You have your fill of the view as the plane takes a loop out to the sea before turning back again to begin its final descent.

SOURCE: BERITA HARIAN

And what a landing. The Airbus-319 hits the runway, screeches as the pilot brakes hard and the aircraft stops just short of the end of the strip.

Welcome to President Nicolau Lobato International Airport in Dili, the capital of Timor Leste, tucked away in the far west corner of Southeast Asia, which, if all goes as planned, will be Asean's 11th and last possible member by geographical definition.

The airport is small and spartan and the first sign of security is a burly European-looking UNPOL (United Nations Police) officer, an immediate reminder of the omnipresence of the world body here nearly 10 years after it guided this fledging nation to independence.

We landed as the sun was going down and the first order of business was payment of a US$30 entry tax to a Timorese officer sitting in a darkened room. He makes an extra effort to check the change, if any, because greenbacks are a tough currency in the dark.

Our flight was delayed and airport officials here went the extra mile to ensure a safe landing since no flights land here in the dark at the moment.

I was visiting for the first time, courtesy of Austasia Airlines which through Silkair began a twice-weekly chartered service from Singapore to Dili in October.

This is a country filled with hope, among its citizens as well as the many foreigners who live and work here mostly with the United Nations. And it's easy to see why on the drive from the airport to the city less than half an hour away.

One thing stands out - the gutted shells of what was once a house or a building, many plastered with graffiti. And these are everywhere, in Dili as well.

SOURCE: BERITA HARIAN

They serve as a reminder of the country’s  fragility as the Timorese strive to attain nationhood after centuries of living under occupation — first for nearly five centuries under the Portuguese and then for more than two decades under the Indonesians.

It achieved full independence in 2002, about three years after the people voted for it in a UN referendum.

But the path has been treacherous since with the outbreak of violence among the people immediately after the referendum and again in 2006.

An abortive attempt by a rebel leader to assassinate the president as well as the prime minister last year again set tongues wagging on the fragility of the state.

But officials here are now hopeful that Timor Leste has turned the corner, that the people are tired of strife and long for stability and prosperity — a prosperity that now seems within reach because of newly found riches of gas and oil in its backyard in the Timor Sea.

SOURCE: BERITA HARIAN

And the new coalition government — flush with cash in a new Petroleum Fund that hovers around the US$5 billion range, a huge amount for a country with a population of just about a million — is confident it can deliver the goods for the people, half of whom live under the poverty line on about S$40 a month.

But officials also acknowledge the enormous challenges that lie ahead; alleviating widespread poverty, education, health care, agriculture and most immediately to build top class infrastructure in a country worn down by centuries of neglect.

Top leaders, including President Jose Ramos Horta, a Nobel Peace laureate, and Vice Prime Minister Jose Luis Guterres point to Singapore and its founding leader Lee Kuan Yew as a reference point for past experience.

They say Timor Leste can learn from Singapore especially when it redevelops its seaport and builds a new airport, but how to tackle corruption is another area.

Massive infrastructure projects beckon and already many international companies are scrambling for the spoils.

Australia's Woodside is big in gas and oil, Malaysia's Petronas is trying to cut into the pie, a Chinese company has secured a big power deal and a Singaporean hotelier has just inked a mega-deal to build a five star tourist resort.

Things are beginning to turn around in Timor Leste.

When I left I couldn't but hope the Timorese would succeed, even  beyond their dreams. They have suffered enough. But those wishes were coupled with a little trepidation as well because of the recent past.

President Ramos Horta, however, had a comeback that stuck with me.

During an interview he said: "How long do you think it would take for a Chinese takeaway in a major city to turn a profit?".

He acknowledged that he was no expert in the restaurant business but presumed it would take at least three to five years. How much longer for a country like Timor Leste?

SOURCE: BERITA HARIAN