ID :
76263
Thu, 08/20/2009 - 17:20
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/76263
The shortlink copeid
SINGAPORE MALAYS HOLD SPECIAL POSITION
SINGAPORE, Aug 20 (Bernama) - The minority Malays in Singapore have a
"special position" under the republic's constitution, according to former prime
minister Lee Kuan Yew.
He said the constitution of Singapore enjoined the government to give Malays
a "special position" rather than to 'treat everybody as equal'.
Lee said this in Parliament yesterday when he rebutted as 'false and flawed'
the arguments by Nominated Member of Parliament Viswa Sadasivan calling for
equal treatment for all races in the city-state, the local media reported
Thursday.
On Tuesday, Viswa tabled a motion for the House to reaffirm its commitment
to principles in the National Pledge when debating national policies.
Lee, who is currently Minister Mentor, said the assumption of equal
treatment for all races was "false and flawed" and "completely untrue".
According to government statistic for 2008, Singapore's population was about
4.8 million, with the Chinese forming the majority (76.7 per cent), followed by
the Malays (14 per cent), Indians (7.9 per cent) and others (1.4 per cent).
He reminded everyone that Singapore's starting point was the racial clash
and tense period of the 1960s after the republic was thrown out of Malaysia and
until it got its independence.
Lee said the Malays in Singapore then were worried about the Chinese who
formed the majority, and wondered whether the Chinese here would treat them the
way the Malay majority in Malaysia had treated the Chinese minority there.
The minister also pointed to Article 152 of the constitution, which says
that it is the responsibility of the government to "constantly care for the
interests of the racial and religious minorities in Singapore".
In particular, it states that the government must recognise the special
position of the Malays, 'the indigenous people of Singapore', and safeguard
their political, economic and educational interests.
Lee mentioned how the United States handled the race issue, where despite a
1776 declaration that "all men are created equal", blacks did not get the right
to vote until a century later, and racial segregation continued well into the
20th century.
For Singapore to reach a point where all races could be treated equally "is
going to take decades, if not centuries', Lee said.
-- BERNAMA
"special position" under the republic's constitution, according to former prime
minister Lee Kuan Yew.
He said the constitution of Singapore enjoined the government to give Malays
a "special position" rather than to 'treat everybody as equal'.
Lee said this in Parliament yesterday when he rebutted as 'false and flawed'
the arguments by Nominated Member of Parliament Viswa Sadasivan calling for
equal treatment for all races in the city-state, the local media reported
Thursday.
On Tuesday, Viswa tabled a motion for the House to reaffirm its commitment
to principles in the National Pledge when debating national policies.
Lee, who is currently Minister Mentor, said the assumption of equal
treatment for all races was "false and flawed" and "completely untrue".
According to government statistic for 2008, Singapore's population was about
4.8 million, with the Chinese forming the majority (76.7 per cent), followed by
the Malays (14 per cent), Indians (7.9 per cent) and others (1.4 per cent).
He reminded everyone that Singapore's starting point was the racial clash
and tense period of the 1960s after the republic was thrown out of Malaysia and
until it got its independence.
Lee said the Malays in Singapore then were worried about the Chinese who
formed the majority, and wondered whether the Chinese here would treat them the
way the Malay majority in Malaysia had treated the Chinese minority there.
The minister also pointed to Article 152 of the constitution, which says
that it is the responsibility of the government to "constantly care for the
interests of the racial and religious minorities in Singapore".
In particular, it states that the government must recognise the special
position of the Malays, 'the indigenous people of Singapore', and safeguard
their political, economic and educational interests.
Lee mentioned how the United States handled the race issue, where despite a
1776 declaration that "all men are created equal", blacks did not get the right
to vote until a century later, and racial segregation continued well into the
20th century.
For Singapore to reach a point where all races could be treated equally "is
going to take decades, if not centuries', Lee said.
-- BERNAMA
