Mina ngokwami ngiyayithanda idatha yezokuvakasha enikezwa amazwe. Futhi ngithanda kakhulu idatha lapho ingasho noma yini ongathanda ukuyibonisa. Phakathi kwezinombolo ezixakile, kukhona imfihlakalo ezungeze abantu baseSingapore abahamba "njengabavakashi" baya eMalaysia. Uma sibheka izibalo ezisemthethweni zeTourism Malaysia, ngo-2009 izivakashi ezingaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-12.7 zafika zisuka eSingapore zaya eMalaysia. Ukuthatha okunengqondo ngokuhlukanisa inani eliphelele labahambi abavela e-Singapore baye e-Malaysia ngenani labantu base-Singapore, kubonisa ukuthi isakhamuzi ngasinye sase-Singapore sasiyisivakashi sase-Malaysia izikhathi ezingu-2.55 ngonyaka odlule.
Kusukela ngo-2000 kuya ku-2009, izivakashi zaseSingapore ezivakashela iMalaysia zikhule ngamaphesenti angu-135 amangalisayo. Uma kuqhathaniswa nje, ukukhula kusuka kubahambi baseThailand beya eMalaysia phakathi nenkathi efanayo kukhuphuke ngamaphesenti angu-54.1 kusuka ezigidini ezingu-0.94 kuya ezigidini ezingu-1.45, kuyilapho amanani asuka e-Indonesia eqa ngamaphesenti angu-341, esuka ezigidini ezingu-0.54 aya ezigidini ezingu-2.40 abafikayo. Ukweqa kwenani kwase-Indonesia kungenxa yokususwa kwentela yemali yokuya emadolobheni amaningi ase-Malaysian, kanye nokuphindaphindeka kwezindiza ezingabizi kakhulu phakathi kwamazwe womabili. Ukusebenza kwezokuvakasha kweMalaysia kubukeka kuhlaba umxhwele nakakhulu uma kuqhathaniswa nomakhelwane bayo ngemiphumela yabo ehlasimulisayo. Abahambi baseMalaysia abaya eSingapore bakhule “kuphela” ngamaphesenti angama-35 ukusuka ngo-2000 nango-2009, kanti abahambi base-Indonesia abaya eSingapore bakhule ngamaphesenti angama-44. I-Indonesia yabhalisa ngesikhathi esifanayo ukwehla ngamaphesenti angama-31 kubantu baseSingapore okulinganiselwe ngokukhula kwamaphesenti angama-80 abantu baseMalaysia.
Kungaba umhlaba omuhle kakhulu uma i-Singapore Immigration and Checkpoints Authority inganikezi isithombe esihlukile ngedatha yazo. Ngo-2008, iSingapore ICA yabonisa ukuthi abayizigidi ezingu-6.25 baye phesheya kwezilwandle ngezindiza nangolwandle, futhi ezinyangeni eziyishumi zika-2010, lesi sibalo safinyelela ezigidini ezingu-5.36. Yiqiniso, akubandakanyi ukuhamba ngezinto zokuhamba zomhlaba - isitimela nemoto yomgwaqo. Ucwaningo lwe-Euromonitor luhlawumbisela ukuthi i-Singaporean isuke ezigidini ezingu-14.08 emazweni angaphandle okuhlanganisa nezigidi ezingu-9.2 eziya eMalaysia. Kusazokwenza umehluko ngenani elifunwe yiMalaysia ngo-2008 (izigidi ezingu-11), futhi i-Euromonitor ikhombisa ukuthi lokhu kusukwa, okuhlanganisa nohambo lwansuku zonke.
Ngisho nezibalo mayelana namahhotela eJohor Bahru zibonakala ziphikisana nezibalo zeTourism Malaysia. Ngaphezu kwamaphesenti angu-35 abo bonke abantu baseSingapore abavakashela eMalaysia baneSifundazwe esingumakhelwane sase-JB njengendawo yabo. Ngeshwa, akulethi izinzuzo eziningi kumahhotela e-JB, aqopha ngo-2008 ukuhlala okumaphakathi okungamaphesenti angama-61.6 kanye nezigidi eziyi-1.71 kuphela zabantu bangaphandle.
Umehluko wezibalo kufanele ukhathaze iziphathimandla zaseSingapore nezaseMalaysia, njengoba ukunyamalala kwabahambi baseSingapore okungenani abayizigidi ezimbili bewela umngcele kwenza iBermuda Triangle enedumela elibi ibukeke iphephile. I-Singapore Immigration and Checkpoints Authority ifuna ukuqinisa idolo. “Sinezindlela ezihlukene zokulandisa ngokunyakaza kwabahambi,” kuchaza (ngokukhulu ukucophelela) isisebenzi soMnyango Wezokuxhumana.
Ukweqa okumangalisayo kwenani eliphelele labavakashi abafika eMalaysia kunencazelo, ezwakala njengenganekwane. Kwake kwathi ngo-1998/1999, kwaqokwa ungqongqoshe omusha wezokuvakasha eMalaysia. Ukukhombisa inkosi yakhe, uNdunankulu uDkt. Mahathir, ukuthi wayengungqongqoshe osebenza kahle, abavakashi abafika phakathi kuka-1998 no-1999 beqa ngamaphesenti angu-43.6 futhi ngamanye amaphesenti angu-29.1 phakathi kuka-1999 no-2000. Phakathi neminyaka emibili, ingqikithi izivakashi ezifika kuleli zicishe zaphindeka kabili, zisuka ezigidini ezingu-5.5 zaya ezigidini ezingu-10.2. Ukuziphatha kwale ndaba ukuthi, owayengungqongqoshe wezokuvakasha wayethanda idatha.
