Mr. Ambrose Khaw was senior sub-editor, and then deputy managing editor of The Straits Times in the tumultuous years of Merger and Separation. Mr. Khaw was working from the Straits Times office in Singapore during the merger. He moved to the head office in Kuala Lumpur immediately before and after the Separation. Mr. Khaw, now 70, and retired, gives the stories behind the headlines:
Lee Kuan Yew did what he felt was right for Singapore.
For instance, Singapore liked to be regarded as the New York of Malaysia, where all trade would go through Singapore because of her good position, her shipping lines, the infrastructure.
But certain quarters in the central government asked why should Singapore have all these factories, all these investments, when they could locate all these investments in Johor, Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang? Where’s the point in having it all located in Singapore?’
So every time Singapore wanted some factory to be set up here, they had to apply to KL for permission and the administrators would send back a letter in Malay asking for the answers to questions in Malay. Eventually, those factories were never set up during that period.
Over time, the bad feelings just built up. Did Lee Kuan Yew realise how strong the opposition was?
At that time, it seemed like the right thing
to do.
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