"It is a good example of diligent planning and foresight on the part of thegovernment.
"The area has now reached the “take-off” point where developments willbecome self-generating and create a virtuous circle," he told Bernama.
Singapore is the largest investor in Iskandar Malaysia.
Mobius, who was sharing his views on the election process, said the risks were minimal and as long as the close cooperation between Singapore and Malaysia continued, it will be a win-win situation for both countries.
Under the administration of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak,bilateral ties between Malaysia and Singapore is now at an excellent stage.
This was proven during the Singapore-Malaysia Leaders' Retreat in February where both Najib and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong reaffirmed theircommitment to a stronger and mutually beneficial partnership.
Recognising that a dynamic and successful Iskandar Malaysia benefited bothMalaysia and Singapore, the leaders agreed to intensify existing cooperation andexplore new ways to leverage on the complementarities between Singapore andIskandar Malaysia.
When asked on the current bilateral ties between Malaysia and Singapore,Yang Razali Kassim, a Senior Fellow, S. Rajaratnam School of InternationalStudies said: "I would say that Singapore-Malaysia ties are entering a newphase.It is clearly more warm and neighbourly, more constructive and moreproductive".
With Najib and Lee jointly steering the ship of bilateral relations, bothcountries seem to be leaving behind the acrimonious ties of thepast, especially those of the 1990s. "We seem to be very serious about wanting to benefit from each other’sstrengths and from the synergies of close relations.
"Indeed, the word "breakthrough" has been used by both leaders to describethe new phase that bilateral relations are in now.
"And, this breakthrough is concretely captured in several majorachievements: the resolution of the long-standing KTM land issue in Singapore;the consequent creation of M+S Pte Ltd (a company owned 60:40 by Khazanah Holdings Bhd, and Temasek Holdings Pte Ltd) to take ties forward on the economicfront, in creative new ways; and now the announcement of a high-speed rail linkbetween Singapore and Malaysia.
"Visions of KL and Singapore as “twin cities” and as “one virtual urbancommunity” like London and Paris have now been conjured. These are majorsignposts of a new kind of relationship that we are talking about betweenSingapore and Malaysia now, and which we can expect in the years to come," added Yang Razali.
When asked about Malaysians' support for the ruling Barisan Nasionalgovernment, another analyst said: "Based on these facts, we can see not only thegood track record of the ruling BN in establishing the strong ties between KualaLumpur and its closest neighbour, Singapore, but the economic prosperity that itwill bring to the country and its people if continuity is preserved.
"I am not taking sides, but if we look at it rationally, do we want agovernment which we are unsure of its credibility and without a track record?"he asked.
The analyst said the upcoming elections was going to be one of the most important and critical as Malaysians have to be choose the right leaders.
"They should also think wisely and select candidates who can best serve Malaysia for another five years," he added. -- BERNAMA
Read more: Iskandar becoming major success story for Malaysia, says Mobius - Latest - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/latest/iskandar-becoming-major-success-story-for-malaysia-says-mobius-1.263011#ixzz2RMt1smKU
