The term "little red dot" gained currency after the third Indonesian President B. J. Habibie was regarded as having criticized Singapore in an article published in the Asian Wall Street Journal of 4 August 1998. It was reported that Habibie had remarked that he did not have the feeling that Singapore was a friend, and had pointed to a map, saying: "It's O.K. with me, but there are 211 million people [in Indonesia].
The term "little red dot" became popular after the third Indonesian President, B. J. Habibie, was perceived as criticizing Singapore in an article published on August 4, 1998, in the Asian Wall Street Journal. It was reported that Habibie had stated he did not feel like a friend to Singapore and indicated a map, saying: "It's fine with me, but there are 211 million people [in Indonesia]."