Re: 24 yr old Nicole Seah takes on MM and the entire PAP in a bold act of statemanshi
Did you really think he would have apologized? He does not think what he said is wrong. He just stood corrected because he was forced to. Look at the Charlie Rose interview he did in March 11.
Copied from satayclub....
LEE KUAN YEW IN ABOUT-TURN ON MALAY INTEGRATION?
Posted on April 13, 2011 by satayclub
Months after saying he "stood corrected" on Malay-Muslim integration, Mr Lee now says to "ask the average man on the street whether what I've said is true".
Just months after being forced to issue a statement saying he “stood corrected” on his views regarding Malay-Muslim integration in Singapore, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has stirred the pot again by hinting that he still holds the same views, and that Singaporeans intuitively agree with him.
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The original controversy was caused when Mr Lee released his latest book, titled ‘Hard Truths to Keep Singapore Going’. In the book, he remarked that Singapore’s Malay-Muslim community was “too strict on Islamic observances”, resulting in the community being segregated from the rest of society.
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“I would say that today, we can integrate all religions and races except Islam,” he wrote. “I think the Muslims socially do not cause any trouble, but they are distinct and separate.
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He also said that Singapore is not ready for a non-Chinese Prime Minister, in spite of results from polls showing that over 90 per cent of Chinese Singaporeans would be prepared to elect a minority-race leader.
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“You believe these polls? Utter rubbish. They say what is politically correct,” he said.
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MM Lee’s comments caused severe controversy when they were released, prompting several senior PAP leaders, including his son, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, to distance themselves from his views.
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As a result, Mr Lee effectively retracted his comments, saying that “he stood corrected” after being briefed by Malay-Muslim community leaders and MPs. PAP MP Michael Palmer stated in a public forum that Mr Lee’s views were ‘a generational thing’.
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In a recent interview with foreign reporter Charlie Rose, however, Mr Lee brought up the issue once again.
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When Mr Rose asked Mr Lee whether he or his son (PM Lee) was right, Mr Lee laughed and replied that “of course he has to be right, he is the Prime Minister.”
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He then qualified his remarks by insinuating to Mr Rose that most ordinary Singaporeans agreed with his views.
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“But you ask the average person in the street whether what I’ve said is true,” said the Minister Mentor.
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When pressed by Mr Rose about “what they would say”, Mr Lee merely replied “you have to ask them.”
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Mr Lee, 88, was Singapore’s first Prime Minister, assuming office in 1959. He has been a Member of Parliament since 1955, and is thought to be the world’s longest-serving Parliamentarian.