About a month ago, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the straight-talking former prime minister of Malaysia, was reported to have made remarks implying that his country had a rightful claim on Singapore and the Riau Islands of Indonesia on grounds that both were historically "Tanah Melayu", or Malay lands.

Speaking in Malay at a conference organised by Kongres Survival Melayu, a collection of Malay non-governmental organisations, he said: "We should demand not only Pedra Branca, or Batu Puteh Island, to be returned to us; we should also demand Singapore as well as the Riau Islands, because these are Malay lands."