KL chides S'pore over merger issue<\/p>\n
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuter); Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has
\naccused Singapore of insincerity in suggesting the republic may
\nbe forced to re-merge with Malaysia if Singaporeans lose their
\ncompetitive edge, local newspapers said on Saturday.<\/p>\n
He said after a regular supreme council meeting of the United
\nMalays National Organization (UMNO) on Friday that the statements
\nby Singapore leaders on the merger issue had offended his party.<\/p>\n
Mahathir is also president of UMNO, lynchpin party of the
\nruling National Front coalition.<\/p>\n
\"They are only trying to show that Malaysia is bad and did not
\npractice meritocracy and that Singaporeans will be punished if
\nthey did not perform,\" Mahathir was quoted as saying by the New
\nStraits Times daily.<\/p>\n
He said UMNO was \"deeply saddened\" that it had to hit out at
\nSingapore, The Star newspaper. \"But we are offended by their
\nrecent statements, which are insincere. They are using us as the
\nbogeyman to scare Singaporeans.\"<\/p>\n
Singapore's former prime minister and founder, Lee Kuan Yew,
\ntouched off a debate about the possibility of Singapore again
\nbecoming a part of Malaysia, as it was from 1963 to 1965, when he
\nraised the issue in a speech in June.<\/p>\n
Singapore split from its northern neighbor in 1965 after race
\nriots between the Chinese population, which are in a majority in
\nSingapore, and Malays, who dominate Malaysia.<\/p>\n
Singapore was not in a position to claim it practiced
\nmeritocracy as minority Malays in Singapore face discrimination,
\nMahathir said.<\/p>\n
\"We know that Malays in Singapore are discriminated against.
\nSingapore Malays are not given high posts in the armed forces or
\nthe opportunity to become air force pilots,\" Mahathir was quoted
\nas saying in the New Straits Times.<\/p>\n
\"If there is meritocracy in Singapore as it claims, then we
\nare sure that there should be Malays who are capable enough to
\nhold high positions in the armed forces,\" Mahathir said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/kl-chides-spore-over-merger-issue-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}