KL chides S'pore over merger issue

KL chides S'pore over merger issue

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuter); Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has accused Singapore of insincerity in suggesting the republic may be forced to re-merge with Malaysia if Singaporeans lose their competitive edge, local newspapers said on Saturday.

He said after a regular supreme council meeting of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) on Friday that the statements by Singapore leaders on the merger issue had offended his party.

Mahathir is also president of UMNO, lynchpin party of the ruling National Front coalition.

"They are only trying to show that Malaysia is bad and did not practice meritocracy and that Singaporeans will be punished if they did not perform," Mahathir was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times daily.

He said UMNO was "deeply saddened" that it had to hit out at Singapore, The Star newspaper. "But we are offended by their recent statements, which are insincere. They are using us as the bogeyman to scare Singaporeans."

Singapore's former prime minister and founder, Lee Kuan Yew, touched off a debate about the possibility of Singapore again becoming a part of Malaysia, as it was from 1963 to 1965, when he raised the issue in a speech in June.

Singapore split from its northern neighbor in 1965 after race riots between the Chinese population, which are in a majority in Singapore, and Malays, who dominate Malaysia.

Singapore was not in a position to claim it practiced meritocracy as minority Malays in Singapore face discrimination, Mahathir said.

"We know that Malays in Singapore are discriminated against. Singapore Malays are not given high posts in the armed forces or the opportunity to become air force pilots," Mahathir was quoted as saying in the New Straits Times.

"If there is meritocracy in Singapore as it claims, then we are sure that there should be Malays who are capable enough to hold high positions in the armed forces," Mahathir said.