Aiyah, if you thought the KTM railway land saga took its sweet time, meet the Rapid Transit System Link between Singapore and Johor Bahru. Announced when smartphones still had buttons, begun when masks were just for surgeries, and now set for completion by end 2026? Talk about slow cooking a curry until the meat falls off the bone.

But wait, don’t roll your eyes yet. At this week’s Leaders’ Retreat in Singapore, PM Lawrence Wong and his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim did more than just smile for cameras at a fancy hotel. They exchanged agreements like wedding ang pows, reset discussions on three spicier-than-sambal issues (water prices, airspace rights, maritime boundaries), and somehow avoided mentioning which country makes better char kway teow. That’s maturity, lah. Or maybe they were saving that debate for Mamak stall suppers.

The real miracle here isn’t the rail deal – though credit where due, getting Malaysia’s agreement on co-located immigration facilities at Woodlands and Bukit Chagar is like convincing cats to share a fish. No, the surprising bit is how both leaders handled the trickiest topics with the grace of a Singapore Sling served at Raffles Hotel. Water rights? Oh, just that 1962 agreement Singapore treats like a sacred text and Malaysia occasionally eye-balls like an expired coupon. But! Both sides now agree to keep chatting through a joint technical committee, ‘without prejudice’ to their legal positions. As diplomatic fictions go, it’s pure gold, like pretending you don’t see your neighbor taking your newspaper.

PM Wong put it best: ‘All these issues are not easy to resolve, but as good neighbours, we will continue engaging in good faith.’ Which loosely translates to ‘we won’t let it spoil our teh tarik sessions.’ Meanwhile, Anwar’s signature blend of pragmatism and idealism shone through: ‘There’s no hostility.’ Coming from anyone else, you might scoff. But this is the man who once joked about needing checkpoints between Penang and Kedah, so he knows a thing or twelve about state-to-state sensitivities.

Beyond the high-minded talk, what’s the real so what? For daily commuters, the RTS Link eventually means fewer 5am jostles at Woodlands Checkpoint. For Johor businesses, Singapore’s new consulates in Sabah and Sarawak mean easier visas and investor eyeballs. For anti-drug squads, enhanced intel sharing might finally make traffickers think twice before stuffing meth into pomelo fruits. And for water warriors on both sides, all that ‘mutual respect’ jargon hides a crucial truth: Climate change is drying up rivers faster than any diplomatic spat. Cooperation isn’t just nice, it’s survival.

Of course, shadows linger. Maritime boundary disputes remain unresolved, floating like lost sampans between patrol boats. Airspace management talks continue, likely with pilots from both sides glaring through windshields. And don’t even ask about Malaysia’s halal certification deal with Singapore, still simmering like a pot of unfinished rendang.

But here’s the rub: Unlike some ASEAN neighbors who settle scores through passive-aggressive press releases, these two keep showing up. They spar via lawyers on water rights, then break bread over healthcare partnerships. They execute each other’s drug mules, then agree trafficking is bad. They disagree fundamentally on what ‘fair pricing’ means, but still invest in new water infrastructure together. It’s messy, jaw-dropping, and somehow works better than Thailand’s endless coalition dramas.

So next time someone scoffs about ‘useless summits,’ remind them about the RTS Link. Sure, it’s late. But when it finally chugs along in 2026, it’ll connect more than two cities. It’ll embody a relationship so stubbornly hopeful, even the Singaporean who complains about MY plates parking in HDB lots might pause to say: ‘Wah, boleh juga.’

Because at the end of the day, what’s a 16-year project delay between friends who’ve been disputing water since the Beatles were teens? In Southeast Asia, patience isn’t just a virtue, it’s infrastructure.