Singapore - the intellectual hub of Nusantara (Part 2)

I start of the year's post with the continuation on the discussion on Nusantara. The regional integration should begin with Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Indonesia. The rest of the region doesn't offer much of a hope for integration for some reason. Although ASEAN seems to be progressing, but that does not mean that we can't promote over-lapping international organisations which offers a more viable conditions and achievable target.

In fact, in recent times, the relationship between Singapore and Malaysia has been progressing quite well although some may feel that it is only in Singapore's favor. For Singapore, it is only inevitable that it pursues a continuous engagement with Malaysia hopefully to the point of re-unification because we are after all, a city-state with no hinterland. We need to expand geographically without the need for war. Once we achieve our aims, conscription will become totally irrelevant by then.

It is a waste of resource that the nation's wealth be splurged on buying weapons and ammunitions when it could otherwise be used for other purposes such as social spending and enhancing natural population growth. Re-unification would also mean that the island's land could well be utilised in an economically profitable manner because there would be no need for us to allocate a third of the island for military purposes. I foresee that future becoming a reality.

In the seminar organised by The Gomez Centre, Dr Max Lane had spoken on the issue of economic inequality between Singapore and it's neighbours saying "Singapore cannot continue to thrive with 30, 40 thousand of per capita income with an increasing population of 300, 400 million desperate people.""The tension between Singapore and it's negibours is nothing to do with ethnicity but economics. How does a country with 10 times the per capita of it's neigbours relate to it's neighbours?"

It is not a matter of being benevolent or an issue about sharing. It has more to do with justice and also peace in the region. The peace of Singapore goes well beyond it's borders. Economic injustice leads to desperation and also violence. Being filthy rich amongst the poor, begets envy and loathing.