Singapore - Singapore's former Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew said the claim in a cable released by WikiLeaks in which he had "characterized Islam as a 'venomous religion'", is false.
Mr Lee on Monday issued a statement following the release by WikiLeaks of a cable by the US Embassy in Singapore reporting on the visit of then United States Senator Hillary Clinton to Singapore in July 2005.
He added that that he looked up the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' filenote of the meeting and nowhere does it record him describing Islam as "venomous", nor did he say anything which could have given that impression in his meeting with Clinton.
In the statement, Mr Lee said he did talk about extremist terrorists like the Jemaah Islamiyah group, and the jihadist preachers who brainwashed them.
He said that they are implacable in wanting to put down all who do not agree with them.
He added that their Islam is a perverted version, which the overwhelming majority of Muslims in Singapore do not subscribe to.
Mr Lee said he also pointed out that Singapore Muslim leaders are rational, and that the ultimate solution to extremist terrorism was to give moderate Muslims the courage to stand up and speak out against radicals who have hijacked Islam to recruit volunteers for their violent ends.