On S'pore's welfare

I refer to the letter by Mr. Simon De Cruz, Charge D'Affaires, Singapore Embassy, Jakarta, in The Jakarta Post on Dec. 20, 1994.

I unreservedly agree to the points of Mr. De Cruz's letter. It was not my intention to cast doubts on the many achievements of the Singapore government. As a Singaporean, I will be the first to admit that Singapore has made great strides since 1959. The all-round progress achieved is the envy of many countries which view Singapore as a model of development. I withdraw the allegations that "Singapore is a society that is faced with growing impoverishment" and that "a majority of Singaporeans are basically living hand-to-mouth." I admit that it was a gross error on my part and apologize for the negative impression created.

BILVEER SINGH

Singapore