Former Singapore premier Lee Kuan Yew's attempts to destroy political opponents and critics have been detailed in a book, 'The Hatchet Man of Singapore', by adversary and former opposition politician JB Jeyaretnam.

The book, due to be launched in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, is expected to capture an audience keen to read an unsanitised version of Lee's 'hatchet-carrying' days when he headed the PAP and government.

In a country where no opposition politician was elected to Parliament from1965 - or over a period of the first three elections - Jeyaretnam was celebrated for pulling off a rare parliamentary win for the Worker's Party in 1981.

However, he lost his seat in 1986 after being found guilty of misappropriating party funds. His comeback as a non-constituency MP in 1992 - allowed to a handful of oppositionists - ended in 2001.

This was after he was forced to declare bankruptcy for failing to meet payments on the numerous lawsuits that had been brought against him for defamation.

Among those who sued Jeyaretnam were Lee, his son and deputy premier Hsien Loong, current premier Goh Chok Tong, senior PAP politicians and the Singapore government.

'Lee's own words'

Jeyaretnam, 77, said his book was written to clear the facts on Lee's controversial methods in handling resistance in Singapore, as a "much-needed other side of the story" to the "unfair reports" of the Singaporean media.

In a telephone interview, he said the title of the book was based on Lee's words that he preferred to act on his own rather than rely on the courts.

Explained Jeyaretnam: "In an interview once, Lee said: 'I carry my own hatchet. If I meet someone, either he or I would come up alive.

"The remark stuck in my head. In Parliament, Lee also said he would make me crawl on bended knees to him."

One chapter is devoted to a particular cross-examination of Goh by Jeyaretnam's lawyer George Carmen, during a court case.

Goh attempts to explain how democracy works in Singapore, but "George manages to get (Goh) in a knot over the issue", said Jeyaretnam, himself a lawyer by training.

This is his second book following the publication of 'Make it Right for Singapore', a compilation of his parliamentary speeches.

Asked if it was likely to attract further lawsuits against him from Singapore's libel-prone political elite, he replied: "Well, (Lee) hasn't said anything. The book has been out for a few months now, since late March in fact."

The book, currently on limited release in Singapore (only one bookstore carries it), has sold more than 2,000 copies to date. Jeyaretnam also takes to selling it himself at public events.

Depending on how well it is received in Kuala Lumpur, Jeyaretnam says he will consider approaching bigger bookstore chains to stock the book, and perhaps even take it to Bangkok.

'The Hatchet Man of Singapore' will be launched by senior Malaysian lawyer Raja Aziz Addruse at the Girl Guides' Hall in Jalan Sultan Abdul Samad, Brickfields, at 3pm on Saturday.