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UPDATED VERSION. Today is not a significant day for Putrajaya.

Yet, it's the day in 1963 that Sabah and Sarawak helped Federation of Malaya make Malaysia a reality.

Singapore shared a 3-year kinship and broke away on August 9, 1965 to cast a different destiny for its people.

Tale of two countries after 42-yr split

Over the past four decades, the two countries of contrasting dynamics in geological mass, demographics and economy, behaved and matured in different ways. Here's a snapshot of huge contrasts:

Malaysia (2006 estimates, via CIA Factbook as at September 6, 2007):

- GDP (purchasing power parity): US$313.8 billion
- GDP (official exchange rate): US$132.3 billion
- GDP - real growth rate: 5.9%
- GDP - per capita (PPP): US$12,900
- Oil - proved reserves: 3.1 billion bbl
- Natural gas - proved reserves: 2.124 trillion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
- Current account balance: $17.86 billion
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: US$82.3 billion
- Debt (external): US$57.77 billion

Singapore (2006 estimates, via CIA Factbook as at September 6, 2007):

- GDP (purchasing power parity): US$141.2 billion
- GDP (official exchange rate): US$122.1 billion
- GDP - real growth rate: 7.9%
- GDP - per capita (PPP): US$31,400
- Oil - proved reserves: 0 bbl
- Natural gas - proved reserves: 0 cu m
- Current account balance: US$35.58 billion
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: US$134.6 billion
- Debt (external): US$24.3 billion

The scenario is obvious when countries face systemic meltdown of any kind -- financial and economic, or nuclear-political, or Ice Age ahead. Huge collaterals are at stake. You know who has less mouths to feed, and more reserves to buy imports, and more power to borrow during critical times.

WILLING BUYER, WILLING SELLER. September 12, one month after Singapore Independence Day, it was announced that the Little Red Dot has asked to buy, and the US is willing to sell, 18 M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System launchers complete with nine medium tactical vehicle 5-ton trucks, communications sets and 32 XM31 Unitary High Explosive GMLRS rockets.

The system, known as High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), is designed to defeat artillery, air defenses, trucks, light armour and personnel carriers.

It has a precision attack of 60km --for eg. from KL to Seremban, or from Changi to Kota Tinggi -- launched from a remote control site. US troops had used it to attacked Iraq from battleships parked in the ocean.

UPDATES. A Screenshots reader alerted me the following:

If the HIMARS can be used to fire one single MGM140 ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) Block II Missile, the ATACMS has a range of up to 128km! And that is for the A variant (with 500kg warhead). I've read that there's is also MGM140B (B Variant) - with GPS and smaller warhead (160kg). Depending on the warhead, guess how far these babies can fly?

Up to 300km!!!

What makes it more interesting is as with most military equipments, the ATACMS are flexible, there are many options - tank busters, etc

Here's a scenario that I wonder about. Say the HIMARS can be transported by the C130 Hercules, the Hercules is already a rugged transporter that can take-off and land on any short, unprepared runway. A quick infiltration supported by their awesome air escorts (remember SAF has up to 60 F16s and many Apaches attack helicopter) as far up to the famed 'Mersing Line' means more target up north, maybe its not inconceivable to have even Putrajaya in it's range.

Heck, if they buy the MGM140B then they can fire from their own backyard if they want to.

For the record, US Pentagon has duly notified the Congress of the deal, which is worth US$330 million (RM1.15 billion).

For the records too, Malaysia seems less hawkish and more pacifist than its neighbour in certain ways.

For example, using much bigger money (compared to Singapore's RM1.15 billion used for HIMARS), Malaysia is ever too willing to drain RM4.6 billion on the PKFZ scandal into the Port Klang sea... and purchase 6 Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) worth RM6.75 billion that won't can't roam the Malacca Straits anytime soon.

Majulah Singapura.