Malay minister defends Lee Kuan Yew

SENIOR Minister's remark on the wisdom of putting a Malay SAF officer commanding a machine-gun unit should be seen and taken in proper context and perspective.

It was an off-the-cuff reply to a question from the audience at a Tanjong Pagar S21 Forum recently. In other words, it was not as if the point was raised by SM to illustrate a new concern or policy or raised on purpose to hurt the Malay community.

It was SM's honest and candid reply delivered in his inimitable way. Indeed, SM conceded that the situation was not static and that instinctive emotional ethnic bonds could be overcome but over a long time. The remark should therefore be taken as such and not for us to impute any evil intent.

Majlis Pusat has suggested that SM holds a dialogue with Malay MPs and the Malay/Muslim organisations and grassroots leaders. However, for the reasons above, I do not see what the dialogue hopes to achieve.

The policy on Malays in the SAF has been enunciated by PM. He had stated that the SAF had to be cautious when putting Malay/Muslims in sensitive units because of the pulls of race and religion and the geopolitical realities.

But the SAF would continually review its intake policy of Malay/Muslims in these areas and would make changes incrementally and selectively where possible. Indeed the situation is improving, albeit slowly. To all intents and purposes, this policy remains and progress will be made, incrementally and as conditions improve.

This is a reality we must live with, just as we will have to live with the geopolitical realities that exist.

My Malay MP colleagues and I understand the feelings and concerns of the Malay/Muslim community on remarks which place their loyalty and trustworthiness into question, especially when these remarks are repeated.

We have conveyed these feelings and concerns to our leaders. But if questions similar to the polytechnic students are asked in future, we cannot expect our leaders to dodge them and give reassuring but not real answers. The community must be prepared for this.

I agree with Taman Bacaan that the Malay/Muslim community should not come to hasty conclusions on reading or hearing SM's remark.

Instead, we should proceed with making improvements to our lives and to the community. This episode should not distract the community away from paying attention to and making preparations for the coming Knowledge-Based Economy environment. To do otherwise would be like cutting our noses to spite our faces and it is the community which will ultimately lose.