About
One of the great taboos of Singaporean politics is discussing what will happen once its prime-minister-for-life “Harry” Lee Kuan Yew finally goes to meet his maker. With fear of the Old Man gone, how fast will the concentration of absolute power in the hands of Singapore’s tiny ruling clique corrupt it? Will the squabbles between the factions of the People’s Action Party finally burst to the surface, with the party splitting into fragments? With no checks and balances to force its hand, will the winning faction allow Singapore to blossom into a real democracy, or will dissent be crushed with a velvet glove or a military jackboot?
These questions are important, but this blog will not try to answer them, although you’re welcome to make your predictions in the comments. Instead, we will set out to predict something altogether simpler: when will old Harry’s formidable mind finally succumb to the senility of old age, and when will his enfeebled body give up the ghost? Using public and private sources, LEEWATCH will track Lee’s mental and physical state and chart the course towards the day when Changi is renamed as Lee Kuan Yew International.
Know something we should know about? Mail LEEWATCH at leewatch at rebels dot com. Privacy guaranteed.
As a recent visitor to Singapore I was amazed at how clean, efficient the country was. Yet underneath the veneer its not hard to notice how the government dumbs down the populace with the rhetoric. The daily newspaper is nothing more than a government propaganda pamphlet with nothing newsworthy to note.
What is even sader is that Singaporeans are oblivious to it all. They are happy to shop and eat and shop and eat and shop and eat
Dear Visitor,
I hope you take your bigoted and idiotic comments back with you to whichever maggot infested country you come from.
Singaporeans choose the kind of life the want. Your self-righteousness only betrays what kind of narrow-minded education or lack thereof you were brought up with where u come from.
I second Singaporean’s comment. Singapore’s got one of the best educated population in Asia and indeed the world. Just because most people don’t care about politics doesn’t mean they are ignorant. In fact, this is a compliment to the job the government does that the average Joe need not worry about politics.
I am a westerner that has lived in Singapore for a total of nearly 20 years, spread amongst 4 decades, and I am married to a Singaporean. While I feel Singapore is my second home, it is also a soulless, sterile and stagnant environment. It is efficient, to a point. The people, by and large, are great at following processes, but poor at responding quickly to a changing situation. Mostly this is due to their fear of failure or embarrasment.
The PAP and it’s minions have fostered this sorrowful attitude.
While I admire much of the accomplishments of the government, there is no denying that LKY and his puppet sons and daughter, and the dragonlady wife, are a corrupt force that hopefully will some day be made to pay for the damage it has done to the souls of Singaporeans.
Having lived in Taipei, Beijing, Hong Kong for 13 years and frequently visited Singapore, I endorse the comments above.
Singapore meets most markers of a successful society, except that it is a mind-numbingly dull nanny state. Whoever has had a thoughtful conversation with anyone in Singapore? Whoever has read a Singapore novel, watched a Singapore TV series or movie (one or two exceptions) or listened to a Singapore band? It’s a creative blackhole.
It has a bully government, intolerant of critics, that has stifled debate through control of the media and criminalisation of political speech.
If a Clinton or Bush Sr carried the title of “President Mentor” they”d be laughed out of town. It’s pathetic that grown-ups in Singapore are expected to take it seriously.
The 2nd and 3rd comments truly show that many Singaporeans are oblivious to the state that they are in. Instead, criticisms towards the state and their wonderful PAP means to them, an attack on Singapore on the whole. As one can note from those comments, patriotism equates to being completely uncritical, with any criticisms directed at the current regime as resulting in a type of primal response from these Singaporeans. The PAP would be proud.
For what it is worth, I am Singaporean.
I think every country has its own unique political system that fits the it. In Singapore, whether you like it or not, this is the political system that works. And the current political system is evolving with time as well, adapting and changing according to the times.
Your view of the country is what you WANT to see. If the Western media (which includes you, the brainwashed person) wants to criticise certain parts of the Singapore system, so be it, we ain’t perfect anyway. France, America and the rest of the “Moral” Western world are no better. Their history is filled with violence and war. Their hyprocrisy is disguised as human rights and democracy. We all know examples of that.
Having lived in China and Australia, I can appreciate Singapore much better. Where in the Asia do you get world class infrastructure, library facilities, etc? The bottomline is we have a system that actually works, its not perfect, we know it but we can work on it. It is unfair to say that Singaporeans are oblivious to what is happening.
I second comment #7. You can criticize all you want, but after all, it works. And for the oblivious part, it’s not that we don’t know anything, just that sometimes we are willing to close 1 eye to the bad things and open the other to look at the better ones. Of course we know what’s going on with all the constant online supply of criticisms now.
I believe no country is perfect. What Singapore lacks, some other country will have but what we have, they might not have. It’s a trade-off that some of us here are willing to have. To our foreign friends, thank you for your concern. It’s like, no matter how much you criticize our ‘mother’, we will still love her.
This is not an all-purpose Singapore politics forum. Please limit your comments to the topic of Lee Kuan Yew and what will happen to Singapore after his death. Any further off-topic comments will be deleted.
LEEWATCH
LKY is not a mathematician. He does not like quadratic equations. He reduces everything to simple equations. For rapid development, he did not want any dissenting voices. So he held the Opposition constant. His counterpart contemporary CEOs in the corporate world (in the USA) did the same. They got rid of those who did not share their vision. What is the difference?
LKY had his vision – a first world nation. Those who disagree can jump ship; he allowed that. Destructive opposition who has nothing constructive to offer are no different to “terrorist” in their approach. They use unorthodox means to destroy. They should strategize a different “soft power” approach.
Philippines has a different vision – they go for liberal democracy. They do not seem to receive a lot of flak – maybe that is what their competitors want. Speak your mind all you want, but go to bed hungry. Is this a better deal? Similarly Malaysia had a vision for their indigenous populace. Good luck to them.
Unfortunately, Singapore’s success put LKY in most sniper’s scope sight. That’s the price he has to pay.
Singapore has been very successful under LKY.
But any number of Singaporeans could have achieved similar success. That is why the LKY cultists churn out the same rhetoric year after year.
Just imagine what Singapore can achieve when he’s gone.
As a start, maybe you won’t need the riot wagons waiting in the dark off Orchard Rd when the Chinese New Year celebrations are held.
LKY will become Ozymandius King of Kings … have no fear.
By the way, Wikipedia says “politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions”. If Singaporeans don’t want to be part of the group then that’s fine, who am I to judge.
Having a soul or different opinion doesn’t mean you are destructive.
Mr Lee strides like a colossus by comparison with any post WWII leader I have seen, in terms of delivering economic success and certainty and extraordinary leadership such that others can but dream about. I admire this wise and successful man.
Track down and read “Culture Is Destiny; A Conversation with Lee Kuan Yew” by Fareed Zakaria in March – April 1994 to discover his view why there is such instability elsewhere. I do wish more “leaders” would pay greater heed to Lee Kuan Yew, would spend more time moving around Singapore talking to people to hear how highly he is regarded; and walk alone and undisturbed down Victoria Street at 2am and reflect on why they cannot do the same in their own “great” cities.
I am Australian and my wife is from elswhere in Asia, we love Singapore and I would happily live and work there in an instant. Certainly before I would live in Sydney, New York, San Francisco, Paris or London.
I agree with 2 and 3 and especially Mick from the Gold Coast.
Clearly, the detractors of LKY and Singapore really belong in another place. I’m thinking Francisco or Portland, where the “soul” of the city is on display for all to see in the panhandlers, muggers and crack addicts who infest the streets and public places.
LKY is a giant among politicians in the last or any other century. His achievements will stand for all time. Singapore needs no lessons in democracy from the West and certainly not from the corrupt socialists that run the UK (both in Westminster and from Brussels).
I am a Singaporean and I feel disgusted that some of you would call Lee Kuan Yew one of the great leaders of the world. He is not a leader to me, he is just another dictator, that will soon face his end just like his good friend, Suharto.
Good riddance. And Majulah Singapura.
I am a Singaporean and I am insulted that some of you would call LKY a “giant among politicians”. He is just a dictator. Please realize that.
I am appalled by the utter contempt towards LKY by some. Seriously these people think that it’s their birth right to enjoy the economic successes that he has given us. and that things were always and will always be this way. i agree with #10 Matt “Speak your mind all you want, but go to bed hungry”….
is that what you really want? you really think we can be here without LKY? look at every country in this world right now! study their history, understand it. and tell me if we are nothing short of a miracle. really. my mother lived in a time where she survived on leftovers and cramped into a windowless room with 10 others. fortunately none of us here need to endure any of those.
if he is gone. i fear for the worse to befall on Singapore.
“A Singaporean” – I think you would be quite happy for a dictator to run Singapore, as long as he was of the left wing variety. Just my thought.
LKY was a tremendous leader – he dragged Singapore up and made it what it is today. It is his vison and leadership you should all thank. The current political midgets cannot hold a candle to him.
Well said, “We are blessed” – the example of the basket case of the Philippines is indeed instructive. Liberal loudmouth “democracy” always takes such a course in developing countries. Sleeping hungry is not to be taken lightly. Sorry, but the people in Singapore do not know how lucky and well off they are. All thanks to LKY’s legacy.
I’m waiting for him to die. He’s 86. 10 more years he’ll be 96. His life span can be counted already. Not many live past 96.
In fact, not many live past 90. Again, he’s 86 now.
Also, let’s see how he’s going to physically rise from the grave when so far none in history since the start of time has ever done that.
Hey JohnW, keep on harping your praises of a right-wing dictator all you want. I presume you’d probably not find any problems with the disturbing and hypocritical quotes shown in the quotes section of this site either.
I guess you’re a foreigner, so thanks for your concern, but no thanks. We Singaporeans who have lived here and continue to live here will decide what kind of future we want for ourselves after that old man dies.
Hey, Singaporean – yes I am a foreigner, and have lived for over thirty years in numerous countries in Europe, Asia and Africa under many governments of all political colours and persuasions. Even in Saddam’s Iraq. Call it the voice of first hand experience.
Sorry that you are evidently so offended by me encroaching on your domestic politics, but if you want to end up like Malaysia or Indonesia then keep on spouting that liberal socialist nonsense. Singapore is not mature enough politically for that. Oh and by the way – beware of unintended consequences!
To all,
The following quote essentially sums up my thought on this old man and the state of our citizens…
“Repression, Sir is a habit that grows. I am told it is like making love-it is always easier the second time! The first time there may be pangs of conscience, a sense of guilt. But once embarked on this course with constant repetition you get more and more brazen in the attack. All you have to do is to dissolve organizations and societies and banish and detain the key political workers in these societies. Then miraculously everything is tranquil on the surface. Then an intimidated press and the government-controlled radio together can regularly sing your praises, and slowly and steadily the people are made to forget the evil things that have already been done, or if these things are referred to again they’re conveniently distorted and distorted with impunity, because there will be no opposition to contradict.”
-Lee Kuan Yew as an opposition PAP member speaking to David Marshall, Singapore Legislative Assembly, Debates, 4 October, 1956
Mute S,
Are you seriously suggesting that Singapore’s political and social landscape is the same as in 1956? That can be the only context and justification by which you can begin to make such a remark. Failing that, it is just a cheap statement going nowhere.
Singapore has developed beyond all recognition from those dark days – very largely due to the wisdom, foresight and courage of LKY.
JohnW, in time to come, you will either see the reason behind the feelings these Singaporeans have, or remain disillusioned by your admiration of a cruel and unjust man.
Lee Kuan Yew is 86. True, he brought progress, peace and prosperity to Singapore, but not political freedom. Why should he be Minister Mentor?! ALL OTHER COUNTRIES’ HEADS OF GOVERNMENT ARE GIVEN NO TITLE AFTER RETIREMENT. You don’t see Margaret Thatcher or Tony Blair called Minister Mentor or even Senior Minister after they stepped down! Giving Lee such a title is akin to declaring him a monarch, because only retired monarchs get such titles.
I would like to see the day Lee dies. I wonder what would happen after he dies. He is already 86. The longest lived state leader in history was President Celal Bayar of Turkey, who lived to 103. If Lee lives to 103, which is unlikely, it would be 2026 and Singapore would be 61 years old. But we can safely assume that Lee will die before age 122, which is the highest age attained by any human to date.
Thankfully, he is not on the list of top 100 longest lived state leaders yet. He needs to beat Frank Forde, Prime Minister of Australia (1945), first, who lived to 92 years, 194 days.
Just like how any normal human being with a heart, I would feel very sad indeed to see another fellow being pass away.
No one being on Earth can say he has pleased every single person he had encountered in his entire lifetime. No one being on Earth can say he has no regrets nor made no mistakes in his living years. However, most, if not all will remember and know who their loved ones are, and what mattered most to them. I think for Mr Lee Kuan Yew, his greatest attachment on Earth must be this little country Singapore, apart from his family.
I do not want to go into any discussion on what he’s done or not done or could have done for the country, for his family, for himself, and for us. I only urge people not to make anymore comparisons because to begin with, this great man had never followed any prescribed formula to build his little empire- some may call it. Hence it’s pointless to say why no other country has Minister Mentor, etc. No other country also proclaimed to be independent with nil resources when we started. Did that stop him? NO. Why should we start using other countries as benchmark on how to form our government now that we have achieved a little success?
Democracy is an idea, and has a wide definition. I always believe that as long as the human spirit stay alive in a country, we can overcome all odds. We must possess the fighting spirit but stay true to our beliefs and never ever let our egos and pride swallow the compassion in us.
This is a man who stays true to his beliefs even to this day, when he’s visibly weak and tired. We should stop deriding him but let this man live the rest of his days a happy and contented human.
Mr Lee, I salute you for all your hardwork. Please be kind to yourself- enjoy life now that your major achievements had been put in place. We will survive.
For those who wish him retired, critics, singaporeans who called him dictator and “unfriendly” foreigners who will leave when or if you decided that your time here is up, do you think you do it?
There’s enough talent to run this country during post-MM lee era because there’s a good succession plan/process in place and there’s a system which gives any opposition the opportunity to displace PAP if they corrupt or inefficient.
Ultimately, Singaporean Voters will decide.
I am a happy and contented Singaporean, and yet I know deep down that we Singaporeans are overly protected. Sheltered by a government to the extend that we might not stand the test of time beyond LKY. My grandma always say that too much of anything is bad! She could be right.
I would gladly put LKY in a developing country like the Philippines, Brazil or Argentina to work his magic miracle again. It’s clear his policies work best in developing countries in Latin America, Asia or Africa because those nations are in a state which needed strong-minded leaders to lift them beyond Third-world poverty. But Singapore is no longer a Third World country; it has reached first world status and as such LKY’s draconian measures can no longer work. It is just as well that he retired as PM when Singapore was at the threshold of second and first world status. If not, Singaporeans would certainly react to his increasingly repressive measures by voting more oppositions in.
The PAP has been garnering lots of criticisms of late: rising HDB prices, inflation, rising GST, “world class” salaries earned by its elite ministers, the Integrated Resorts etc etc. Some Singaporeans feel that as long as Singapore has got money, everything else can go to hell. I beg to differ. In her pursuit for economic excellence Singapore has forsaken quite a lot of other stuffs, such as indigeneous culture, the ability to think creatively and critically, political savviness, poor and aged welfare. There is very little job security in Singapore. People are afraid that once they are retrenched they can no longer find a job since employers prefer younger, more educated or cheaper workforce from abroad. I once asked a question on the net and was surprised by how many Singapore citizens are willing to forsake their citizenship to migrate abroad.
LKY is trained in economics but he is no economist, and he certainly is not John Maynard Keynes, the most influential economist of the 20th century. He makes mistakes from time and time and only time will tell if his Singapore model can last after his death. To me there’s no doubt there will be a shuffling of powers once the venerable LKY kicks the bucket. Try as he might, even he cannot escape from the calling of the Almighty. And only then will the REAL test for Singapore begin. As of the generation with Lee Hsien Loong and the rest, I cannot find one PAP politician that I can identify myself with.
If the IR goes well then the PAP will be reprieved for a while but if not, I suspect the bell will starting tolling for the PAP.
I do not agree that LKY is trained in economics. He is a law graduate (that everybody knows). Apart from this paper qualifications, he is actually a Machiavellian, i.e. he practises the philosophy of governing a country using the philosophy of Machievelli lock, stock and barrel ( he never gives credit to this Italian sage but takes all credit to himself).
Analyse the PAP policies that were implemented through out Singapore’s short political history and watch THE WAY AND METHODS IN WHICH THESE WERE CARRIED OUT and you will be left in no doubt that Machiavelli is alive and well in Singapore.
Many people mistake the prosperity of singapore as the work of lee. it is not. singapore was already a prosperous city under the british. so the legacy of singapore started way before lee came about.
furthermore, singapore is not the only economic miracle but one of four: the rest being taiwan, hong kong, korea.
so if the other three prospered without a strong man like lee, it suggests in and of itself that lee is not the reason for our prosperity.
put it this way, without singapore, lee would be nothing. without lee, singapore would still be singapore. perhaps not as orderly, but certainly just as prosperous as taiwan, hong kong or korea.
lastly, singaporeans tend to equate PAP or lee with the country. they are not equal. lee looks after himself. PAP looks after itself. PAP is not singapore and singapore is not PAP. to be loyal to PAP is just being loyal to a party, not the country itself. and to be loyal to the country need not necessarily mean being loyal to PAP.
Singapore will survive beyond Lee Kuan Yew. There seems to be a capable team running the country day-to-day without direct intervention from the old man. That is probably his greatest legacy. Unlike Dr M from nearby M’sia, who slam his own chosen sucessor and leave his country in a mess.
Singapore PAP cadre system is modelled after the Chinese communist party. It means the top leadership are co-opted. The danger is that if this group of cadre becomes corrupted and bring in their own corrupted lackeys into the team then the PAP is finished as it will propagate itself. Luckily, there is an election to kick them out. But whether Singapore gets a credible opposition/alternative party is another questions.
Upon LKY death, Singapore will lose some of its international influence for sure. LKY is the ONLY leader in the world who commanded the respect of at least 5 US presidents (see the recent life-time award given by the US), 3 generations of top Chinese leaders, and leaders in India, Middle-East, Germany, France and even many African countries and lately Russia.
Those who hate him or blame him because they “can’t make it” in Singapore have only themselves to blame.
Michael
You are mistaken. The 5 US presidents who lauded him have a common connection to LKY. In case you didn’t know LKY was and still is a CIA operative. There are enough evidence of Singapore’s involvement in CIA activities around the region for the past 30 years (a fact which you didn’t know).
Why are we castigating a man who has delivered so much to a nation he founded? Before I continue, let me just say that I am no big fan of LKY. I don’t necessary like or dislike him but one thing about this man is certain: he makes this place work and he has gained world recognition for his effort.
He is the founder of modern Singapore, transformed this “fishing village” into a world class city renowned for cleanliness, garden image, anti-corruption, yearly surpluses, sovereign wealth, high rise buildings, corporate names, public housing and government efficiency.
And to be fair to him, there are not many countries in the world who can match this miraculous transformation.
Just look around our neighbours and you will notice the massive difference immediately; unemployment, corruption, dirty city, underdevelopment, currency devaluation, political instability, political infighting, enthic clashes, religious disputes, terrorism, high crime, drugs, prostitution, red tapes, endless slums, poor infrastructure and government inefficiency.
Singapore is entirely different and perhaps only one person can lay credit to this. Singapore is already on top but she is never complacent. She keeps progressing year after year while others are regressing. And when that gap widens, there will be more criticism of Lee to come.
Did we condemn the Malaysian government for countless of government mismanagements and corruptions that run into billions of lost revenue?
Did we berate the Philippine government for years of mismanagment and widespread corruption and even murders recently?
Did we boycott Jakarta for the spades of terrorists bombings in the region which claimed hundreds of innocent lives and drove away investors?
Did we reprimand Bangkok for the violent protests (countless victims) that almost endangered our leaders at Phuket last year?
Quite frankly, Lee did a fantastic job even if his method and process inevitably transgressed on human rights, democracy and civil liberty. But so long as Singaporeans in general are enjoying the kind of life others could only dream of, why do we need to show our ingratitude or contempt towards someone who has outlasted and outperformed so many others as a leader?
On the contrary, we should be eternally grateful that Lee has not done anything for his own personal gain at the expense of his countrymen. He will always be remembered by a practical Singaporean like me.
No one is indispensable including LKY and PAP.
S’pore will survive and even prosperous without LKY or PAP.
Nothing is forever including LKY and PAP.
SM or MM only make the PM nothing but a highly paid laughingstock.
Kindly do your research before you heap praises on the man.
It is a known fact his is a bigot who believes in the Master Race, and an admirer of China.
I wonder if you all admire this guy if you truly knew his views:
“If I have to shoot 200,000 students to save China from another 100 years of disorder, so be it.” – Lee Kuan Yew endorsing the Tiananmen massacre, Straits Times, 17 August 2004
“If you don’t include your women graduates in your breeding pool and leave them on the shelf, you would end up a more stupid society… So what happens? There will be less bright people to support dumb people in the next generation. That’s a problem.” – Lee Kuan Yew, National Day rally, 1983
“The human being is an unequal creature. That is a fact. And we start off with the proposition. All the great religions, all the great movements, all the great political ideology, say let us make the human being as equal as possible. In fact, he is not equal, never will be.”
- Lee Kuan Yew, from a speech during the 1960s, Success Stories
“The Bell curve is a fact of life. The blacks on average score 85 per cent on IQ and it is accurate, nothing to do with culture. The whites score on average 100. Asians score more … the Bell curve authors put it at least 10 points higher. These are realities that, if you do not accept, will lead to frustration because you will be spending money on wrong assumptions and the results cannot follow.”
- Lee Kuan Yew, The Man & His Ideas, 1997
No point in heaping praises on this countries success when, this man has ripped off our souls and treat us no more than a means to his ends.
“I am often accused of interfering in the private lives of citizens. Yes, if I did not, had I not done that, we wouldn’t be here today. And I say without the slightest remorse, that we wouldn’t be here, we would not have made economic progress, if we had not intervened on very personal matters – who your neighbour is, how you live, the noise you make, how you spit, or what language you use. We decide what is right. Never mind what the people think.” – Lee Kuan Yew, Straits Times, 20 April 1987
Well said, Douglas.
As for “Incredulous”, I’m wondering whether to list out some offensive soundbites from past and present leaders, including a number from the darling of the Left, the Obamessiah himself. But what the heck – why bother when all the socialists here have their knives sharpened for Lee. At least LKY has decades of progress and real achievement to fall back on – unlike the failed socialists of the past and the blowhards of the present.
Hi all, I bum into your website by accident through a post I made on LKY @ T.Review.Your LKY watch is truly spot on cos’ I came from generation that grew up with him in the 50s.Without doubts he deserves all the accolades bestowed on him locally and internationally but I believe he is long past expiry date.The title given him by his PM son is definitely a big joke among foreign intellects and literati.My generation that work with him and the govt to make what Singapore is today feel strongly that there are enough good men in and out of the system to carry Singapore to another level without him patronizing and holding a whole Nation to ransom.Thank you for creating a nice Website for concern Singaporeans.
what do you mean the leaders might get corrupted after the shit is dead. they already corrupted yo
Now what did you learn during history lessons?
Douglas on January 2, 2010 said:
“He is the founder of modern Singapore, transformed this “fishing village” into a world class city renowned for cleanliness, garden image, anti-corruption, yearly surpluses, sovereign wealth, high rise buildings, corporate names, public housing and government efficiency.”
Mate, you got it all wrong. Perhaps you are not to blame as the MOE sanctioned history text book might be the culprit. Anyhow, this is not what we were taught, perhaps they did a major revision?
The quote above is flaw fundamentally on 2 points, and gravely so.
1. The founder of modern Singapore is not Lee Kuan yew. It is Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles!!! Singapore was a very modern city in the late 19th and early 20th century.
2. Lee Kuan yew did not transformed our Singapore from a “fishing village” to a world class metropolis/nation. Totally flaw. The transformation was carried out by Raffles after founding Singapore in 1819, and in a decade Singapore was an established colony.
Singapore’s history is not long and yet Singaporeans can make glaring blunder like this, it is not funny. Absolute shocker.
People need to get their history facts right before using it as a basis for their argument/criticism
At least it is heartening to know that this view is endorsed by an equally ignorant foreigner, says it all………………
Q
Singapore truly has a system that works.In fact it works so well the people just simply eat and shop and eat and shop.completely oblivious to the fact that each of them had(past tense coz soon,they will lost their chace to vote once sg becomes a dictatorship)to change the gov.but nooooooooooooooooo.shopping beats changing for the better for their children!!!
on one hand they complain life’s tough having to compete with foreigners and the gov didn’t help them,then they refuse to change that during election time.i wonder if all sgreans have gotten used to being politically apathetic that they enjoy being screwed by the pap over and over again.
sgreans have not lost their ability to think critically but they have lost their balls to accept changes.
lee kwan yew did not all the things which the state media said he did.
who was responsible for sg economic success in the 80s?
Dr. Albert Winsemius the genius behind sg economic plan.
lee kwan yew took credit for it.he is a lawyer by profession,what did he know about econimics?
Who actually fought against the japs in WW2 and subsequently tried to secure self rule from the brits??
Mr David Marshall who joined the Singapore Volunteer Corps and was taken prisoner after the Fall of Singapore in 1942.
lee kwan yew worked with the japs and invented glue to sell in the black market…real patriotic…..
Who really founded singapore?
Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles.
lee kwan yew wasn’t even born yet.how some individual believe he turn the fishing village into a morden city is beyond me…unless he time travels of course..
All lee kwan yew did was took credit for things he did not do.and the state media jus propagate whatever nonsense he wants ppl to believe.
lets not forget,he was once a OPPOSITION LEADER!!!!
who was though to champion for democracy,freedom,free speech and now he has become the very bane of what he is supposedly to have defended against.
Go study your history well ppl of sg.it teaches you far more things than the state media would have you believe.if not for your sake then for your children’s sake.
For whatever reasons there are people who hate LKY. Likewise there are people who felt grateful to LKY who had built Singapore from practical nothing (swampy land without natural resources) to what it is today. To me, there is no right or wrong answer. We are not immortal, like LKY we will have to go once time is up. So let us live with a peaceful mind and stop cursing anyone.
DO GOOD, GET GOOD, DO EVIL, GET EVIL.
SINGAPORE IS GOING TO THRIVE IT IS A MELTING POT…..
SINGAPORE IS FAMILY TO ME AS IT HAS MY OWN FAMILY AND MY FATHER WAS BORN THERE…
I HAVE COME TO SINGAPORE TWICE….ONCE AS TOURIST AND SECOND AS A DEPENDANT.
I HAVE READ MEMOIRS OF AN EXTRAORDINARY LEADER WHO STAYED AWAY FROM POLITICS AT THE SAME TIME MAKING HIS COUNTRY A TIGER OF SORTS….MY DUE RESPECTS I WANT TO SEE YOU LIVE ANOTHER 80 YEARS…
GOOD NIGHT TO YOU MISTER MINISTER.
Ugh, another foreigner espousing blind praise of the autocrat Lee Kuan Yew.
Why not you become a citizen, I’m sure its very easy for you.
I believe Singapore will remain the same after his death.On the day of his death the stock market would close lower and our singapore flag would be flown half mast for a few days and the singapore media would publish all his good deeds and contributions he have done to singapore and if his wife is still living she will be seen crying and eldest son lee hsien loong would be comforting his mother.He would be given a state funernel with the national flag drape over his coffin and his coffin would be laid in state either in singapore parliment or the istana for the public to pay their respect to him.Well all I have said is just the beginning , as I see it singapore would continue to be run well with this present goverment but if the goverment makes a major mistake and it cannot change the mistake in time there will be chaos and the pap would lose the mandate of the people.History has shown that no democratialy elected goverment has been ruling for over a hundred years or even a hundred year so unless the pap is the first party to break that record they are alreadry middle aged they have ruled us for slightly over fifty year so unless they are the record breaker well then they would not last long enough for another fifty years.
LKY has brought peace and prosperity to singapore,but yes he has limited our political freedom.
But so what? Isn’t the whole point of a government to bring peace and prosperity? Of which LKY has achieved? Would you rather watch your politicians squabble and struggle with peanuts in your bowl?
Stop telling us to live in a well. Prosperity, peace AND freedom is provided in most other 1st world nations.
Comments like yours might have worked 20 years ago when the completely govt owned and controlled newspapers were the only source of information for the people, but not today in the age of the Internet.
Lee Kuan Yew is a dictator running a 1st world country like a 3rd world country. Stop giving him excuses for his nonsense, he’s even called Singaporeans stupid and gotten away with it.
Asians are servile race that need a strongman like Lee Kuan Yew to take care of them.
Freedom only works in the west; asians need conservative, hierarchical societies such as Japan and Korea.
Also, asian women are much smarter, sexier and disciplined than western women. In the west, men need freedom in order to take care of themselves.
In asia, all you have to do is tell the sexy disciplined asian women what to do. That is why authority works in asia.
As stated “No body could capture Singapore and hold on to it” ( Sunanda K Datta-Ray p 344) for that matter, Singaporean are clever enough to know not to destroy the standard of living they are enjoying now because LKY has “the system” in place and the country will continue to strive and grow regardless who is the PM.
I have lived and worked in australia and uk i have traveled the world. right now in the uk there is an emerging under class relient on government hand outs .drug and drink fueled zombies, with no ambition or respect for any thing, people who will not work or look after their families correctly. not just a few but MILLIONS , commiting every crime and mistermina under the sun .the uk is scruffy, poor, and dangerous. walk down oxford street after 10 pm and you will become a statistic of a crime against you, now all you singaporeans think hard, how would you describe your selves and your country to the world.and then think how lucky you are to have been ruled by lee kuan yew. when he dies one of the greatest political maserminds of our time will be gone.
It seems that some Singaporeans here have lived a “voluntary-torture” life. Hehe live elsewhere if you may — we can do without you, don’t worry on that. Some foreigners here however could only base on statistics, history books, hearsay bla bla about LKY or even life in Singapore for that matter. Live here for a couple of years to have a say, please. Otherwise, zip up. Personally, I have mixed emotions so as to what will happen to Singapore post-LKY — whatever it is, believe me, the leaders are ready — just wait for an equally competent leader to take on the helm or a better one or a worse one. Remember always that leaders have the power to direct, we have the power to choose.
Seriously, I think you have nothing better to do!
Seriously, I think you are sick to create such a website to track the mental and health stage of MM Lee and to discuss what will happen after he dies or wish for him to die?! Regardless whether you are Singaporean or not.. this is inhumane to do so. Especially to someone who has given and done so much for the country. Ask yourself what you have done for the country before commenting on others.
lee kuan yew is responsible for many things he defeated the communist threat, gave every one a chance to own their homes, eradicated malaria right in the middle of south east asia, with no natural resourses he took singapore from the third world in to the first world, he was the first world leader to ban cfc sprays to save the ozone layer, he made it impossible for ghettos to form, you have no slums, he made your country the first to reduce cbd traffic congestion, you even have the most sufisticated street lighting system in the world he was instrumental in the eradication of small pox from our world, he stopped drug culture from ruining your country, your airline and your airport are voted best in the world you lead the world in education ,technology, and lack of crime, your harbour is the bussiest in the world with the quickest turn around of any port in the world, he made sure you have health care and pension systems in place, remembering you should be part of the third world, with no hinterland, i guess you could say he deserves at least some respect when discussing the man. singaporeans be proud..
Dear David Worthington, I am Singaporean and very proud that we are a nation that went from 3rd world to Ist in a generation. I am definitely proud of our efficient albeit uncreative education system that taught me the correct spelling of “sophisticated” is not “sufisticated” (please refer to your last post). LKY and his team were undeniably part of that success. BUT it’s time to go and he should have a LONG time back. Step down graciously. Would you be equally all right if say, Brown, Thatcher, Blair and now Cameron continue to be in power long after their time? Or if you are Aussie, mate, you reckon you like J.Howard to be Minister Mentor? I don’t suppose so. SO don’t profess to tell me what I ought to be proud of.
There’s just something incredibly sad when someone like LKY holds on to power and control and seemingly unable to let go. I am suddenly thinking of Mugabe, Castro and all those dictators who simply love to be in control. Singaporeans (perhaps not all) hold LKY as some sort of god-like entity and no bad word ought to be ever thrown in his face. He’s human and like everyone else flawed. He “beat” communism but let’s not gloss over the way he treated his opponents back then. When the time comes for him to go, go with dignity. Mr LKY, I shed no tears for you. You may have been a great mind and applauded by many, just not in my book.
david worthington is the best and most correct answer on this sight. i remember when singapore was a mosquito and rat infested hell hole we would be a little communist island stuck in the third world if not for lky. i slept 10 to a room on my 30 th birthday lky and his government enabled me to live in dignity in my own flat. i now live a great life not bad for a labourer from pakistan. i never spoke to any one who has visited our country singapore who did not love the place no one here has ever mentioned my original nationality or my religion in a negative way in the uk i would be a second class citizen. in other parts of asia or the sub continent my cast would keep me poor, not in singapore i am equal to all my brothers and sisters of all creeds and religions we are the blessed
my great grandfather came from china way before lky came to power and he said singapore was a very hard place to live, he says boat and clark quay areas were dangerous filthy and the river was horrible, rats every where. malaria and even smallpox rife amongst poor chinese. in china town, poverty was very bad indians had it worse he says at least our clan stuck together he says many slept in the street, and then lky won the election the communists retreated we got independence and lky transformed our lives over the years, he wants us young er people to know how lucky we are and that if we think we would have been where we are to day without lky we are wrong he points out to look at the rest of asia and says worthington and azzha are correct my great grandfather is 94
Singaporeans should stop harping about Great Men like Lee Kuan Yew. Remember the average Joe who played his part in building a prosperous nation. The factory worker in Jurong, the samsui women, etc. Lee Kuan Yew is not the architect of Singapore’s economy. Dr Albert Winsemius is and how often do we hear his name in the media?
LKY is not a saint and we don’t need to be ruled by strongmen. Yes, he did transform Singapore from a poverty-infested hellhole into a First World country, but we are not done yet. We are not yet a liberal democracy and we don’t have press freedom and freedom of speech, and poverty can still be seen around us and in 2008, many, many people were affected by rising food prices. Such things will happen again.
Majulah Singapura.
By the way, I am a libertarian and so I want maximum liberty in whatever I do, and do not appreciate being controlled by strongmen like LKY.
my dear singaporean, i am to agree lee kuan yew is indeed a great man and so is the average singaporean and yes you do have a prosperous nation and yes winsemius did architect your economy and yes lky is a strong man and yes he did transform singapore from a poverty – infested hellhole into a first world country .now for your vision of a [ liberal democracy with press freedom and freedom of speech with maximum liberty ] = [ in my experience of living all over the world including your beautiful singapore ] mind control of the press, loutish behaviour of young people, drug culture , crime, absolute poverty, un education, religous and racial tension and hatred, litter and gum infested streets, delapedated public housing projects, pollution of air, water and noise, dis respect for your leaders and old people, over crowding of automobiles, lack of public transport, corruption of government and police, lack of punishment for the most horrific crimes, idleness, minimum wage with maximum prices, lack of health care and pension provision, child pornography, and the ability to replace one bad leader for another bad leader, name one liberal country that is better than singapore, i will do it for you /there isnt one.
In a working career of nearly 50 years, I have worked in about 20 countries, from USA to Iraq. Singapore is the best bar none – end of debate.
I invite all you LKY-haters to try your luck living outside your cocoon of luxury and go forth into the wider world.
The draconian measures Mr Lee’s regime had employed throughout the years is akin to a double-edged sword. Undeniably, these methods are instrumental in the formative years of nation-building, and indeed, effective in maintaining order in times of crisis (e.g. the SARs epidemic was shutdown pretty quick a couple of years back).
On the other hand, it is unavoidable that the increase in affluence has also brought along a generation of critical thinking, politically minded folks. Some of us, while grateful for the comfortable lives we are living now, are appalled by sheer barbarism our government shows when trying to suppress elements thought to undermine the current regime. Looks like the “Jolly Hangman” isn’t all that jolly now eh?
Anyway, I hope no opposition party members are slammed with defamation lawsuits or other trumped up charges this time. This sort of thuggish behaviour should not be acceptable in first-world nation politics.
Look at things this way, Singapore is awesome, considering how clean and efficient it is. Singapore is a real model of how countries of the world should be. We might be the top few richest countries in the world BUT the people are by no means rich. Except for afew percent of the population, most singaporeans live a life of work work and work. All our hardearned salaries get cut by taxes and CPF which the government use as a capital to earn more money like for instance the latest casino @sentosa. What do we really get? Singaporeans have to pay a $100 entry fee to go into a building built using their HARD EARNED MONEY. Everything is so expensive these days and our pays are hardly rising. An average joe which is not married can hardly survive on a $2,000 paycheck.
Here are some examples why Singapore is expensive. Petrol costs about SGD$1.30/Litre in the US while it costs about SGD$2/Litre in Singapore. In Singapore, the costs of cars is highly inflated. A ferrari that costs $1,200,000 in Singapore only costs $240, 000 in US/Britain. On top of that, cars in Singapore have to purchase a Certificate Of Entitlement(COE) Which is about $50,000 for 10years. This means that you pay the government $50,000 to drive a car you bought. Whats more, you pay for road tax, another couple thousands of dollars each year just to cruise on public roads with a speed limit of 90KM/H. How pathetic is that? Overall, you pay about 7times to drive the same car(Including taxes, petrol and parking) with a 90km/h speed limit in Singapore.
Housing in Singapore is not spared as well. An average Joe’s home costs between $150,000-$350,000 for a FLAT the size no larger than1/6 of a football field. Water and electricity bills are high too.
Overall being a Singapore citizen for all my life, I am happy living in Singapore. I enjoy the efficiency of the city and cleanliness of Singapore but I will always live a life restricted by money.
**** I just wanted to shed some light to the foreigners commenting about Singapore. I provided only the unbiased hard facts and I hope that I will not get into trouble with the law for doing so. I did not insult or be rude to my country’s rulers in anyway and I just wanted to state some facts
There are so many opinions expressed here swinging from the far left to the extreme right, in a manner of speaking. I am just concerned with one aspect – the living condition of its citizens. If we look at the other countries in the Asian region who obtained freedom from their colonial masters, Singapore stands out like an amazing exception by comparison.
The other countries are like banana republics, steeped in corruption and mismanagement, run by criminals or uneducated idiots or greedy self-perpetuating dynasties who enrich themselves on the graves of their citizens under the pretense of democracy. I have lived in such a country and gritted my teeth in frustration and then I came to live in Singapore.
Singapore in comparison is like some Utopian paradise where there is accountability, transparency, the government actually works and people in government offices are polite and helpful, where electricity doesn’t suddenly shut off for hours every day, where clean drinking water is available 24/7 and not for just 1 hour a day if you are lucky, etc,etc. Have you lived in a country where after you have been robbed you have to bribe the policeman to file a report, where a civil case can take up to 20 years to get a decision in a court of law!
Let’s not kid ourselves here – by Asian standards Singapore is a beacon of hope and a standard most Asian countries should aspire to attain. So Mr Lee Kuan Yee and the PAP have done an incredible job post-independence whether people admit to it or not!
As for me and my family, we consider it a privilege to be living in Singapore!
It is human nature to criticize what you have but if you have not experienced what others do NOT HAVE it is better not to preach and complain.
If you come from a worse country, of course a bad country like S’pore is relatively good in comparison.
But if you are born and bred in S’pore and have witnessed S’pore changing from bad to worse, what do you do as a true blue S’poreans?
Stop telling S’poreans how bad other countries are as S’poreans are highly mobile these days, they have eyes to see for themselves.
As a 1st generation PR or new citizen coming from a worse country, not surprise that you will love S’pore at the very first sight but your 2nd generation may not sing the same love song as you on S’pore.