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SINGAPORE: Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew said on Wednesday the government has been accountable in its actions and has worked towards ensuring that no race is discriminated against in Singapore. He added that what the country has achieved so far is evidence of that.
Speaking in Parliament - which he seldom does - Mr Lee explained that he did not intend to intervene in the parliamentary debate initially.
But having read what a Nominated Member of Parliament said in Parliament on Tuesday, he decided to speak up.
He said: "I think it was dangerous to allow such highfalutin ideas to go un-demolished and mislead Singapore." Mr Lee took issue with the points the Nominated MP made, without naming the member.
The Nominated MP was Mr Viswa Sadasivan, who had called on Parliament to ensure that national policies be founded on the principles of the National Pledge such as racial and religious unity.
Mr Viswa had made several suggestions such as re-examining the current emphasis on racial categorisation and encouraging political associations to better reflect the tenets of the Pledge.
In fact, Mr Lee highlighted Singapore's Constitution which provides for the minorities like the Malays.
He said: "We expressly stated in our Constitution, a duty on behalf of the government, not to treat everyone as equal. It's not reality, it's not practical. It will lead to grave and irreparable damage if we work on that principle. So, this was an aspiration.
"As Malays progressed and a number joined middle-class with university degrees and professional qualifications, we have asked Mendaki not to have special rights of free education in universities, but take what they were entitled to. Put those fees to help more disadvantaged Malays."
Mr Lee also pointed out that policies introduced have in fact taken into account the needs of the people.
He said: "Our Constitution spells out the duties of the government to treat minorities and Malays with extra care. So the basis on which the Nominated Member has placed his arguments is false and flawed. It's completely untrue. It has got no basis whatsoever.
"And I thought to myself, 'perhaps I should bring this House back to earth', and tell us and remind all what's our starting point, what is our base and if we don't recognise where we started from and these are our foundations, we'll fail.
"We're here today, we have this building, we have all these facilities, and all around us is evidence of our accountability. Without being accountable, we would not have been re-elected and there would have been no Singapore of today."
- CNA/ir
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