It was his way of acknowledging that the Malays mattered in the forging of a multiracial nation and they made a difference by standing firm with the People's Action Party.

At least this was what the Malays who were at the Suntec City ballroom felt on Wednesday night when they saw him fight back tears as he spoke of the unwavering stance of Malay leaders during the merger years.

The man who sparked the memories of those dark days was Mr Othman Wok, one of his Old Guard colleagues.

He, along with Mr Lee, suffered the abuse and opprobrium of the Malay extremists for being on the side of the PAP.

Mr Lee paid tribute to Mr Othman for his staunch support and loyalty then.

The former Social Affairs Minister yesterday told The Straits Times: "I wasn't facing him when he made the speech but I was surprised when his voice changed. I felt very touched.

"I think the events of those turbulent days must have brought back the memory of the threats we faced and how the Malay PAP MPs, Rahim Ishak, Yaacob Mohamed, Buang Omar Junid, Rahmat Kenap and Ariff Suradi, all of us, we closed ranks.

"We supported fully SM Lee because we believed in him, we believed in multiracialism."

For him, the tears also made him remember the strength of Mr Lee's leadership.

"We supported him for his leadership. He was not a man to be cowed. He looked at things squarely."

He added that last night's display of emotion by Mr Lee should serve as a reminder to younger Singaporeans that Singapore must never give in to communalist sentiments.

Said Mr Mohamad Maidin, 41, the parliamentary secretary for education: "What crossed my mind was clearly the importance of every ethnic group in Singapore in staying together to make it a homeland for every citizen."

He added that, growing up in the 1960s, he remembered Malay MPs such as Mr Othman being called kafir, or infidel, which to a Muslim is the ultimate hurtful insult.

"The Malay leaders could have gone any way because the abuse was that great. But by staying with the PAP, they made a very important step and showed how determined they were in wanting a multiracial country.

"I have a lot of respect for the Malay leaders," he said.

Mr Hawazi Daipi, an MP for Sembawang GRC, said that he too remembered as a young boy hearing the Malay PAP MPs being called pembelot, or traitors.

"But even then they thought it was in the best interest of the community to stick with the PAP.

"I think the position they took then to think of themselves as Singaporeans first, regardless of race or culture, remains relevant today and it is a message the young must remember."

Added Mr Maidin: "If the likes of Mr Othman had run away from the PAP, I think it would have been a different Singapore today."

For Mr Ahmad Magad, 46, an MP for Pasir Ris GRC, Mr Lee's speech brought home as never before the significance of the past.

"I was really moved and without my realising it, I was also shedding tears. I really felt the sincerity on SM's part of wanting to create a Singapore that was for all the races and of giving equal opportunities to the Malays."

Mendaki CEO Sumardi Ali, 46, said the sight of SM Lee fighting back the tears reminded him of the day he wept on television on August 9, 1965 as he broke the news of separation.

"I was touched then and I was touched again this time by the tribute he gave to the Malay leaders and the community. He was telling the Malays that they made a difference."