Kuan Yew Replies To Abdullah's Letter Over "Marginalised Chinese." That Was Fast!
Singapore's founding father and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has written to Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi over his recent remarks about the Chinese being marginalised in Malaysia, reports Bernama.
His press secretary, YY Yeong said the letter was now with the Singapore High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, according to a report by The Straits Times.
"(It) is ready to be personally conveyed to Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi," she said.
Abdullah wrote to Lee this week seeking clarification over the controversial remarks.
Lee, 83, told a forum on good governance here on Sept 15 that the attitude of Malaysia and Indonesia towards the republic was shaped by the way they treated their Chinese communities.
"My neighbours both have problems with their Chinese. They are successful, they're hardworking and therefore they are systematically marginalised, even in education.
"And they want Singapore, to put it simply, to be like their Chinese -- compliant," Lee had said.
The remarks drew protests from in Malaysia and Indonesia, Singapore's closest neighbours. The foreign ministries of both countries had also summoned the Singapore envoys to explain Lee's remarks.
**** What does such a quick reply from Lee imply? Did he expect such a move from the Malaysian leadership and had already prepared a rebuttal in advance? He may be going on in age but his mind apparently is still razor-sharp. In this game of check and mate he is second to none. The contents of his letter is the crucial thing. Whether he will further stir emotions by attempting to justify his claims is one fear. He could of course calm things down very easily by offering an unconditional apology and let the Malay leadership go to town with it, crowing victory and claiming to have successfully berjuang for the good name and maruah of bangsa dan negara. But knowing the man that is not going to happen. Perhaps he would express regret for the reactions his remarks have evoked and stop short of an apology.
Whatever may be the content of that letter will be known in a few days, unless of course he has given supporting evidence to his claim and a detailed list of acts of omission and commission on the part of our government over the past five decades. I wouldn't put it past him, he's a cunning old fox.
His press secretary, YY Yeong said the letter was now with the Singapore High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, according to a report by The Straits Times.
"(It) is ready to be personally conveyed to Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi," she said.
Abdullah wrote to Lee this week seeking clarification over the controversial remarks.
Lee, 83, told a forum on good governance here on Sept 15 that the attitude of Malaysia and Indonesia towards the republic was shaped by the way they treated their Chinese communities.
"My neighbours both have problems with their Chinese. They are successful, they're hardworking and therefore they are systematically marginalised, even in education.
"And they want Singapore, to put it simply, to be like their Chinese -- compliant," Lee had said.
The remarks drew protests from in Malaysia and Indonesia, Singapore's closest neighbours. The foreign ministries of both countries had also summoned the Singapore envoys to explain Lee's remarks.
**** What does such a quick reply from Lee imply? Did he expect such a move from the Malaysian leadership and had already prepared a rebuttal in advance? He may be going on in age but his mind apparently is still razor-sharp. In this game of check and mate he is second to none. The contents of his letter is the crucial thing. Whether he will further stir emotions by attempting to justify his claims is one fear. He could of course calm things down very easily by offering an unconditional apology and let the Malay leadership go to town with it, crowing victory and claiming to have successfully berjuang for the good name and maruah of bangsa dan negara. But knowing the man that is not going to happen. Perhaps he would express regret for the reactions his remarks have evoked and stop short of an apology.
Whatever may be the content of that letter will be known in a few days, unless of course he has given supporting evidence to his claim and a detailed list of acts of omission and commission on the part of our government over the past five decades. I wouldn't put it past him, he's a cunning old fox.
posted by The Malaysian. at 9/30/2006 10:52:00 AM
4 Comments:
Dear Mr B
I find it amusing that u need clarification from me concerning chinese community being marginalised in your land. Isn't it a fact?
Anyway, if you care to look at the number of young and bright malaysian chinese and indians working in my land and becoming our subject, it shld not be too hard to understand.
If u want more explanation, read those angry postings on all the blogs by them. I trust that they can give you even clearer picture.
Before I sign off, let me take this oppoertunity to thank you and your previous boss for giving us those brilliant ready-made people that u don't want.
Selamat hari-raya in advance
Yours
Mr L
Very smart of you Mr L!
Maybe as a start we have to stop refering to ourselves in the negative, non-, as in non-Malay, non-Muslim. It's way too negative. Way too defensive. As Mr L does above, Malaysian (fill in race) must be the way to go.
And that's just for starters...
Chinese is not marginalised!!!
Who said so?
In fact, ALL non-UMNO members are marginalised!
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