This week has been noteworthy for Tentera Darat Malaysia (Malaysian Army) and the Singapore Army - two land forces whose destinies will forever be intertwined.
On Monday 22 May 2017, TDM staged its annual firepower exercise, Latihan Kuasa Tembakan (LKT), at Kem Tentera Syed Sirijuddin in Gemas to demonstrate the capabilities of the TDM's principal assets. The LKT took place in front of spectators that included Malaysian media and defence attaches accredited to the Federation.
On Tuesday 23 May 2017, the Singapore Army held a sneak preview for the media for this weekend's Singapore Army Open House 2017 (AOH 2017) with new capabilities such as the Safari weapon locating radar system and a new armoured platform making their show debut.
If you believe the defence of Malaysia and Singapore is indivisible, then these public demonstrations by land forces from both countries are welcome. Having soldiers showcase what they are trained to do contributes to building a deeper understanding of, and appreciation for, the work of land warriors from both sides of the Causeway.
Malaysia's LKT was impressive. Given the expanse of ground at the firing range in Gemas, the Malaysians put on quite a show although the firing was mainly academic, just like during range practice. Warplanes and helicopters from TUDM and PUTD (Malaysian Army Air Corps) also made their presence felt, rearranging the landscape with freefall bombs and unguided rockets.
But there was no opportunity to demonstrate the interplay between firepower and manoeuvre, or how information can be exploited to coordinate the timing and delivery of ordnance with the precision and volume of fire to maximise shock effect during operations.
In Singapore, the Dynamic Defence Display, staged with Singapore's city skyline as a backdrop, placed far more constraints on the Singapore Army. There was no live-fire component. Neither was there any chance to showcase precision firepower, manoeuvre and information. Movement was confined to having individual platforms like the Leopard 2SG main battle tank and Terrex infantry carrier vehicle perform slalom turns and sudden braking - typical motor show stuff - more for the benefit of the camera.
Even at large-scale war games, it is not easy showing observers all the moving parts involved in land battle at the level of grand strategy or operational art. Instead, what observers typically see are tactical-level executions - a component of an Armoured Battle Group moving into action, an artillery battery letting loose, a bridging unit deploying its assets and so on.
That said, the armies of Malaysia and Singapore have done what they can to reach out to stakeholders.
First and foremost among these would be their respective home audience. The rakyat in both countries need to be informed, updated and reassured from time to time on the capability, ability and readiness of its warfighters to do what's necessary during a hot-war scenario.
Defence information officers from both armies will probably agree that this task is neither straightforward nor easy.
Malaysians and Singaporeans have enjoyed decades of peace. This has inevitably contributed to vigilance fatigue, which tends to breed complacency.
Even with the impressive slew of pictures and videos from the light and sound show in Gemas, and with the Singapore Army likely to enjoy a brief spike in public awareness thanks to the upcoming AOH 2017, such publicity is transient.
When the guns have fallen silent in Gemas and the AOH team packs up at the end of the show, people in Malaysia and Singapore will swing back to everyday issues that command their (limited) time and attention.
Even so, one can be assured warfighters from Malaysia and Singapore will remain vigilant, 24 by 365, protecting their respective borders against all comers.
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