Lee says sorry
NST 03 Oct 2006


KUALA LUMPUR: Singapore Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has apologised to the Prime Minister over his remarks that the Chinese had been systematically marginalised in Malaysia.

He told Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi that he had no intention of meddling in Malaysian politics.

Lee said: "I am sorry that what I said has caused you a great deal of discomfort. After a decade of troubled relations with your predecessor, it is the last thing I wanted."

But he appeared to be steadfast in what he had earlier said, repeating some of the very comments that had infuriated Malaysians.



This is not the first time he has apologised for his remarks. In March 1997, Lee apologised to the Malaysian Government following an official protest over his remarks in a court affidavit that Johor Baru was "notorious for shootings, muggings and carjackings".

In his letter to Abdullah (right), dated Sept 29, Lee said he made the remarks during a "free-flowing dialogue session" at a meeting attended mostly by foreign delegates on Sept 15.

A copy of the letter was faxed to the Press by the Singapore High Commission late last night, together with statements from Malaysian leaders, culled from the Malaysian media over the years, about Singapore Malays being marginalised.

Lee was replying to Abdullah’s letter seeking clarification about his comments that Malaysian Chinese were marginalised and compliant.

Abdullah had said Lee’s remarks were not welcomed.

Lee told Abdullah that he was explaining to Westerners who wanted to see a stronger opposition in Singapore why the republic needed a strong-majority Government and not a weak coalition.

He pointed out that there were occasions when Umno leaders had publicly warned Malaysian Malays that if they ever lost power, they risked the same fate as Malays in Singapore, "whom they alleged are marginalised and discriminated against".

He said he had not said anything more than what he had said before, adding that he had no power to influence Malaysia’s politics or to incite the feelings of the Chinese in Malaysia.