KUALA LUMPUR – Mr Lee Kuan Yew played a pivotal role in Singapore’s success by laying the foundations for its growth, former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has said.

He said that Mr Lee, who died in March last year, was responsible for turning Singapore into a financial centre with a world-class port, and into an aviation hub.

He made the point during a wide- ranging interview at his office in Kuala Lumpur with Berita Minggu, the Singapore Malay-language paper and sister publication of The Straits Times.

Tun Dr Mahathir told the weekend broadsheet that Singapore, at independence in August 1965, “felt isolated because it was rejected by Malaysia and faced the loss of resources”.

He said: “It was a small island. So, Lee Kuan Yew created an approach to make Singapore a financial centre, with one of the world’s biggest ports, and improved and increased flights to Singapore.

“That is one achievement that we need to recognise, and the people of Singapore need to value Lee Kuan Yew.”

Dr Mahathir, who ruled Malaysia from 1981 to 2003, also said that his leadership style and Mr Lee’s were different, and so were their perspectives, but he did not view the Singapore leader as an enemy.

“Personally, I had no problems. I could talk to Lee Kuan Yew. But I did not agree with his views, his approach. That was all there was between us,” said Dr Mahathir. “I don’t regard him as an enemy and all that, but as a Singapore leader who had his own stand that was not the same with the stand of Malaysia.”

This article was first published on April 5, 2016.
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Singapore – Singapore’s highest court on Tuesday quashed a final appeal by a Malaysian murder convict, setting the stage for his execution by hanging despite calls for mercy from rights groups.

Kho Jabing, 31, was sentenced to death in 2010 for bludgeoning a Chinese construction worker to death in a robbery gone wrong and spent the next six years in a legal roller-coaster trying to avoid the gallows.

A High Court judge had his sentence commuted to life imprisonment and caning in 2013 on appeal following changes to the penal code that put an end to mandatory execution for murder convicts.

But state prosecutors fought the decision and the Court of Appeal, Singapore’s highest court, reinstated his death sentence in January 2015.

Kho’s scheduled execution last November was stayed at the eleventh hour when his lawyer filed another motion, which was denied on Tuesday.

Judge Chao Tick Hin, who delivered the final decision of the five-judge court, said the motion did not introduce any new material compelling enough for the court to reconsider the death sentence.

“It is the applicant’s core case that our decision in the re-sentencing appeal is wrong. But the material he advanced fell far short of even showing that this court’s decision was wrong, let alone demonstrably or blatantly wrong,” the judge said.

He said a new execution date will be set by the Singapore president, who has already rejected clemency.

After the hearing, Kho was calm as he spoke with his crying mother and sister, who had flown in from Malaysia’s Sarawak state.

Singapore’s last execution was of two drug dealers in July 2014.

Malaysia also executes murderers and drug traffickers by hanging, which dates back to British colonial rule in both countries.

Human rights groups have called on Singapore to abolish capital punishment but the government has rejected such calls, arguing death sentences for the most serious cases must remain as a deterrent.

“For Singapore to defend the death penalty on international forums is a further indication of complete disregard for international human rights standards,” Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watch’s Asia division, told AFP.

There was no immediate reaction from the Malaysian government.

Singapore’s labour MPs want greater protection for vulnerable segments of the workforce roiled by economic uncertainty and the rapid restructuring of the economy.

Led by NTUC’s deputy secretary- general Heng Chee How (Jalan Besar GRC), each of the five MPs yesterday suggested ways to help particular groups.

Mr Heng, who is also Senior Minister of State, spoke for mature workers. He lauded the Government’s efforts to help them by planning to raise the re-employment age from 65 to 67, and pushing for lifelong training.

But more can be done to get employers to tap fully their contributions, said Mr Heng. These include refining funding schemes like WorkPro, which helps older workers return to work, and redesigning jobsand processes.

“We must make the working environment as ageless or age-neutral as possible, so that mature workers can be enabled to contribute as much as possible, for as long as possible,” he said.

Mr Ang Hin Kee (Ang Mo Kio GRC) spoke on the need to communicate the aim of greater automation to workers who are afraid they will lose their rice bowl.

“Employees will be more willing to accept it if the robots can help them to be more efficient,” he said.

Mr Desmond Choo (Tampines GRC), speaking for young workers, called for an integrated approach to help them develop their careers.

Noting that jobs are changing so quickly that knowledge learnt in school fast becomes redundant, he wants the Education Ministry to partner the labour movement to begin career counselling in school.

Mr Choo also called for greater adoption of apprenticeship schemes for certain industries where real-time problem solving and industry-relevant skills can better prepare students for work.

Agreeing, Mr Melvin Yong (Tanjong Pagar GRC) said meaningful internship and apprenticeship programmes will help match students with the skills and experience to the relevant industries.

It would “minimise post-school talent leakage”, he added.

He suggested that more employers be coaxed into embracing “Place-and-Train” programmes, which can give workers job security and career advancement as they are being trained.

Mr Yong noted that despite structural change, there are still “good jobs, new jobs, different jobs” available, making job matching the key challenge.

Mr Patrick Tay (West Coast GRC) made three suggestions to protect PMETs (professionals, managers, executives and technicians), who form 70 per cent of the over 15,000 workers retrenched last year.

He wants the Government to take a carrot-and-stick approach.

It should provide greater outreach and coverage for the Career Support Programme, a wage support scheme that encourages bosses to hire mature Singaporean PMEs.

At the same tine, it should get tough with companies that treat the Fair Consideration Framework’s job advertising requirement “as mere lip service and window dressing”.

Mr Tay also suggested setting up a support network for jobless PMEs to help “boost the self-esteem and morale of the dejected and pessimistic, making them more positive and career-ready”.

This article was first published on April 5, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.