‘Singapore and Hong Kong are places with single-ethnic populations and their progress should not be compared directly with that of multiracial Malaysia.’ - that's the latest directive to us from the prime minister.

Unfortunately, the rationale supporting his directive is flawed. While there may be doubts about Hong Kong's ethnic composition, Singapore's multi-ethnic population is well-known and celebrated.

Here are some examples of Singapore's multi-ethnicity:

Mandarin, Malay, Tamil and English are used in all official communications, and all four languages can be found on their currency notes.

The president, SR Nathan, is Indian.

A number of prominent non-Chinese Singaporeans are members of the cabinet, including Prof Jeyakumar and Dr Yaakob Ibrahim.

The speaker of parliament, Abdullah Tarmugi, is Muslim.

Mandarin, Malay and Tamil are all included in the republic’s education curriculum.

Dedicated national TV channels and radio stations exist for Malays and Indians.

Hari Raya Puasa and Deepavali are considered public holidays.

Perhaps the most important point to note is that not only are military orders for parades and functions issued in Malay, Singapore's national anthem is also sung in the Malay language. Such practices would be reflective of a Malay nation, but not a single-ethnic Chinese state.

Let us hope that Abdullah, as the leader of a nation with First World ambitions and world- renowned IT achievements such as the MSC, will not continue to make such blatant mistakes