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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.