The new government in Kuala Lumpur has called off a multi-billion-dollar high-speed rail project and dropped a high-profile international court case over Pedra Branca - all within three weeks of winning power, and without having appointed a foreign minister.

Such rapid turnarounds in bilateral matters between Singapore and Malaysia are perhaps par for the course, now that Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad is back in charge across the Causeway.