PETALING JAYA, Aug 10 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim scoffed at Lee Kuan Yew's negative assessment of Pakatan Rakyat's (PR) administrative ability today, labeling the former Singapore prime minister's views "obsolete" and reminiscent of the Mahathir generation.
The Opposition Leader suggested that Lee's understanding of Malaysia's racial dynamics was only skin-deep as the leader was still "trapped in the old mindset" of how the country's landscape had been in the days when Singapore was still part of Malaysia.
“We should not always look at the dichotomy between rights and race, black and white.
"For example, he (Lee) talks about race-based policies, but there is very little understanding of the discourse in the last decade.
“His thoughts are not so relevant now in the context of the present day. That is what prompted him to make sweeping statements to generalise the situation in Malaysia,” Anwar was quoted in The Star Online as telling reporters at a Hari Raya open house in Penang.
Earlier today, Lee earned the same criticism from DAP chairman Karpal Singh who told Singapore's founding father to to give up his reins of power and "quietly ride into the sunset".
The Bukit Gelugor MP said Lee, who had criticised PR in his recently released book "One Man's View of the World", had every right to give his views but the Singaporean politician should first look at his own party.
"His comment that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) will not effectively govern the country had it been successful in winning over federal power is without any basis," the DAP national chairman said in a press conference at Air Itam here today.
Karpal said even though PR only has 89 representatives in Parliament but they are better quality than the Cabinet under Barisan Nasional.
"We have not been given a chance or else we can proof it," he said.
In Lee's book, he had been scathing about the Malaysian Opposition coalition by labeling it as an "opportunistic ad-hoc group" that was held together only by a "common desire to unseat the government".
Karpal pointed out that Lee's own party, PAP, lost six seats in the elections and the party also lost in the two recent by-elections.
"He should get his own house in order before commenting on others," Karpal said.
Earlier this week, other PR MPs had echoed the same response to Lee's remarks on their five-year-old political pact, even suggesting that the leader was afraid that its success in Malaysia may threaten his People's Action Party's (PAP) grip on power in the island state.
PKR's Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli pointed out that the opposition in neighbouring Singapore has been gaining ground over the past few years, after the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) in Malaysia lost its customary two-thirds parliamentary majority in Election 2008.
"LKY is concerned with the maturity of Malaysian politics because like-minded Singaporeans are now looking to Indonesia and Malaysia as models for a more vibrant and mature democracy," Rafizi told The Malay Mail Online, referring to Lee with his initials.
"The fact that there is a two party system now in Malaysia strikes fear in LKY's heart," added the PKR strategy director.
Singapore's long-dominant PAP, which was founded by Lee, lost two by-elections recently amid rising discontent in the city-state over housing, the high cost of living and immigration.
The ruling PAP, which has been in power for more than 50 years, also suffered its worst performance ever in the 2011 general election, where six opposition members - all from the Workers' Party - were elected into the 87-seat Parliament.
The opposition's victory in the by-election for the Punggol East district last January increased the parliamentary representation of the Workers' Party to seven seats.
Lee had also written in his book that when it came to the crunch, PR would not be able to get rid of Malay supremacy.
"The moment the bluff is called and it is handed the full power to push ahead it will either be torn apart from within or be paralysed by indecision," said Lee, who turns 90 next month.
