And so it’s happened…he’s gone. That’s the news Singapore will wake up to this morning. Mr Lee Kuan Yew died at 3.18am. He was 91. I’m looking at the PMO website done up in black. At other times, I…
As always, my former editor says it better than I ever could.
There were many things I did not like about Lee Kuan Yew and his policies growing up. The censorship of the media, what seemed like undue interference with personal choices, the authoritarian manner in which restrictive policies were executed on the pettiest of things (We’ve never lived down the chewing gum ban) and the draconian way he came down on his critics and political opponents.
But then I grew up and travelled. I realised in many ways how fortunate I was to have been born here. He was a statesman with great vision. Starting with compulsory Mandarin lessons in school. Combined with English as a first language, this allowed us opportunities as China opened up economically. Developing a clean and efficient civil service that worked for most of the populace, something I only learned to appreciate after running into the corrupt bureaucracies endemic to the region. The religious and racial harmony we enjoy, celebrating the cultures of each of the four major races here. Even if I feel we could do better in this area, it wasn’t for lack of trying on the government’s part.
I can’t imagine what he faced when Singapore was expelled from the Malaysian Federation in 1965. He was the leader of a tiny country of 2 million with no natural resources or economy to speak of, surrounded by hostile neighbours. We didn’t (and still don’t) even have enough water. The separation marked the first and only time he publicly cried on television.
Most people in my grandparents’ generation won’t hear a word against the man and I suppose it’s understandable. From that unpromising start, he addressed their bread and butter issues. He took Singapore from a third world country to first in a little over two decades as the “democracies” around us produced one self-interested plutocrat after the other.
IMO, the condescending tourists (usually westerners) who contrast Singapore’s “sterility” with the “exciting chaos” of our neighbours can fuck right off. And so can the detractors who have nothing kind to say at this moment. If it weren’t for him, I’m not sure where - or even if we would be - around today.
He may not have been very active in politics the past decade or so, but his influence is still very much felt. Things are going to change around here, but I believe he’s left us enough of a stable base to build a good future.
I’ve never met the man, and he always appeared to be such an unsentimental person, but his passing still saddens me greatly. Every Singaporean owes him a debt of gratitude, whether they realise it or not.
Rest in peace, Sir. Thank you for everything.
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