After offending China with his pro-US comments on the South China Sea, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong dished a number of unsolicited advice on India’s domestic affairs yesterday (Oct 6). Lee Hsien Loong told India to “emulate Singapore” and be more open to “encourage independence”.
Probably thinking he is his father Lee Kuan Yew, Lee Hsien Loong then openly offended his host criticising them that while Singapore has been open to India investors, India has not made it easy for foreign investors to enter its market. The Singapore Prime Minister then pressured the India host in his speech over a court case a Singapore government-linked company is involved in:
“But you have to allow other countries to operate in India too. It cannot be a one-way exercise.
On the plans that have been put on hold for a Singapore consortium to build Amaravati, the new capital of the southeastern state of Andhra Pradesh, amid a court case by a local builder against the appointment of the Ascendas-Singbridge and Sembcorp consortium… Singapore is still hopeful of the project going through.”
PM Lee Hsien Loong then accused India of letting political issues “hindering developments” and told them to “address these important issues”.
“If you look at the Singapore projects, we wanted to do industrial parks. They have taken very long to clear the issues of land and these become politicised and you can’t settle it, and eventually the project languishes and nothing happens.”