Accord ends oddity of empire in mini-Malaysia

There are not many experiences in Singapore that one can fairly describe as surreal. Vigilant policing means recreational drugs are scarce, the city-state is run with exacting efficiency and many people arrange their lives in a predictable fashion.

But there is at least some head-spinning release to be had at the railway station - a lofty, antiquated masterpiece that sits between the container port and the business district.

Book your ticket for Kuala Lumpur, pack your bags and head for the train. As you approach the platform, an official will check your passport, look you up and down and satisfy himself that it is OK for you to enter . . . Malaysia.

All this happens, however, before you have actually left the country you are in.

Singapore's immigration comes only long afterwards, near the Causeway on the northern side of the island.

The station's bizarre practice has its roots both in the days when the two territories were part of the British empire, and in the troubled relationship that modern Singapore and Malaysia have experienced since.

The Tanjong Pagar building has changed little since the ribbon was cut in 1932, with glorious murals and ornate statues celebrating the rubber and tin industries. Back then, it was owned by Malayan Railways. These days it is operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu, its Malaysian successor.