The Singapore Malay National Organisation (PKMS) has called for Lee Kuan Yew to be detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for stating in his book that Muslims there should be “less strict” about observing their religion.
The Singapore minister mentor courted controversy lately with his book, “Lee Kuan Yew: Hard Truths to Keep Singapore Going”, as well as stating in an interview that Singapore’s heavy defence spending was to deter neighbours Malaysia and Indonesia from “besieging” the island republic.
“Is Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s (picture) statement not distorting and inciting racial and religious disharmony?” said PKMS secretary-general Mohamed Nazem Suki in a statement.
He said that the book was a “subversive document” and asked that Lee be detained under the ISA that “Mr Lee championed (yet) breached openly and disrespectfully.”
“May we advise the President... that the ISA provision be applied to Mr Lee Kuan Yew and he be detained and be further investigated for such subversive acts. No Singaporeans shall be allowed immunity if he has committed an offence under the Sedition Act,” the statement added.
The founding father of modern Singapore had come under fire from Muslims in Malaysia with his opinion, most notably his counterpart Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, with whom he shared a frosty relationship when they both led their countries.
The row has escalated since the book was launched on January 21 with Dr Mahathir giving an interview in Sunday’s Mingguan Malaysia that criticised Lee for having no respect for religion.
Calling the former prime minister of Singapore “egoistic,” Mohamed Nazem said Lee lacked respect for the nation’s constitution and questioned his intentions in writing the book.
“Is it Mr Lee’s intent to discriminate, degrade and denounce a particular race or religion?” he asked.
PKMS also questioned the Singapore government, now headed by Lee’s son, as to why the book was allowed to be published when it breached the law.
Mohamed Nazem also asked if Lee was “trying to destabilise the region” by stating that Singapore was vulnerable to pressure from Malaysia and Indonesia who would “besiege” the island state if it did not spend heavily on defence.
“Why are his statements of prejudice and suspicion towards our Asean counterparts?” asked Mohamed Nazem.
PKMS also called on the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore to advise Lee on Islam and for the government to ban the book and demanded that Lee apologise to Singaporean Muslims and Muslims in general.
