SENIOR Minister Lee Kuan Yew yesterday dismissed Malaysian premier Mahathir Mohamad's allegation that he was publishing his memoirs now to take advantage of Malaysia's difficulties.

He started writing them in 1995 and settled on the timing of the launch last year, he said.

"Allow me to explain to him the purpose and timing of my book. It is my personal account of the events that have shaped my life, and when I was Prime Minister (1959-90), which also affected Singapore's history.

"I set out to give young Singaporeans an objective account of why and how Singapore sought merger with Malaya but in two years was asked to leave Malaysia."

At a press conference on the book, The Singapore Story: Memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew, which will be launched at a gala dinner tonight to mark his 75th birthday, Mr Lee said that he started writing it in 1995, the year documents in the British Archives were made available under a 30-year rule.

The archival records of Australia, New Zealand and the United States were also made available then after the 30-year bar ended.

He finished his first drafts of two volumes in the middle of last year. His book agent at Times Publishing had then agreed with his Simon & Schuster (Asia) counterpart that they would publish jointly both volumes this year around September or October.

"It is simply not true that I have chosen to publish my book when Malaysia is in difficulties to take advantage of it. Indeed, publishing my book at this time is a disadvantage, because people have less money to buy my books. The timing was settled last year," he told about 50 Singapore and foreign pressmen at the Istana press conference.

Mr Lee's memoirs, the first extract of which was published in The Sunday Times, have sparked controversy across the Causeway. Several Malaysian leaders have accused him of being insensitive in raising old issues involving their past leaders who were dead.

Dr Mahathir has also criticised the book, which he said was designed to bring about a bad effect on Malaysia.

Yesterday, a calm and dispassionate-looking Mr Lee said that whatever he had written, he had checked against the records, especially when recounting the race riots of 1964.

"My account is supported by documents submitted to the commission of inquiry which was held in Singapore by the then Malaysian judiciary to investigate the causes of the riots. These documents are still in the archives."

His narrative, he said, was also substantiated by reports made by British, Australian, New Zealand and American diplomats in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore at that time. Their accounts are reflected in the memoirs.

"I expected my book to be scrutinised and criticised. If there are false or untrue statements, I will stand contradicted and my credibility demolished."

He said: "I can write my memoirs but once. I set out to be accurate, to make a contribution to the historical records of Singapore."

Later, in response to a question, he added: "I do not propagate falsehoods, not in a serious document like this. This is not a political tract."

Predictably, questions on Malaysia dominated the one-hour press conference.

On what he thought of its leaders' remarks that he was being insensitive by publishing his memoirs, he noted that the Malaysian rhetoric in attacking Singapore had not changed over the years.

"If you study their words, their phrases carefully, their words have special coded meanings. When they say 'you're insensitive', it means 'why are you saying things which I don't like to hear'. 'Regardless of who you are saying it to, please don't say it."'

Asked about the state of ties between the two countries, his view was that bilateral relations fluctuated depending on the mood of the Malaysians and their leaders, and circumstances prevailing at the time.

There were ups and downs. On his own working relationship with Dr Mahathir when they were both in office, he noted, barring two unhappy periods: "We had nine years of a relatively good relationship. I did a lot of work with him. We got many things done."

It would be unfortunate if his memoirs caused tension in bilateral ties, he said.

"But I have to have my say to my people. I have an obligation to tell them why I did these things, what took place and why they should take note of my experience. If my experience is irrelevant, throw the book away. I believe it is not irrelevant."