"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 at a press conference at the Istana yesterday on his book, which will be launched tonight. He disclosed that he had circulated a draft of his book to all members of the Cabinet, as well as Singapore's past and present high commissioners in the countries named in the book, including Malaysia, Britain, Australia and New Zealand.

Copies were also sent to key players involved in the events described in it to check for accuracy.

Their comments helped him trim the "jagged edges" of the book, without changing the substance of what he had written.

But he had not sent copies to Malaysian leaders to get their views, he said, as this would not have been appropriate.

Asked if it was true that Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong had asked him to delay the publication date to prevent any adverse impact on Singapore's foreign relations, he replied: "Completely untrue."

Giving an account of the efforts he had taken to ensure the accuracy of what he had written, he told reporters that he had started writing in 1995, the year documents in the British Archives were made available under the 30-years rule on the declassification of documents.

Similarly, archival records in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, also became available around this time.

"What I have written, I have 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 Malaysian judiciary to investigate the causes of the riots.

"The documents are still in the archives," he said, telling a reporter that he was prepared to open the archives so that he could scrutinise the reports.

"My narrative is also substantiated by reports of British, Australian, New Zealand and American diplomats in Kuala Lumpur made at that time," he added, citing the page references in his 680-page book so that reporters present might look these up.