Singapore and 'Puteri Gunung Ledang'

I’m really fascinated with the view expressed by Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib, who is Information Chief of UMNO, when he was asked to comment about the government’s decision to scrap the new bridge’s project in Johor Bahru. He made a sparkling analogy. He said that Singapore was acting like the ‘Puteri Gunung Ledang’ when the Sultan of Malacca asked for her hand in marriage.

Legend has it that the ‘Puteri’ did not refuse and reject the proposal directly but she put a lot of bizarre and impossible conditions to the Sultan. Some of the conditions were so absurd that no one could fulfill it. Actually she did not want to marry the Sultan but at the same time she did not want to be rude or disrespect to the Sultan. So by putting the bizarre conditions, she hoped the Sultan would understand the double meaning of her conditions. She wanted the Sultan to read between the lines. As expected, the Sultan finally decided not to marry her out of love for his country and subjects.

Historically the Sultan of Malacca wanted to marry her because to protect her country namely ‘Majapahit Kingdom’ from a hostile takeover by ‘Damak Kingdom’, and to forge a closer tie with it, but the ‘Puteri’ saw it differently and she could not accept the Sultan’s goodwill because of her personal commitment. She was in love with someone else. Whatever it was, she was egocentric and arrogant to the Sultan.

So when it comes to the new bridge’s project with Singapore, either a scenic or crooked bridge, Malaysia is like the Sultan of Malacca, full of good intention and goodwill. And Singapore is like the ‘Puteri Gunung Ledang’ as Singapore wanted sand and airspace from Malaysia in exchange for its consent to build the new bridge. To me, these conditions were ridiculous and rude.

Therefore, I fully agree with our government’s decision to abandon the project for the sake of our sovereignty and integrity. Bravo Pak Lah..