(Petaling Jaya, Saturday): According to a report by The Straits Times, Singapore's Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has written to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi over his recent remarks about the Chinese being marginalized in Malaysia.

Lee told a forum on good governance in Singapore 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 marginalized, even in education.

"And they want Singapore, to put it simply, to be like their Chinese - compliant," Lee had said.

His press secretary, YY Yeong said the letter was now with the Singapore High Commission in Kuala Lumpur.

I did not expect Abdullah to write to Lee for clarification over the controversial remarks.

That's because I'm afraid that MM Lee may decide to give evidences and example to illustrate or prove his point, and that would be even harder for Abdullah to stomach.

For instance, what if MM Lee decides to cite some of these examples…

·        Under the NEP, many non-Malays have been deprived of their rights in many fields, such as scholarship, licenses, privatization projects
   and allocation of shares, making the NEP looks like Not Equal Policy.

·        Every year, more than 3,000 best students graduated from various Chinese Independent High Schools
   (including Foon Yew High School,  Johor Bahru) were recruited by Singaporean universities and colleges as their qualification were
   not recognized by the Malaysian authority.

·        Very little chances of promotion for the non-Malays in the civil service.

·        No non-Malays make it to the top of the police and armed forces and public universities.

·        Only less than 4 percent of total allocation for primary schools went to the non-Malays.

·        No new Chinese/ Tamil schools policy since the eighties.

·        No new licenses to operate petrol stations for the non-Malays.

·        8 out of 10 banks were in the hands of Malays although most of the banks were founded by the non-Malays.

·        Non-Malays have to build their own temples and churches.

·        Non-Malays have no chance to take up senior portfolios in the Cabinet like before ( such as Trade and Industry, Finance, Education)

·        No more non-Malay state Governors ( Leong Yew Koh was the first Governor of Melaka)

·        Not a single District Officer (DO) is a non-Malay.

·        As an unstated policy, all contracts awarded by Petronas must go to Malay-owned companies.

·        All Government printing jobs must go to Malay printers.

·        More than 90% of the Universiti Malaya medical faculty seats were given to matriculation students (few were non-Malays).

·        Only a fraction of the fund for religious purposes was given to non-Malays.

·        No Chinese/Tamil subtitles were allowed for Chinese/ Tamil TV commercials.

·        Chinese/ Tamil characters for outdoor advertising billboards were not allowed.

·        No religious programs other than Islam were allowed over TV and Radio Malaysia.

These are just a few examples MM Lee could have cited. There may be many other examples and evidences he could give.

My suggestion to the Prime Minister is not to collect the letter written by MM Lee in order to save him from some serious embarrassment.

(30/09/2006)