UMNO asks S'pore to end remerger talks

UMNO asks S'pore to end remerger talks

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysia's ruling party has demanded that
Singapore put an end to controversial discussion of a possible
remerger with Malaysia, party officials said yesterday.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's United Malays National
Organization (UMNO) has demanded a halt to Singapore leaders
making "sensitive remarks" that could jeopardize bilateral
relations, the officials said.

"Essentially, we just want both sides to stop talking about
something that is not going to happen, and making remarks that
will hurt the feelings of both countries," a senior UMNO official
said.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Abdullah Badawi on Monday called in
Singapore High Commissioner Low Choon Ming to his office and also
spoke by telephone with Singapore counterpart S. Jayakumar to
convey UMNO's stand.

Singapore Premier Goh Chok Tong ignited a debate last month
when he said the prosperous island might be forced in the future
to seek a reunion with Malaysia on Kuala Lumpur's terms if
Singapore loses its economic edge.

The idea was first raised in June by Senior Minister Lee Kuan
Yew, who led predominantly ethnic Chinese Singapore to
independence after the island broke away from the Malaysian
federation in 1965 amid a row over racial rights.

UMNO officials said they took particular exception to
Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Tony Tan's remark last week that
Singaporeans' rejection of a remerger showed "they feel strongly
that the republic should be a harmonious multiracial society with
meritocracy as its guiding principle."

The mention of "meritocracy" was seen as a criticism of
Malaysia's preferential economic treatment of ethnic Malays, who
make up half of the country's 20 million population, UMNO
officials said.

Abdullah said on Monday he wanted the Singapore envoy to
convey the message that UMNO was offended by the "insinuations"
of Singapore leaders that there was no meritocracy in Malaysia.

"It is our wish that we should not go on talking about this...
Enough things have been said. By now, we should understand each
other and be sensitive in making statements, especially affecting
bilateral relations," Abdullah said.

Asked if Jeyakumar had given an assurance that such statements
would not be repeated, Abdullah said: "It depends on their wisdom
to maintain good relations with Malaysia."

Mahathir on Friday slammed Singapore leaders for raising the
"bogey" of a forced remerger with Malaysia as a warning to
Singaporeans becoming complacent over economic growth.

Singapore Premier Goh Monday reiterated that a reunion was not
on his political agenda and said Malaysia had misinterpreted the
remarks.

But Abdullah said: "We certainly have a different view. I
don't think there was any misinterpretation. For us, it was very,
very clear."

UMNO, the largest political party in the country with 2.4
million members, is the lynchpin of the ruling 14-member National
Front coalition government. It is holding its triennial polls in
October.

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