PKR demands apology from Kuan Yew, all eyes on Altantuya, rail-land deal

A Pakatan-led M'sia may push S'poreans to demand greater democracy

Wong Choon Mei, Malaysia Chronicle

Arrogant comments made by top Singapore leaders have infuriated Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim and his supporters, who have demanded an apology from the republic’s minister mentor, Lee Kuan Yew, for insinuating that the Malaysian leader had committed sodomy.

“I challenge them to produce evidence.What about the reference to Najib on Altantuya?” Anwar said on Twitter this morning.

Anti-opposition

It is no secret that that the 87-year old Kuan Yew – a dictator in the same style as Malaysia’s own Mahathir Mohamad – prefers Umno to remain in power rather than the Pakatan Rakyat led by Anwar Ibrahim.

The backward and racial policies promulgated by the Malay nationalist party has benefited Singapore tremendously through the decades, and the prospect of a new leadership in Malaysia led by top Pakatan young-guns such as Lim Guan Eng, Nizar Jamaluddin, Azmin Ali and Tony Pua would surely change the power and business equation in the region.

More significantly, it may be the impetus for an already restless Singaporean society to demand greater political freedom and democracy. The Singapore government has been termed a dictatorship, dominated by the Lee family, because although it holds elections, it also ruthlessly hunts down opposition leaders and denies them any meaningful political space.

“We demand an immediate apology from Lee Kuan Yew. He is becoming just like Mahathir – shooting his mouth off like a child. But whether or not this is the result of age, Lee must still take responsibility for his comments. Leaked secrets are part and parcel of politics and for someone of his stature, he should have the humility and wisdom to guard his mouth,” PKR vice president Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle.

Put your money where you mouth is, Kuan Yew

Indeed, Kuan Yew had based his comments on “technical” intelligence from his secret police, which in diplomatic-speak means intercepted communications such as letters or eavesdrooped phone calls, rather than any hard or photographic evidence.

No wonder that Anwar has challenged him to put his money where his mouth is. Kuan Yew is also not the only Singapore leader caught displaying arrogance and disrespect towards regional neighbors. His top foreign officials including ambassador-at-large Tommy Koh were captured on WikiLeaks making snide remarks about Thailand, Japan, North Korea, India and even Russia.

Ironically, Singapore officials often pride themselves for their finesses and discretion over their counterparts in ASEAN. But pride comes before a fall and they were caught with their pants down especially with regards to Prime Minister Najib Razak, although the Malaysian leader had recently bent over backwards to repair bilateral ties and even inked a controversial rail-land swap deal that greatly advantaged their island-city.

“As for Najib Razak, he is an opportunist. Although he has not been critical of Singapore, he will not hesitate to go in that direction if it is expedient for him to do so. Najib’s political fortunes continue to be haunted by the ... murder scandal,” senior Singapore leader Peter Ho was caught saying on WikiLeaks.

Corruption - from Paris to Singapore?

Ho's comments sparked immediate speculation as to why the term “opportunist”, and was it related to the rail-land swap or previous deals where Najib may have attempted to benefit himself.

In the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder case, the Malaysian premier was accused of having met the beautiful Mongolian translator at a diamond-show in Singapore, and she had helped his close friend Razak Baginda close a RM6.7 billion ringgit submarines deal that Najib had approved in his then capacity as defense minister.

From that acquisition, Baginda’s firm was awarded a side-deal worth 114 million euros and Altantuya was later found murdered in a jungle clearing in Malaysia in 2006 after harrassing Baginda for her US$500,000 share of the submarines commission allegedly paid by French vendor DCNS.

Two former bodyguards of Najib and his wife Rosmah have been sentenced to hang for her killing, but the key question asked by Malaysians remain unanswered, who ordered the killing?