I would agree. But, a surface action with the two British capital ships present would have changed the dynamic of the battle greatly. First, the Japanese torpedo advantage would be largely negated. They would have to launch at extreme ranges where chances of a hit would decrease substancially.
The inclusion of two Kongo class battlecruisers might have some effect but if the British are able to score using radar at 15,000 to 20,000 yards even just a few hits on these ships they would have been out of the action quickly. Their armor was grossly inferior to that of the PoW in particular and the Repulse had already proved her gunnery efficency earlier in the war. The British 15"/42 was a particularly reliable gun with good accuracy and would have performed without problem.
Another possibility is a scenario where the Repulse is detached to accompany US Desron 57 to Balikpapan to attack the Japanese landing there. Historically, the four US DD sank 4 out of 12 transports and shot up several more along with some of the escort vessels. The presence of Repulse might have resulted in a total destruction of the Japanese landing and its failure.