RECENT news that Malaysia may renew a push for the much-touted and long-aspired plan to establish an economic link between its southern state Johor and closest neighbour Singapore could make businesses and the people on both sides of the Causeway giddy with anticipation.

But if history is to be a guide, any such connection from which synergies and benefits abound will take time and is unlikely to be hiccup-free.

Malaysian-based news outlets have reported that the country’s Minister of Economy Rafizi Ramli has said that the country is mulling the establishment of a Johor-Singapore “economic region” to strengthen the state’s growth potential and that now was the “right time to start the discussion formally”.