Mr Bloodworth, whom Mr Lee consulted before writing his memoirs, was interviewed by Asiaweek recently. SM Lee cited the interview last night, at a speech at the Foreign Correspondents' Association dinner where he was invited to speak about his memoirs.

In the Sept 25 issue of the weekly magazine, Mr Bloodworth revealed that early in their cooperation, Mr Lee had talked about "the need to watch his words".

Mr Bloodworth was quoted as having said of Mr Lee: "He has always been very sensitive, though the Malays may not believe it, about relations with Malaysia.

"But at the same time, if he was going to write his history, he had to write his history. And if he fudged it in some way to please the Malays, it would just be a false document and, of course, he couldn't embark on an enterprise like that."

Mr Bloodworth, the London Observer's correspondent in Singapore, is a veteran journalist and author of several books, including an account of the People's Action Party's fight with the pro-Communists in the 1950s and 1960s. He gave Mr Lee some tips on planning his book, such as concentrating on getting the facts right first, drafting an outline plot, fleshing it out and then lightening it with colourful details.

SM Lee, who spent three years writing his 680-page memoirs, said he wanted to let the facts speak for themselves and had waited till British, Australian and New Zealand archival records were available in 1995, 30 years after Singapore's separation with Malaysia in 1965.

Said Mr Lee: "My researchers took pains to check and re-check my facts for I expected what I wrote to be challenged."

In his book, Mr Lee cited evidence showing that Malay extremists acting with Umno leaders' knowledge were responsible for inciting race riots in Singapore in July 1964 which left 23 dead and 454 injured.

Last night, Mr Lee noted that he had spoken in the past about communal intimidation - attempts by Malay extremists to intimidate others by instigating racial riots - but his statements had not been challenged.

In his book, for example, he had described how Penang United Democratic Party's Dr Lim Chong Eu told him in Parliament House in Kuala Lumpur in Nov 64 that he (Dr Lim) had experienced the same intimidation by race riots in Penang in the 1950s.

A few months later, at a public rally of the Malaysian Solidarity Convention in Singapore on June 6, 1965, and with Dr Lim on stage, Mr Lee spoke openly of what Dr Lim had said.

Mr Lee observed: "When I said it then - June 1965 - it was not challenged or refuted." He added that he had sent an early unbound copy of his memoirs before it was published to his friend, Tun Daim Zainuddin, the Malaysian Minister for Special Functions and former Finance Minister.

The book, noted Mr Lee, had not been banned. In fact, Tun Daim had written an endorsement of the book for its dust jacket, describing it as "required reading" for those interested in politics and economic development.

Explaining why he had chosen to publish his memoirs now, Mr Lee said: "To write or dictate oral history to be published after my death, would not be right. If I am not prepared to speak while I am alive, I do not deserve to be heard from my grave."