S'pore's Lee to retract statement

S'pore's Lee to retract statement

SINGAPORE (AFP): Singaporean Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew
yesterday said he was retracting a court document critical of a
Malaysian state which triggered a diplomatic row between the two
countries.

In a signed statement, the former prime minister said he had
instructed his lawyer to ask a court to remove "the offending
words" from an affidavit portraying the southern Malaysian state
of Johor near Singapore as crime-ridden.

"I have already apologized unreservedly and repeat my
unreserved apology in this signed statement," said the 73-year-
old Lee.

The affidavit had been filed as part of a defamation suit
against an opposition candidate, Tang Liang Hong, who had fled to
Johor citing death threats after losing in the January general
elections here.

Lee's statement caused outrage in Malaysia, whose cabinet is
set to meet tomorrow and was expected to demand a retraction
before Lee issued his statement Monday. Lee had apologized
publicly on Thursday but failed to placate Kuala Lumpur.