KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 27): Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew (pictured) has distanced himself from the World Chinese Economic Forum (WCEF) on Monday (Dec 27) featuring former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak as a keynote speaker.

The Country Heights Holdings Bhd executive chairman said it was a great embarrassment that some people thought he invited Najib to attend the forum.

“But it is also a great flattery to know that the WCEF, which I founded, is influential,” Lee said in a statement on Monday.

“I really feel embarrassed when confronted by friends enquiring if I have invited Najib to officiate the WCEF.

“I wish to clarify and to put on record that this new WCEF, has nothing to do with me,” he added.

Lee explained that the WCEF was founded by him in 2009, with the first edition being held at the Palace of Golden Horses. The event garnered the support of economic and political analyst Tan Sri Michael Yeoh after a few years.

The name of the forum has since been changed to World Chinese Economic Summit and then to the Global Chinese Economic and Technology Summit this year, he said.

“We had just recently organised the Global Chinese Economic and Technology Summit and it was successfully held in Shangri-La Rasa Sayang, Penang (on Sunday).

“The opening address was by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri and officiated by the Governor of Penang Tun Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak,” Lee said.

“‘I have come to know that the organisers of the Dec 27 event have been using the WCEF name and some of our photos in China from two years ago and calling it the 11th WCEF. This will surely cause confusion,” he revealed.

“The organiser of this Dec 27 event should not call it the 11th WCEF in the first place. This time, they invited the former prime minister to that forum, a convicted criminal awaiting outcome of an appeal. Surely they caught media attention and I was also misunderstood.

“l need to make my stand clear. We must respect the judiciary and uphold the Rule of Law in Malaysia. To involve him in this ‘new’ WCEF which is not organised by me is a huge embarrassment to me. I am a citizen who pays great attention to the Rukun Negara,” said Lee.