Malaysian leaders have hit back at Singaporean Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, who last week said that Malaysia would be more successful if it treated ethnic Chinese and Indians as equal citizens.
Mr Lee also said Malaysia might 'even overtake Singapore' if minorities were accorded equal treatment - comments that targeted Kuala Lumpur's affirmative action policies for ethnic Malays.
Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak told the official Bernama news agency yesterday: 'We are a complex society and have complex issues to tackle. We have done well in our own way.
'We are all right on our own and need not debate his comments on our policies.'
Other Malay leaders were less restrained, and slammed Mr Lee for interference and failure to understand their country's complex multi-ethnic society.
'We have vernacular television [programmes], and promote other cultures and religions,' said Muhammad Taib, a senior leader in Umno, the ruling Malay party.
'Singapore does not even allow Chinese vernacular education ... Malays in Singapore are neglected,' he said, referring to criticism that Malays, who make up 14 per cent of Singapore's 4.4 million population, are neglected by the Chinese-majority Singapore government.
