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.