S'pore views RI ties over 'long term'

S'pore views RI ties over 'long term'

SINGAPORE (AFP): Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid's recent scathing criticism of Singapore should not be allowed to harm bilateral ties, Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said.

"We have to see our ties on a long-term basis," Lee was quoted as saying in The Straits Times report Saturday.

"I think we take it in a calm sort of way," he said.

Abdurrahman's tirade against Singapore came after the end of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) forum held in the city-state last week.

"These are matters which have to be resolved calmly and rationally, and based on the facts," Lee said, referring to Abdurrahman's barrage of criticisms.