KUALA LUMPUR — Singapore’s expulsion in 1965 prevented Mr Lee Kuan Yew from continuing to press for a “Malaysian Malaysia” and allowed Malay ultranationalists, or ultras, headed by former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to depose Tunku Abdul Rahman, said prominent lawyer and former Cabinet member Zaid Ibrahim in a recent blog post.

In a post eulogising Mr Lee, the former de facto Law Minister lamented the lost opportunity for both the Tunku and Singapore’s founding father to cooperate on transforming Malaysia into a flourishing democracy with strong rule of law.

“Without Singapore in the wings and without (Mr Lee) articulating his mantra of Malaysian Malaysia, the ultra-Malays, led by Dr Mahathir, gained huge momentum.

“They filled the vacuum with the help of a young Islamist named Anwar Ibrahim. They were able to push Tunku out after May 1969 and the country’s history was rewritten by the introduction of the New Economic Policy (NEP), followed by the Malay-first and Islamisation policies,” Mr Zaid wrote.

Dr Mahathir, a vocal critic of the Tunku, eventually became the country’s fourth and longest-serving Prime Minister, while Anwar later became his deputy before a falling out led to his prosecution and incarceration.

The NEP is the technically-defunct race-based affirmative action plan that created a system of preferential treatment for Malays in jobs, housing and access to government funding.

The policy and others taking after it are blamed for Malaysia’s declining competitiveness as well as increasing discontent among non-Malay communities over what is perceived to be second-class treatment.

Mr Zaid said that keeping Singapore in Malaysia and Mr Lee in the administration would have allowed the Tunku to resist the push for Malay-first policies in order to make the community competitive, progressive and reasonable.

The former Kota Baru Member of Parliament said the country’s first Prime Minister would also have been able to keep Islam’s focus on charity, good and ethical conduct and compassion instead of permeating into the governance of the country.

“Malaysia has come full circle: Malays have become Arabs, Malay words have changed to Arabic and their Western education has changed to the Islamic variety,” Mr Zaid wrote.

“Malaysia’s identity no longer follows (the Tunku’s) vision. Singapore remained true to the dreams of its founder, and very successfully as well. That’s the tale of the two leaders, in short,” he said.

Mr Lee died on March 23 after more than a month, following complications arising from severe pneumonia.

Singapore joined Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak to form the Federation of Malaysia in 1963, but was expelled two years later by an Act of Parliament following racial tensions over Singapore’s insistence on equal treatment for all citizens. THE MALAY MAIL