Ball is now in PAP's court, says Umno Youth

Related: Will this "war" ever end? Asiaweek June 13,1997
                 Objection to 'apology': Star June 17, 1997
                 Umno youth chief denies 'apology' Star June 14, 1997

UMNO Youth will wait for the Young PAP to take the next step to improve relations between Malaysia and Singapore as the movement has done all it can to normalise ties.

Its deputy chief Datuk Hishamuddin Tun Hussein said: "I don't think my members are willing to do more than what has been done already without first getting some positive reaction from our Singapore counterparts.

"If the Young PAP is really sincere in rebuilding good relations between both sides, the quicker the efforts are made, the better," Hishamuddin told reporters after presenting a paper at an Indonesia-Malaysia-Singapore Growth Triangle conference yesterday.

Commenting on the uproar over an apology made by movement chief Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to Singapore Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew recently, Hishamuddin also called on the Singapore press to see such efforts in a positive light.

"To have the meeting between Zahid and Young PAP leader George Yeoh on the front page of newspapers for three days is very unfair."

On June 12, Zahid, who is Bank Simpanan Nasional chairman, was in the republic to attend the annual meeting between his bank and Singapore's POSB Bank.

He took the opportunity to meet Young PAP chief Brig-Gen George Yeo and later met members of the Singapore press.

The following day, the republic's newspapers carried a front-page report that Zahid would personally apologise to Lee. The Umno Youth chief subsequently said he was misintepreted.

Zahid claimed that his apology was made only for the harsh words used on placards which Umno Youth had carried in protest over Lee's derogatory remarks about Johor.