HARRY LEE says Sorry; NO Intention to MEDDLE, Influence MALAYSIAN Politics or INCITE FEELINGS; REGARDLESS, PEOPLE Have Own JUDGEMENT-TRUE POSITION
See Below for an (Oct 04 06)
UPDATE: Annex listing attached to Harry Lee’s Reply
Harry Lee jumped the gun and authorized the Singapore High Commission to release the letter to the public once a copy has been sent to Prime Minister Abdullah. As a matter of fact Channel Asia has the story out on Oct 2nd
It is somewhat fashionable to place feelings above conscious thoughts, the idea being that emotions are more basic and natural than conscious reasoning is.
The two actually go together but your conscious thinking largely determines your emotions, and not the other way around.
HARRY LEE speaking at the forum
Lee Kuan Yew Says Sorry To Prime Minister; October 02, 2006 23:52 PM
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 2 (Bernama) -- Singapore's Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, in a letter of response to Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi over his recent claims about the systematic marginalisation of the Chinese community in Malaysia, said he was sorry that what he said had caused a great deal of discomfort to the prime minister.
He said after a decade of troubled relations with Abdullah's predecessor (Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad) it was the last thing he wanted.
"I am sorry that what I said has caused you a great deal of discomfort. After a decade of troubled relations with your predeccor, it is the last thing I wanted," he said in a letter dated Sept 29 forwarded to Abdullah's office in Putrajaya by
The copy of the three-page letter was faxed to Bernama by the
Abdullah had written to Lee on Sept 25 seeking clarification over the latter's controversial remarks that the attitude of
Lee thanked Abdullah for the letter and said he made the remarks in a free-flowing dialogue session with former
He also included in the letter the transcript of the relevant passage as reported by Reuters.
"Let me sum it up nicely, why you must have a government in
"They are successful, they are hard working and therefore, they are systematically marginalized, even in education. There are quotas to prevent you.
"So, you've got to make money to go abroad or go to one of the private universities which are being set up. And they want
"So every time, we say `No' to some scheme to knock down the Causeway and build a bridge, he says, `Oh you're not cooperative, you're only thinking of yourself'. For no rhyme or reason, we knock down a causeway, nearly 100 years old, which served us well. He wants to build a bridge because it looks pretty and he says ships will sail and his containers can move from the East Coast to the West Coast via this.
"But we say no... So, we said, "All right, if you give us commensurate benefits, we'll agree". But you need a government who'll be able to, not only have the gumption, but the skill to say `No' in a very quiet, polite way that doesn't provoke them into doing something silly," Lee said.
He said that on the bridge and the half bridge to remove the Causeway, Abdullah made the position of the Malaysian government clear that
"This made unnecessary a reference to ITLOS and the International Court of Justice that would otherwise have been unavoidable. This respect for the law is the basis for sound long-term relations between us," he said.
"
Lee, 83, told a forum on good governance in
"And they want
The remark drew protests in
He added that from time to time when Malaysian politicians attacked
"
"But we have to explain to our people the root cause of these difficulties in our bilateral relations. Otherwise Singaporeans will believe that their own government is doing wrong either to our own people or to
"As for the international audience, with so many foreign embassy staff and foreign correspondents reporting on
Lee said he had not said anything more than what he had said many times before and in fact he had said less than what he had written in his memoirs published in 1998.
He said he had no intention to meddle in
He said since Abdullah took over as the prime minister in November 2003, relations between both countries had much improved for which he believed both Singaporeans and Malaysians appreciated.
In his PS (post-script), Lee said the fact that Abdullah had written to him had been well publicised and he had been asked about his reply, he had to release his letter to the media after the prime minister received it.
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By Farah Abdul Rahim, Channel NewsAsia | Posted:
Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew says he is sorry that his recent comments about Chinese Malaysians had caused
Mr Lee had said during an international forum in
In his letter to Mr Abdullah, Mr Lee said he had no intention to meddle in Malaysian politics.
Nor does he have the power to influence
The remarks about
Setting the context, Mr Lee explained he was speaking to a liberal audience of Westerners who wanted to see a stronger opposition in
He reiterated that
Mr Lee said he did not say anything more than what he had said many times before, and added he said less than what he had written in his 1998 memoirs.
Mr Lee said UMNO leaders, including former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamed and others, had on numerous occasions, publicly warned Malaysian Malays that if they ever lose power, they risk the same fate as Malays in Singapore, whom they allege are marginalised and discriminated against.
Mr Lee cited examples of such comments in the letter's annex, quoting Dr Mahathir and other leaders in media reports over the years about the "marginalisation" of Singapore Malays.
The Minister Mentor reiterated that
Also in his letter, the Minister Mentor said relations between the 2 countries have improved since Mr Abdullah took the helm in November 2003 and that both Singaporeans and Malaysians appreciate this.
Mr Lee concluded that the last thing he wanted to do, after a decade of troubled relations with the former Prime Minister, was to cause Mr Abdullah a great deal of discomfort. -
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Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said: "It is up to the prime minister to take whatever step he feels appropriate,"
Kuan Yew's Letter Forwarded To PM's Office ;
PUTRAJAYA, Oct 2 (Bernama) -- Wisma Putra has forwarded the letter by
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said the missive was sent to Abdullah's office as soon as it was handed over to Wisma Putra by
Abdullah had written to Lee seeking clarification over the latter's controversial remarks that the attitude of
Syed Hamid said he did not read Lee's letter but added that it was in response to matters raised by Abdullah following Lee's remarks.
"It is up to the prime minister to take whatever step he feels appropriate," he said when contacted by Bernama.
Syed Hamid expressed the hope that the episode would not affect ties between the two neighbouring countries.
"We have our disagreements, there are certain things that we are not happy about. The prime minister chose to write and they had taken the position to reply. It's good.
"We hope this (matter) won't jeopardise our bilateral relations," he said.
He further said it was likely that
Lee, 83, told a forum on good governance in
The remarks drew protests in
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and here is ANWAR IBRAHIMS’s comments
Lee Kuan Yew Has Primitive Thinking, Says Anwar Ibrahim ;
Party adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said such an allegation clearly reflected the Minister Mentor as a racist, to an extent he had intervened in the affairs of the Chinese in other countries, while the
"What is more regrettable is the insensitivity of Lee Kuan Yew towards the plight of other races, be they Bumiputeras or Indians," he said in a statement issued here Monday.
Anwar said Lee should be fair to ensure justice for all races where they be safeguarded, no corrupt practices and for all be given equal opportunities in development.
The allegation by Lee, made during a speech at an international forum in
= = = == and from
Msian PM's decision to reveal Lee Kuan Yew's letter
By Carolyn Hong The Straits Times ;Publication Date: 02-10-2006
It is up to Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi to decide whether to reveal the contents of the letter sent by Singapore's Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, said Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar.The letter is private correspondence between the two men, he was quoted as saying by Berita Minggu yesterday (Oct 1).
Datuk Seri Syed Hamid was referring to the letter sent by Lee on Friday (Sept 29), in response to a letter from the Malaysian Premier. He also noted that Datuk Seri Abdullah's letter had not been made public.
The latter wrote to MM Lee last week following an outcry over his comments about the Chinese minorities in
Lee's letter is with the Singapore High Commission in
Over the past week, leaders in
Meanwhile, the Barisan Nasional Youth wing is considering whether to meet its PAP counterpart to discuss the issue. The wing's deputy chairman Liow Tiong Lai, who is also head of the Malaysian Chinese Association Youth movement, said this would be discussed at its next meeting. No date has been set.
The media debate, which has raged on for days, continued yesterday with several commentaries in the English and Malay press. In the New Sunday Times, Datuk Kalimullah Hassan, a confidant of the Prime Minister, suggested that Lee's comments could be aimed at diverting the attention of Singaporeans from domestic issues.
Datuk Kalimullah, who is also editorial adviser to the NST, said this could be because Temasek Holdings is currently under scrutiny for the controversial purchase of the telecommunications company belonging to
He also said that Lee was still towing the emotional baggage that leaders of
both countries have tried to leave behind. In the same newspaper, political analyst Paddy Bowie wrote that the Chinese were far from compliant or marginalised, and cited their economic achievements and vocal participation in politics.
In The Sunday Star, its top editor Wong Chun Wai wrote that economic challenges were now from outside the country and not among the different races.
"It is no longer about which race should get what slice of the pie but making
sure that Malaysians would still get the pie," he said.
= = = = = = = =
Oct 04 06, UPDATE: Annex listing attached to Harry Lee’s Reply
The annex lists several instances where Malaysian leaders made "marginalised Malays in S'pore" remarks and the S'porean government kept quiet.:
No: 1. ; Date: 3 Sep 06
Who: Umno Youth Deputy Chief Khairy Jamaluddin
Where:
What: Khairy was reported to have said that the Malays in
No: 2. Date: 28 Aug 06
Who: Deputy Health Minister Abdul Latiff Ahmad
Where: The Star
What: This article reported that at the Bukit Mertajam Umno delegates' conference, the Bukit Mertajam Umno division called on Penang Chief Minister Koh Tsu Koon to give up the Penang Water Supply Corporation Sdn Bhd Chairman's post to Umno. The division chief alleged that Dr Koh had 'snatched' the chairman's post away from Umno.
Deputy Health Minister Abdul Latiff, who opened the conference, said that he sympathised with Penang Malays because 'I understand they do not want to end up becoming like the Malays in
No: 3. Date: 29 May 05
Who: Former PM Mahathir Mohd
Where: Mingguan
What: After a visit to
Mahathir replied that when he was Education Minister, a Palestinian professor had told him that Malaysians should be grateful for their good fortune. Mahathir added: 'Let us not go far. Look at
No: 4.; Date: 3 Oct 02
Who: Then PM Mahathir Mohd
Where: Bernama
What: At a dialogue held in conjunction with the third 'Malay and Islamic World Convention' in Malacca, Mahathir said that Malaysia's Malays might become a minority group like the Malays in Singapore if they continue to quarrel among themselves and do not work hard.
On 3 Oct 02 in Bernama, he was quoted as saying that there were groups that claimed that the Singapore Malays were better off than Malaysian Malays, 'but the fact as can be seen now is that Singapore Malays are not given the opportunity to hold high posts in various fields such as the military.'
He said that Malays in
No: 5.;Date: 26 Aug 02
Who: Then PM Mahathir Mohd
Where: Bernama
What: At a Puteri UMNO information session, Mahathir warned that if the Malays continued to be disunited and questioned every move the government made, they would be marginalised, not just in
He said: 'This will lead to the degradation of their race, not just in
However, Mahathir denied the claim that few economic opportunities had been given to Malays. He said that 'we have given them substantial economic opportunities...but sometimes what we gave them, they gave to other people instead.'
No: 6.Date:
Who: Then PM Mahathir Mohd
Where: Bernama
What: In response to Suqiu (Malaysian Chinese Organisation's Election Appeals Committee) call for equal rights and meritocracy, Mahathir said that meritocracy was used as an excuse for blocking and oppressing native people of their rights by immigrant communities as seen in what he described as an 'immediate neighbouring country and other nations'. He added that '...we've seen how natives of the land become marginalised, impoverished and have no role in the government in the name of so-called equal rights ad meritocracy.'
Following Mahathir's remarks, Utusan Malaysia (UM) carried a front-page article entitled 'Singapore Deliberately Weakens The Malays' based on Lily Zubaidah Rahim's 'The Singapore Dilemma: The Political Educational Marginality of the Malay Community', which claimed that the Singapore Government had over the years actively marginalised the Malays in Singapore. This was followed by a spate of comments by Malaysian politicians on the issue, for example:
14 Dec 00: BN Senator Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman said in Parliament that 'by keeping quiet, PAS wants the Malay community in the country to face the same fate as the Malays in Singapore who have been neglected by the republic's government although the Singapore Constitution demands that the rights of the Malays in that country be protected'.
No: 6a.Date: Dec 00 to Jan 01
Who: Various
Where: Various
What: During the Suqiu controversy, following Mahathir's comments as listed immediately above, there was also a media campaign in the Malaysian papers attacking
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* 5 Jan 01 - UM - 'Suqiu: Learn form [sic]
No: 7.Date:
Who: Then Special Advisor to UMNO Jelebu Division
(Note: He is now Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage)
Where: UM
What: He accused
He also said that 'the issue of Malays being neglected in such a way actually is not a diplomatic issue but is an ethnic issue which insults everyone who calls themselves a Malay. Now we can ask, what has become of the meritocracy policy which is shouted by
posted by multidimid at 4:58 AM
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