I REFER to the commentary published in Utusan Malaysia on August 14 titled Berubahkah nasib kaum Melayu di Singapura? Presiden sekadar simbolik.

In my May 30 letter to the editor in response to Awang Selamat’s editorial in Mingguan Malaysia on May 28 titled “Presiden Melayu ke-2?”, I pointed out several inaccuracies in the piece.

I also requested for the letter to be published to set the record straight and ensure that your readers have the full picture.

The editor did not publish my letter for reasons I could not understand other than not providing a true picture to the readers. Instead, the editor published a second commentary, with similar inaccuracies and misrepresentations of Singapore’s presidential election and of the statements by Singapore’s political office holders.

Let me reiterate my message. Contrary to the false assertions in the commentary, the Singapore president, who is elected with a popular mandate, plays key roles in nation-building and in ensuring good governance, including: (i) as the symbol and unifier of a multiracial Singapore; (ii) as the custodian of our nation’s reserves; and (iii) as the protector of the integrity of our public service.

Surely, Utusan Malaysia would agree that these are important tenets which every country should safeguard.

Singapore’s Malay community has achieved significant social and economic progress within Singapore’s rules-based and meritocratic society.

We are, as a nation, proud of these accomplishments, and we will achieve further progress together. It is incorrect to say that non-Malays in Singapore have been given “priority and advantages”. We certainly do not have a race-based system of benefits and patronage.

Singapore will not tolerate the use of race or religion to promote ill-will between different segments of society or to undermine our institutions. – August 17, 2017.

 * Vanu Gopala Menon is the Singapore High Commissioner to Malaysia.