Lee's remarks causes demonstration

The crowd shouted and waved anti-Lee placards for several minutes before police officers arrived and arrested one of the protesters, a man who was kicking the embassy gate, they added.

The man was freed a short while later and all the protesters left in the same truck that had brought them.

A statement received later from the group, which called itself the Patriotic Young Defenders of the Indonesian Republic, said the former Singaporean Premier should not interfere in Indonesia's internal affairs.

"Lee Kuan Yew should not interfere in other countries' personal affairs because Indonesia never meddles in the affairs of other nations, including Singapore," said the statement.

The crowd was angered by SM Lee's remarks that the Indonesian rupiah would weaken again if the market was uncomfortable with the choice of the next vice-president and that this would trigger higher inflation, more bankruptcies and greater unemployment.

"The resulting social problems will be widespread," SM Lee was quoted as saying at a community gathering on Saturday in Singapore.

His comments were widely interpreted here as referring to Research and Technology Minister B. J. Habibie, whom analysts believe is President Suharto's choice for vice-president.

Analysts say Dr Habibie and his high-cost pet projects would not be well received by the markets. -- AFP.

Editor's note: On Jan 24 Mr Lee's press secretary has wrote to the Indonesian Observer denying that Me Lee had criticised President Suharto

Early last year Mr Lee made disparaging remarks on crime in the southern Malaysian state of Johor in an affidavit. He stated that Johor was a place famous for shootings, muggings and car-jackings. Those remarks led to strained ties between Malaysia and Singapore . Lee subsequently apologised and retracted the statement.

In October last year Mr Lee made comments that upset the Thai government.

Published in the Straits Times. February 11, 1998