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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