Johor's Menteri Besar (chief minister) Onn Hafiz Ghazi is an "eternal optimist" and believes Johor and Singapore will see better days ahead together.
The relationship between the country and the Malaysian state will only get stronger if both sides are willing to put in the effort to keep up with the times.
"Do not be afraid to push the reset button when we need to, every now and then, if we must," he said.
Onn Hafiz, who light-heartedly described Singapore as an "annoying but overachieving" sibling in relation to Johor, touched upon several issues during his speech and question-and-answer session at the National University of Singapore Society 70th Anniversary Lecture 2024 on Wednesday, Sep. 18, 2024.
The special Johor-Singapore relationship
Onn Hafiz highlighted the importance of personal relationships in maintaining the strong ties between Johor and Singapore.
He thanked the Sultan Ibrahim of Johor (also Malaysia's Agong or head of state) for his guidance in managing this "important relationship", and also mentioned prime ministers Anwar Ibrahim and Lawrence Wong for their "unwavering support" for his work, including improving the ease of movement between the two sides.
"Part of the reason Malaysia and Singapore's bilateral relationship thrived is because our leaders knew and understood each other," he said.
Onn Hafiz said it is also important for such links to be forged at the business and civil levels, and said the "Malaysia-Singapore-Johor" nexus is vital, as there must be buy-in at all levels.
Johor-Singapore SEZ and "overachieving sibling"
Onn Hafiz outlined the priorities of his state for the next few years, including the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (SEZ).
"We are aware that Johor must be an active participant in this process," he said, and referred to the Johor 2030 Initiative, which covers key thrusts of governance, economic development and social safety nets.
Onn Hafiz also emphasised the principle that economic development for Johor must result in benefits for the local population, such as making sure housing and public transportation needs are met, and the household incomes of the local communities should see a rise.
He pointed out that some 1.5 million Malaysians work in Singapore, with 300,000 people crossing the border every day for work, and both sides can take advantage of the collective regional workforce.
Striking a light-hearted tone, he said Singapore is akin to Johor's "overachieving yet annoying" sibling, but made the point that the histories of both are "intertwined", and they should try to build a future that is sustainable and equitable.
"There is no need for a race to the bottom," he said. "We must pull each other up to the pinnacle. That should be the basis of our enduring relationship."
Success cannot be taken for granted
However, Onn Hafiz also made the point that success is not guaranteed, and effort needs to be continually made.
He referred to his own efforts in going down to the customs, immigration and quarantine (CIQ) complex to see if there are any improvements he could make to ease the congestion problems.
Onn Hafiz said it helped him to understand what Malaysians and Singaporeans go through on a daily basis, and strengthened his resolve to improve things as quickly as possible.
He mentioned Malaysia's upcoming chairmanship of Asean, and the possibilities it afforded for closer cooperation.
"Remember the strength of [the] Johor and Singapore relationship lies in its people. Sincerity is key. If you are sincerely helping to lift one another, I believe we will all be winners in the long run."
Top image by Mothership and Canva.