The comments by Li Ao, known for his acerbic remarks on contemporary Chinese culture, have not been widely reported in Singapore. But the lawmaker suggested that it has drawn a strong response from Singaporeans, adding that he was surprised by the fallout because his criticisms of other Asian regions have gone largely ignored.

"I was rather moderate," Li said. "I have described Taiwanese as 'undisciplined,' Hong Kongers as 'ill-behaved' and mainland Chinese as 'inscrutable,' but none of them have reacted strongly."

He added that the term he used for Singaporeans was meant to be general, and not aimed at specific individuals.

Singapore, an island of 4.5 million people with a reputation for pristine cleanliness and rigid law enforcement, is about 75 percent Chinese. The rest of the population is divided largely between Malays and Indians.

Li said Singaporeans could exhibit their "magnanimity" by inviting him to explain his description of them, which he made last week on Li Ao Speaks, his nightly talk show on Hong Kong-based Phoenix Television.

Elsewhere during the show Li noted Singapore has produced few outstanding figures other than founding father Lee Kuan Yew and pop idol Stephanie Sun, because its peoples' ancestors - mostly immigrants from China - were poorly educated.

Li's remarks outraged some newspaper readers on the tiny island at the tip of the Malay Peninsula, which has been ruled by the same political party for more than 40 years.

Also, Taiwan's Central News Agency reported Singaporeans accusing Li of "cultural chauvinism" and "demagoguery" during radio phone-in shows.

"Singapore has done well in its economy, politics, society and environment, sometimes even outperforming the Americans and Europeans," reader Chen Shan wrote to the Chinese language Lianhezaobao newspaper. "If they are dumb, could they have achieved that?"

"Li Ao's dumbness comes from his own belief that he's smart," wrote another reader, Heng Ni Man, in Lianhezaobao, adding that Taiwanese can't be smart because they "allow(ed) the fire of official corruption (to burn) all the way to the presidential office" and "the existence of newspapers and radio stations affiliated with rival political parties."

By contrast, he said, Singapore's clean government and orderly news media testify to the wisdom of the state's leaders.

Taiwan, which split from mainland China amid civil war in 1949, has been a fully functioning democracy since shortly after the end of martial law in 1987.

A former aide to President Chen Shui-bian has recently been implicated in a high profile corruption scandal.

Li, an independent lawmaker, is a historian and prolific writer on political and cultural events.

On a visit to mainland China late last year he upset his hosts by calling for greater freedom of expression at a number of the country's leading universities.

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