Lee Kuan Yew denies reports

Lee Kuan Yew denies reports

SINGAPORE (DPA): Singapore's Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew has denied press reports that he predicted Malaysia would take five years to recover from its economic crisis, a report said yesterday.

"Mr. Lee has not made any such statement. He is not responsible for any inaccurate reporting in the press," Singapore's High Commissioner to Malaysia, K. Kesavapany, said in a statement quoted in the Straits Times newspaper.

Malaysian media had reported that Lee -- an elder statesman whose opinions on Asian matters are often sought by world leaders -- estimated Malaysia would need five years to recover from its current turmoil.

Asked to respond to the reports, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad had said: "I don't know about that. He might be an expert. We may take 20 years or just a few months to recover."