[UPDATED] LKY on CNN’s Fareed Zakaria GPS this Sunday
Lee Kuan Yew is scheduled to appear on CNN’s Fareed Zakaria GPS on Sunday Sep. 19th at 12 noon GMT, 8 PM Singapore (on Starhub cable).
GPS features ex-PM of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew, House Financial Services Cmte Chair Barney Frank (D-MA), author Niall Ferguson, RiverTwice Research pres. Zachary Karabell, Financial Times’ Martin Wolf and Israeli investigative reporter.
Update: Transcript now posted (Lee’s part towards the end) plus video (part 1, part 2). A wide-ranging discussion, mostly on US, Russia and China, not Singapore.
ZAKARIA: You turn 85 tomorrow. Is there a lesson? What are the secrets to longevity and success?
LEE: Your life span depends on what you’ve inherited from the two helixes you got from your mother and father. My father lived to 94. My mother died at 74 with some heart problems. I had my first heart problem when I was 74 in 1996.
Fortunately, unlike her time, they could do an angioplasty and a stent. So that solved it.
The day before yesterday I had atrial flutter, so I don’t think I’ll reach my father’s 94.
ZAKARIA: But you’re going strong. I mean, you could…
LEE: But day after tomorrow, something could go wrong with the ticker, and then, that’s that.
ZAKARIA: Do you have any regrets?
LEE: No. I’ve discharged what I had to do. As long as — every day is a bonus.
I take every day as it comes. I see the sun rise, I see the sun set. I eat less than I want to. I swim and I cycle. I sleep well of nights, and I enjoy my work.
Filed under: Advance notice, Interview, Television, Transcript, Video | 3 Comments
Tags: cnn, fareed zakaria, lee kuan yew
I watched the interview, and saw “a man for all…” reason. Lee Kuan Yew is a genius at governance. Unlike those who think of themselves,- he put forth the interests of teh people, knowing very well that he’d benefit from their well-being.
He stands tall above all other world leaders – both past and present. Oddly enough, when he sought knowledge to aide him in goevrning Singapore, Lee went to Jamaica. There he learnt not necessarily from what they were doing “right” but from what they were doing wrong and, also not doing. He thought Jamaicans danced and drank too much. We all now know the state of Jamaica. To all his critics then – now, Lee was/is right and they were/are wrong.
Like Jamaica, America needs to realize that , the Rights of individuals cannot be superior to the welfare of the country. And that has nothing to do with being communist or anything of teh kind; it simply has to do with the very essence of Democracy.
My wife and I saw this interview more by accident than plan, as we were surfing through the channels. Yet, it was one of the most inspiring interviews I have seen on any world leader.
This man took a nation from nothing and built it over the years to a powerhouse in the world. While there are always critics and different points of view, it appears that he has a robust economy, open opportunity for entrepreneurs, strong education, and relatively corrupt free government. As he said, they do not have the problem with drugs and guns in his country, probably because he is more dictatorial. But, if ever there were an example of a benevolent dictator, he appears to fulfill that image.
We were moved by his accomplishments, humility, and sense responsibility to the people of Singapore. I am sure that no politician sitting for 8 years could equal his depth of experience and achievement.
Truly, a moving interview.
i followed this interview n wondered how much lky paid to be called ‘father of singapore’. fareed should know all about Dr Goh Keng Swee, the architect economist of Singapore b4 making any sweeping statement, whether he was paid or not?
lky boasts big that he is not a man who take compliments. well i can tell surely he sure takes money, n lots of it, u can check his absure pay checks, easily 3mil a year.
dont carried away by oratorical skills, afterall he is a lawyer n we all know lawyers are liars. if u observe carefully he has a mona lisa look, the cat that just ate a mouse.
i am a baby boomer who lived in singapore from 3rd world to 1st world and im telling u people u dont know enough facts to make conclusions.
for a start u can check lky’s human rights record.
in short i classify lky as ‘napoleon the pig’ of Orwell’s ‘animal farm’, exactly.