July 01, 2018, 02:51 AM 
Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen told reporters on Friday, June 29, ahead of Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Day on Sunday, that Singapore should deal with the new Malaysian government with “respect, maturity and understanding”.
View interview here with full transcript below:
Ng said it is unnecessary to “jump up and down when their styles change, and priorities change", as well as not having to "respond to their every articulation”.
"You live in an HDB flat, a new neighbour comes in, you can hear through the walls what he says to his family," Ng said with a laugh.
"Don't go keep knocking at your neighbour's door to give your input. (Laughs) Sometimes you don't need to. Some of it is for his family, not yours."
Abide by international laws
Ng also said collaboration with Malaysia should be explored with mutual benefits in mind.
“We are neighbours for life. Just take it within our stride,” he said, mentioning that all parties have to keep to agreements and comply with international laws.
In a lighter moment deviating from government relations, Ng said the people-to-people relationship between Singaporeans and Malaysians are good: "There will never be a situation where fewer Singaporeans go to Malaysia, or vice versa, just the food is too good on both sides, the differences. We need places to relax."
Joint patrols around Pedra Branca
Ng also responded to queries about a recent Straits Times interview with newly-appointed Malaysian Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu.
Sabu talked about the prospect of both countries conducting joint patrols around Pedra Branca and Middle Rocks.
Ng said: “I completely support what he said. It makes no sense to deploy more resources around Pedra Branca and Middle Rocks if we can decide on a common plan.”
Both defense ministers had their first official meeting on the sidelines of the 17th Shangri-La Dialogue in June.
What Mahathir said about Singapore recently
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said the following things about Singapore recently:
He described price of water sold to Singapore as “manifestly ridiculous” in interview with Channel News Asia.
Bloomberg had earlier reported the 92-year-old wanted to renegotiate the 1962 water supply deal with Singapore, which expires in 2061.
The deal allows Singapore to buy 250 million gallons of raw water from the Johore River daily at three sen per 1,000 gallons. Malaysia can buy back a portion of that in return, at 50 sen (17 cents) per 1,000 gallons of treated water.
Mahathir told CNA: “That was okay way back in the 1990s or 1930s. But now what can you buy with three sen? Nothing.”
[related_story]
Mahathir, in May, pledged to scrap the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high-speed rail project agreed upon with the previous administration of Najib Rajak, citing the need to reduce Malaysia’s RM1 trillion (S$337 billion) debt.
He also recently announced plans to expand Middle Rocks in the Singapore Strait to “form a small island”.
The rocky outcrop off the waterway was awarded to Malaysia by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2008.
The ICJ also ruled that Singapore had territorial rights over the nearby island of Pedra Branca in the same ruling.
Transcript
Just like you deal with people. New management, if you're a company, new management, you deal with respect and maturity.
What does that mean? Mature to know that when there's a new boss, a new government, they would do it differently.
And not to jump up and down when styles change, and priorities change.
Any country has a new government. And they are the elected government. And they are the powers to be and you deal with it.
They have their domestic politics and you don't have to respond to every articulation. They are dealing sometimes with their internal audience.
You live in an HDB flat, a new neighbour comes in, you can hear through the walls what he says to his family.
Don't go keep knocking at your neighbour's door to give your input. (Laughs) Sometimes you don't need to. Some of it is for his family, not yours.
Even if he talks about the common corridor, or the fact that his neighbours are so-and-so, you know, you deal with it with maturity.
With respect, meaning that you respect that they are the powers-to-be, and also mutual respect, that there are agreements that you keep and they keep, they are international norms.
And also, a third quality is understanding. Understanding their predicament, understanding their challenges, not that that will undermine your own position, doesn't have to.
So, if they talk about water, you know yes, there are water agreements. They talk about Middle Rocks, if whatever they want to do on Middle Rocks if it complies with international laws, you should respect they have the right to, as we do if we want to build up Pedra Branca.
They talk about joint patrol, explore it. That may be a win-win situation.
So, I would approach the first few months of a Malaysian government with maturity, with respect and understanding. And recognise that we're closest neighbours and we have to work together. And where we can help, we will, but it is out of mutual respect and mutual benefit. We're both sovereign nations with our own needs, our own domestic needs and people-to-people level, it's still very good.
There will never be a situation where fewer Singaporeans go to Malaysia, or vice versa, just the food is too good on both sides, the differences. We need places to relax.
We are neighours for life. Just take it within our stride.
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