Tunku takes potshots at Singapore leaders

THIS WEEK IN 1965 | A LOOK BACK AT THE EVENTS THAT SHAPED SINGAPORE 50 YEARS AGO

His remarks during visit here underlines distrust between Umno and PAP

FEB 15, 2015


BY HO AI LI, CHINA CORRESPONDENT IN BEIJING

Malaysian Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman urged Malaysians to unite against the Indonesian threat, even as ties between politicians on opposite sides of the Causeway worsened.

"The communists are creating trouble in pursuit of their ideology, but the confrontationists are out to crush us from within by sowing the seeds of discontent and racial discord," he said, referring to those involved in Konfrontasi, or the undeclared war waged by Indonesia against the formation of Malaysia.

The Tunku was in town for the launch of the Singapore office of Malaysia's ruling United Malays National Organisation (Umno). He and other accompanying federal ministers took the chance to take potshots at Singapore leaders.

At the opening of the Umno House in Changi Road, the Tunku said certain political leaders were not satisfied with being leaders in Singapore and were trying to extend their influence.

"As an old man, my advice to Singapore leaders is to concentrate on building up Singapore as the biggest city in Asia," he added.

The Tunku was referring to how the People's Action Party (PAP) had contested federal elections outside Singapore in 1964. In 1963, Umno took part in Singapore's internal elections but did not win a single seat.



Putting aside his distrust of Singapore leaders, the Tunku had agreed to the merger of Singapore and Malaysia to deal with the communist threat in Singapore and avert a Cuba in its backyard.

But his remarks at Umno House underlined how distrust ran deep between Umno and Singapore's PAP, which would lead months later to Singapore's separation.

Another source of friction was the central government's interference with industrial policies in Singapore.

The same week, Malaysian Finance Minister Tan Siew Sin said foreign investors should consult Kuala Lumpur before investing in Singapore. Mr Tan, also president of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), had also accused the PAP of ruling by fear when he opened the Sembawang office of MCA, the Chinese party in the Umno alliance.

In response, Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Toh Chin Chye said: "Political leaders from Malaya who come down to Singapore, speak with complete liberty. We hope that they, in turn, will permit others the same liberty in Malaya."

Singapore's Minister for Culture S Rajaratnam said the rising tide of communalism could decide the fate of Malaysia more decisively than the Indonesian threat.

Today, the Umno House is called the PKMS Building after Umno Singapore became the Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Singapura (Singapore Malay National Organisation).