Farewell & Thank You Mr Lee…
I read with a heavy heart at the passing of Mr Lee Kuan Yew when I woke up and read the news of his demise in the morning of Monday, 23 Mar 2015. Singapore has lost its founding father and guiding star…
What he had done for Singapore are massively unprecedented in recent history, and I dare say, probably not to be repeated for many centuries to come. Not just in Singapore, but many in the World will crave for a leader like him.
I am writing this partly as a tribute to the great man, and partly to speak my mind on what I thought of him and the things he did.
Iron Wrist
Until this era, many (including a handful of ungrateful fellow Singaporeans) deemed that Mr Lee ruled with an iron wrist. I am not going to dispute he has that iron in him, but how to define iron wrist? I guess Emperor Qin (秦始皇), or in recent history, North Korea leader must have drop dead laughing if they hear this. Let’s be reminded that Mr Lee laid the foundation of democracy in Singapore, and it is the people who voted him in, after every election, through the ballot paper every citizen are allocated in their own right.
In my opinion, I believe he wholeheartedly did what he thought was right for Singapore, and a good leader can never be a Mr Nice Guy, he has to make very difficult decision, and sometime, that means there has to be losers who sacrificed for the benefits of mass majority. In putting through his ideology, he sometime had to do things in what I perceive to be ruthless, but necessary under those circumstances.
I will have to go back as far as the 1960s, when I wasn’t even born. I read about how he classified his opponents as Communist and left wing. Many of those people accused denied these allegation, but going back in history, these people were mainly those who instigated strikes and public commotion to demand better welfare for citizens and workers. At that time, many thought these leaders were noble, don’t get me wrong, they just might be, they might be envisioning a better life for the citizens just like what Mr Lee did too. But their approach was wrong. (Yes, I know it’s easier to say these today when we are looking back, but kindly allow me to elaborate).
For a small country that had no resources then, we cannot tolerate such diversion. For a developing nation, it was essential that differences were sorted out inside parliament, and not trying to instigate public commotion outside it. It’s simple logic, if different parties instigate their own supporters outside of parliament, we would be potentially inviting riots! Had Mr Lee be more tolerant then, there was a very tiny chance we might still get the development we craved eventually, but certainly at a more reserved pace, probably decades slower, and may be not during our generation. But for Singapore to succeed, we could not afford to drag our feet, we needed to outperform! Those people who thought they could get their way by initiating strikes to threaten the government were stumbling blocks in development and had to be removed, by orthodox or unorthodox means.
We had seen the strike from SIA pilots and SMRT drivers, and we regularly heard about airlines and rail strikes particularly in European countries. As commuters, all things being equal, would we prefer taking a transport with potential of strike? Not to mention how those affected might have an urgent need getting to their destination, let alone a life saving one.
Let me put this straight, no government in the world cares about strike today. It lets the demonstrators vent some frustration perhaps, but at the end of the day, no government cares. Commercial organisation may be, but if you look at Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, did their government gave in? Fat hope.
Housing
For this, I’m eternally grateful to our founding father. Before he came to power, Singaporeans were mainly living in cramped Attap houses, rented houses, and for a few privileged citizens, the limited public houses built by the British’s Singapore Improvement Trust, who managed to build only a meagre 23,000 housing units in its 32 years of existence since 1927.
Until today, after traveling to so many countries and cities, I have never seen a more vibrant housing estate than Singapore, not even in Japan! And if you see how poorly maintained some of the region’s public housings are, you will be glad you are living in Singapore (Truth be told, many countries have a bless of land and do not need to build that much flats). Simply put, the facilities around our estate are phenomenon.
Yes, one may argue flat prices soared since the 1990s, but technically, Mr Lee was no longer at helm.
Transport
It was during Mr Lee’s tenure that Singapore decided to build a Mass Rapid Transit system (MRT). That time, championed by Mr Ong Teng Cheong, Singapore was the first in the region to build the MRT, which greatly benefited commuters in a country where owning car is a luxury.
Other than MRT, Singapore Airlines is now a leading airlines despite a humble beginning, offering almost unparallelled comfort, entertainment, and cuisines onboard. Being a regular traveler, I can attest Singapore Airlines is my flight of choice if I get to decide. I’m sure many will agree with me. And in Changi Airport, we have one of the best airports in the world, although it has improved by leaps and bounds through various government.
Hawker Centers
Many hawker centers were established during Mr Lee’s charge.
I had been through the age when hawkers used to stationed along the road side, where diners were subjected to bad weather, and notably pollution. Not to mention mobile hawkers had to pull a heavy trolley daily during operation too. I am grateful for able to have a peace of mind while having my meal, spoiled for choices with variety of food at affordable prices. Mr Lee’s successors did nothing of that for over two decades, until recently.
Clean Water
We don’t need muddy river we have no use of.
As such, Mr Lee turned over a dirty Singapore River into a clean water way we can enjoy. Imagine having meals right beside a dirty Singapore River, breathing in the stingy smell as you enjoy your cuisine, and we have to credit this wise man for turning it over. Of course, it’s just a piece of cake comparing to the massive makeover for the entire country.
Then again, we should not forget the reservoirs built during his era, to stock up rain water in addition to water purchased from Malaysia. Having said that, I must credit Mr Goh Chok Tong’s government for implementing the Four Tap Strategy of sourcing water from rainwater, recycling, desalination, and importation. This is a marvelous step towards self-dependency although I ain’t too sure about Mr Lee’s involvement in this despite his presence in the cabinet.
Singapore Pride
We were a third world country when Mr Lee took over. Our people were poorly educated, and in general, most of us were not well off. Despite that, as a country under Mr Lee’s helm, we held our dignity. Today, we own gadgets, we go spa, we go holidays, how many in the region can boast that? (OK, I’m not going to talk about cars.)
I feel damn proud when I weave my Singapore passport while going through customs and greeted by respect instead of a grimace they would normally extend to some notorious countries’ citizen. All these come down to the hardwork Mr Lee and his compatriots built in the early years.
And our medical care are the best in the region, paying only a fraction of a slightly better environment in Japan and the States.
Of course, Mr Lee’s contribution doesn’t end here. The great man did many more, but just that at the time of writing, I can’t remember much.
Controversies
Like many rulers, Mr Lee is not a man without controversies, and sometime made mistakes too. But seriously, Mr Lee’s enormous contribution far outweighs these negatives. I am proud and grateful many foreign dignitaries, particularly those located outside the region, as far as the US, came to attend his wake despite their busy schedule. His wake in the Parliament House led to a massive mourning that spanned an entire week, with grateful citizens and even foreigners who didn’t mind queuing patiently for up to 10 hours just to pay their last respect. We also witnessed the camaraderie in a nation where strangers distributing free drinks, food, flowers, umbrellas to public joining the long and winding queue. Never in Singapore’s history did we ever see a mourning of such scale, not even for our previous Presidents.
Mr Lee earned the respect of not only our own citizen, but many other people in the world.
Thank you Mr Lee, you are our bridge over troubled water. You led by example and built a country out of nothing. Because of you, I am proud to be Singaporean. It’s an absolute honour and privilege to have seen you govern, and benefited from your rule. You are a hero in our hearts. Farewell Sir, we may never see a great leader like you again, but your legacy remains.
#RememberLKY #LeeKuanYew
