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Tuesday, March 24, 2015

KUAN YEW'S FINAL CALL TO DR M: Unlike other strongmen, LKY did not ruin his country 'in the name of nationalism & race'

KUAN YEW'S FINAL CALL TO DR M: Unlike other strongmen, LKY did not ruin his country 'in the name of nationalism & race'
IT is nearly impossible to appropriately describe the Singapore strongman, Lee Kuan Yew, who died at 3:18am today at the Singapore General Hospital. He was admitted on Feb. 5 for pneumonia.
Strongman naturally comes to mind because that is how the global media often described him. But he was more than that. There were many strongmen of Lee’s generation around the world but none could quite match his achievements.
Lee was neither an absolute dictator nor a democrat. He ruled with iron fists but unlike other strongmen he did not ruined his country in the name of nationalism and race. It might even be inaccurate to describe him as a nationalist - a pragmatist maybe.
But what history cannot deny is that Lee was a master when it came to taking advantage of other people’s agendas and turning them to his own.
Just one example – the quest for independence. Lee rode on Indian, Malayan and Indonesian nationalism to gain independence for Singapore while making sure that the Chinese-dominated colonial outpost was not “swallowed” up by its bigger Malay/Muslim neighbours.
He rode on Malay nationalism led by the likes of the late (Tan Sri) Abdul Samad Ismail and Yusof Ishak while tugging on the coattail of the British to ensure that Singapore was safe from possible the Malay/Muslim hegemony in the post-colonial era.
But Lee was much more fearful of communism led by China although he was very much the product of leftist political movement. In the post-World War II, Singapore was the hotbed of socialism and communism.
What truly differentiated Lee from other strongmen was his success in transforming Singapore from a British entrepot trading centre into one of the most developed economies in the world while cutting a unique political path.
To borrow the description of a Kuala Lumpur-based Singapore diplomat, Lee ruled Singapore using the economy instead of politics.
The Bloomberg new service wrote that Lee helped transform Singapore from a colonial trading centre into one of Asia’s most prosperous nations during 31 years as its first elected prime minister.
Lee left behind a strong economy but less than certain political heritage. Changes have been taking place since he stepped down as Prime Minister in 1990 in spite of his best efforts to keep things the way they were. He stayed on, first as Senior Minister and later Minister Mentor until 2011.
After decades of enjoying huge economic success and financial independence, Singaporeans are asking for greater political freedom.
Lee left behind many admirers but very few friends. Some of his friends during the independence struggle walked away from him while others were purged. Many spent years in jail.
For driving hard bargains for his country and for his constant lecturing of other countries, including China, Lee left very few genuine friends. He and (Tun) Dr Mahathir Mohamad were in constant loggerhead. About the only person in Malaysia who could be considered Lee’s friend is (Tun) Daim Zainuddin. They struck out famously during the negotiation on the Malayan Railway land in Singapore.
With world politics being turned on its head by the ICT, there isn’t a likelihood of the emergence of another Lee Kuan Yew, in Singapore.
He was one of a kind.
“I ignore polling as a method of government. I think that shows a certain weakness of mind - an inability to chart a course whichever way the wind blows, whichever way the media encourages the people to go, you follow. If you can't force or are unwilling to force your people to follow you, with or without threats, you are not a leader.” – Lee Kuan Yew.
Footnote: I met Mr Lee privately only once when I interviewed him at the Istana in Singapore in 1998 for the New Straits Times group of newspapers, but I never ceased to be fascinated by him. - http://kadirjasin.blogspot.com/2015/03/lky-one-of-kind.html

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