[Kabar-indonesia] Malaysia PM Rejects Lee's Apology On Race Remarks

[JoyoNews at aol.com]

Malaysia PM Rejects Lee's Apology On Race Remarks

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct. 3 (AP) -- Malaysia's prime minister Tuesday again blasted 
Singapore elder stateman Lee Kuan Yew's claim Malaysia marginalizes its ethnic 
Chinese, saying the comments were uncalled for and should not be repeated. 

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said he had taken note of a letter from 
Lee in which the former Singapore leader stopped short of retracting his 
criticism, but apologized for causing Abdullah "discomfort" by making the remarks. 

"I have taken note of it, but let me say this: the statement that (Lee Kuan 
Yew) made in Singapore is uncalled for and not appreciated," Abdullah told 
reporters when asked whether he accepted Lee's apology. 

"I think its important that we have to ensure that such statements should not 
be made again," Abdullah said, adding they could "incite the feelings of 
Malaysians." 

The elder Lee last month said Singapore's neighbors Malaysia and Indonesia 
"systematically" marginalize Chinese minorities, and expect them to be 
"compliant." Abdullah strongly protested the comments. 

Lee, the founder of modern Singapore, was once a minister in Malaysia when 
the Southeast Asian neighbors were briefly united in the 1960s. The two 
countries, who share close social and historical ties, have had a history of testy 
relations. 

Disputes have ranged from the price of water to airspace use to territorial 
disagreements. 

Lee said he didn't intend to interfere in Malaysian politics, but his 
comments were meant to illustrate that Singapore needs a strong majority government 
to defend its interests, particularly in maintaining good relations with 
Indonesia and Malaysia. 

"I am sorry that what I said has caused you a great deal of discomfort," Lee 
wrote in the letter to Malaysia's Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. The 
letter was dated Friday and distributed to the media late Monday. 

"After a decade of troubled relations with your predecessor, it is the last 
thing I wanted," Lee said, referring to former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, 
a frequent critic of Singapore before he retired in 2003. 

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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