari would think that a corrupt, kleptocratic government would be easier to deal with, but the fact is that while Najib might have been good for Singapore, his re-election would have guaranteed many more years of a Malaysia mired in racial politicking and unconstrained corruption.

And we would have remained Singapore’s weaker neighbour.

Perhaps Singapore has become too used to being the shining star in this region; the transparent, colour-blind and efficient government nestled amongst largely chaotic neighbouring administrations.

Perhaps it is nervous about having this perceived image of superiority challenged, with the rise of a new Malaysia.

In less than two months, we have already sought to trim down the excesses of the previous government, reviewed lopsided domestic monopolies and foreign deals, and reopened investigations into major financial scandals that have handicapped our country for years.

It will be many years before Malaysia can recover from the crippling effects of wastage, corruption and inefficiency, but make no mistake that we will.

And until that time comes, Singapore would do well to start getting used to the different view from across the Causeway, one where we are seen as equals, and not inferior former bedfellows.

Malaysia’s rise from the ashes may seem, at the beginning, a little unnerving to our southern neighbours.

But if Singapore joins us in embracing this new order, the joint benefit of a soundly-governed Malaysia is a region that is prosperous and peaceful. – June 25, 2018.

* Julia Yeow has been in journalism for two decades and counts it as her first love, despite enjoying brief stints as a lecturer, clown and salad maker. She is a strong believer in social justice, and holds that there is sometimes more truth in the greys, than the blacks and whites.