Rais Hussin is a senior member of Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's political party, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia.

He is a council member of its Supreme Leadership Council and heads PPBM's policy and strategy bureau.

He recently wrote a commentary, "The Singapore spat, spar, and spur", that was published in Malaysiakini and Malay Mail.

In it, he touched on three main things.

1. We should live and let live, because Singapore owes Malaysia somewhat for what we have achieved.

Rais gave an example of not protesting Singapore's "incursions" into Johor's airspace.

He also implied that Malaysia has been tolerating it ad nauseaum.

Hence, Singapore should not go "all ballistic about the fourteen so called 'incursions' of Malaysian patrol boats".

Rais credited Malaysia for providing the support, be it passive or active, needed to ensure the stability that fuelled Singapore's growth.

This is why we need to be blunt, just as Singapore is blunt to us often: without Malaysia providing all forms of auxiliary support, be they passive or active, in terms of stability provisioned, and concepts like Asean Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality, all of which Kishore Mahbubani himself, a Singaporean, ask his country not to take for granted, Singapore would not be where it is.

2. There is nothing that Singapore can gain by hardening its stance.

Rais concluded that there is nothing Singapore can gain with its stance because "Singapore and Malaysia both know that wars are meant to make an orphan of all children of their respective populations".

Yup, he used the word "War".

Which leads to his third point.

3. Singapore's stance on the current maritime dispute might lead to Singapore getting "pain by a thousand cuts"

Yikes.

Reactions

Rais' first point has been countered ad nauseum, the most recent being by the Ministry of Transport.

You can read about it here.

In a nutshell, in 1974, a bilateral agreement was signed between Singapore and Malaysia to operationalise the agreements to ensure efficient air traffic flows in and out of Singapore, which was approved by the ICAO.

So, no "incursions" into Johor's airspace.

Singaporeans were also confused over the reasoning Rais made about the first point.

The last point was the one that, understandably drew the strongest reactions.

Which informed most other reactions.

Basically, say what you will, but perhaps say it from the side of the waters that is legally yours.

Prominent Singaporeans commented on the issue as well

Bilahari Kausikan, Chairman of the Middle East Institute and former Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, had this to say.

"Very typical — what they expect is subordination of our interests to their interests.

They have not given up, and never will, trying to tame or domesticate (menjinakan) Singapore, because unless they do so, the intrinsic short-comings of a system based on the dominance of a particular race will be highlighted, particularly since we do better with a different system.

But if we accept a subordinate position, can we prosper? Is existence by the leave and favour of some other country acceptable? That is what this character’s demands amount to.

This is the essential reason why a small country should never behave as a small country, that is behave in a way bigger neighbours demand."

Andrew Loh, a political pundit and founder of socio-political site The Online Citizen, calling Hussin "unhinged" twice.

"Mr Hussin sounds pretty unhinged to me. His argument makes no sense. And this is the first time someone so senior in Mahathir's party mentions the word "war".

Ya, unhinged."

Ho Ching had a more succinct reaction.

"Chill, man."

Right on, dude.

Image collated from Malaysian Insight and Rais' Facebook