4/14/2015

Screwing up LKY’s legacies


Many people could not understand why I am harping on LKY’s legacies and in a way praising him indirectly for his ideas. Many would just want to let him disappear from their memories and do not want to be reminded of him. What I can say is that put your sentiments and emotions aside. LKY had done many things, good, bad and ugly, just like anyone of us. We are all human beans and did many things that were not too flattering ourselves. Just bear with me as I go through the legacies of LKY, looking at the good that he had contributed and show you how people who professed to be his followers, believers and whatever shit, but really screwing up his legacies, distorting his ideas and leading people to screw up LKY as a result. And they are drumming that we should preserve and cherish his legacies. My oh my!
 

Read this statement by LKY spoken in 1960 on the role of foreigners and how they could be part of our society, contributing but not screwing up the people in the process. There could be a balance, a state of mutual coexistence for mutual benefits. The wisdom of this man is unparalleled if you look at the pretenders that were given a blank cheque to turn his views and policies upside down. Now read carefully…
 

"National sentiment desires the riddance of all expatriates as agents of the exploiting colonial government, but the practical needs of making the national economy work requires that expatriates be employed. Such a situation must contain the seeds of inner contradiction. A plain straightforward nationalist line by the government which results in the expulsion of all expatriates may lead to a sagging of the whole complex of the economy, as indeed has happened in some newly independent territories. But to ignore the anti-colonial sentiments of our people will be to store up trouble for the future. The only practical solution is to acknowledge our need for the time being for expatriates, be they members of the former colonial power or otherwise, and to continue to use them. But at the same time, national sentiments will be satisfied only if increasing numbers of our local men are being trained here and abroad to replace these expatriates and do their
jobs in the near future. This aspect of the problem of government would be made easier if expatriates understand some of these emotional factors which a representative government has to consider. And also it helps to make clear that expatriates carry out the policy decided by the government and do not decide on policy as they did in the past.” - LKY 27/2/1960.
 

From this statement it is very clear that this man was building a nation of Singaporeans and with Singaporean’s foremost in his mind. He would allow some foreigners to be here to contribute to our economy, but the govt, the Singaporeans, would take over and decide what is best, not the foreigners.
 

A very good example of how foolish the new team in govt is doing can be seen from the exchanges between Lim Biow Chuan and Indranee Rajah in Parliament on the employment of foreigners in our universities. MP Lim Biow Chuan wanted to know whether the government requires Singapore's public universities to hire eligible Singaporeans, priority for academic employment, and whether the universities' human resource departments should be headed by Singaporeans to ensure that eligible Singaporeans are duly considered for employment. At least his mind and heart are in the right place.
 

And this was Indranee Rajah’s reply. "It is important that our autonomous universities recruit academic staff based on merit, to ensure that they hire the best talent able to deliver high quality education and conduct research that will benefit our students and Singapore."
 

And last year, Seah Kian Peng said he was shocked by the number of foreigners who have staffed the faculties in Singapore’s tertiary institutions.
 

“So, through Parliament, I asked MOE for some figures. I found out in the Political Science department of NUS, 28% of the 25 faculty members are Singaporeans. In NTU’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, 41% of the 29 faculty members are Singaporeans. In the NTU Wee Kim Wee School of Communications and Information, 44% of the 48 faculty members are Singaporean. And in the NUS Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, 46% of the 82 faculty members are Singaporeans," he had said.
 

From her reply, Indranee is very comfortable with the number of foreigners in the universities even when Singaporeans are now in the minority. As far as she is concerned, they are hired on merits, ‘the best talent able to deliver high quality education and conduct research that will benefit our students and Singapore.’ If this reasoning is applied to Parliament, I think many MPs including herself would be replaced by more meritorious foreigners. But that is not important.
 

The issue is the position she is taking, which must be the position of the present govt. Bring in foreigners as long as they are good and better than Singaporeans, never mind if Singaporeans are displaced and in a minority. Is this position in line with the thinking of LKY?
 

LKY was very concern and very particular about the number of foreigners working here and that it should not become a national problem, and that the Singaporeans should be eventually taking over from the foreigners. If no one is getting it, let me quote LKY again, ‘But at the same time, national sentiments will be satisfied only if increasing numbers of our local men are being trained here and abroad to replace these expatriates and do their jobs in the near future’.
 

Today was the future LKY talked about. The big question, has LKY changed his views about employing foreigners in large numbers to replace Singaporeans, to take over all the important positions and ignoring the nationalistic sentiments of the people? Or is the new PAP leadership dismissing LKY’s concerns and very happy to replace Singaporeans with foreigners like the pathetic numbers in the academia and elsewhere? LKY understood the nationalistic sentiment of the people and that this island is a country belonging to Singaporeans and not a hotel. Does the present leadership has any inclination of what these mean and how important they are to the existence of Singapore and the well being of the Singaporeans? Replace them with the best foreigners?
 

Who is to be blamed if trouble brews eventually because of the changed mindset and policies, of ignoring the legacy of LKY, when nationalistic sentiment, not xenophobia, breaks out into the open?

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

The root problem is Sinkies no enough for GDP growth lah.

So like that how not to screw LKY's legacy, even if PM Lee don't want to but GDP growth die die must have, u tell me lah?

But anyway what's the problem (for PAP lah), if majority (aka 60%) are very scared to vote PAP out because the Sinkie opposition is not ready to be govt?

Anonymous said...

That the Sinkie opposition is still not ready to be govt even after 50 years of independence is the best LKY legacy for his son PM Lee and the PAP and even PM Lee's successor.

Virgo49 said...

All these bullshits talk of merits, metro crazy

Favour to their cronies and kinds

Not for the generosity of the daft majority that the privileged minority ride slip shod over the majority

And they behaved as though they are smart than the Yelliw emperor sons

Anonymous said...


"LOCALISATION" Policy For SG100!

As a young engineer many moons
ago, when Mr Lee was the PM and
if I remembered correctly, there
was a "LOCALISATION" policy.

FTs were employed only in areas
where Singapore was lacking. BUT,
after some training, locals were
expected to take over.

It may be time now that we
re-visit the "LOCALISATION"
policy of yesteryears.

This the only only sustainable way going forward if we want to celebrate SG100!

Yes SG100! Yes SG100!

Cheers.

Veritas said...

The peranakan, Anglo-Indians, who are elites of Malaya are in direct competition with these jobs. So Kuan Yew kick the expatriate out.

These jobs are never meant for the peasants. Now most of these local elites have move up the value chain over the years through capital accumulation.

They are now capitalist. As capitalist, these banana would want to exploit workers. So, our elites are lobbying PAP to flood us with foreigners, so long these elites are comfortably perch in their position.

The few GLC FT leadership dont bother them too much.

If one day, FT is to buy up all their landed property, kick all of them out from their turf, then you will see these elites cry nationalism.

Anonymous said...

In this island of the blind, the daft think they are the brightest and can rule over the peasants anyway they want it.

jjgg said...

RB..lky carries the grandiose title of Minister Mentor ..u mean the title is for fun is it ? You mean the present Cabinet of undeniably unsuited overpaid underperformed lackeys did not refer to lky's speeches before they implement policies, and that lky was only the tea lady n taking lunch orders during Cabinet meetings? Methinks lky unseated his own legacy n in the end.. Lky's only remaining legacy will be..do as I say, don't do as I do...hehe

Anonymous said...

Meritocracy is a smoke screen that masks all the dirty things. When you want something, you use that as an excuse. There is no yardstick for measurement and no one can prove you wrong.

The idea of meritocracy is a good especially when a nation is facing job competition and racial tension. But like a double edged sword, it cuts both sides. Merictocracy under incompetent government is actually called ABUSE.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

I call it treason.

patriot said...

Like to relate my experiences as a born Sinkie.

I will start with the Late 50s when the Murmurs for Independence was at its height. There were just basically two Factions; the so-called Right Wing and Left Wing.
Ideologically, the Right Wing proclaimed democracy and freedom as the System they will adopt.
The Left Wing was more for an Egalitarian System claiming that All are equal or so-called Classless and everyone working for each others wellbeings and for the Good of the Society as a whole.

There were much conflict, struggle and fight for leadership and the hearts of the Public. Please read them up in the Internet and other available materials.

Lee Kuan Yew was one of the More aggressive politician at the Time and he gained much supports from the English Educated whereas the Chinese Educated were against Lee Kuan Yew the Politician than they were against PAP. There was a great struggle for the Leadership of PAP between the Two Faction.

Lee Kuan Yew with the SUPPORT OF THE ENGLISH EDUCATED, won the Day and became the First Prime Minister of Sin. The Fight between the Two Factions was soon dealt with using Laws and many that opposed Lee Kuan Yew were jailed, many ran away to other countries, some exiled themselves knowing potential problem with the Authority.

I like to say here that SINCE LEE KUAN YEW CAME INTO POWER TILL THE DAY HE DIED, HIS EARLY DAYS ENGLISH EDUCATED SUPPORTERS HAD SELDOM WAVERED IN THEIR IDOLISATION OF THE MAN.

Surprisingly, from the 70s onward, those Chinese Educated who opposed Lee Kuan Yew earlier became more idolising of Lee Kuan Uew than many of the English Educated Supporters.

Irony of ironies, by the Late 90s, many of the English Educated PAP Supporters became disenfranchised with PAP when the Son of Lee Kuan Yew, the Incumbent Prime Minister was obviously being groomed to be a prime minister.

The Internet and Forums began to see much criticism of PAP the Party while its Most Important Member Lee Kuan Yew was largely left unscathed and untouched. By now, Lee Kuan Yew had morped into a demi-god in the Eyes of his adulators. These die- hard adulators are mostly ABOVE 60 IN AGE AND NO MORE CONFINED TO ENGLISH EDUCATED,
The Chinese Educated who opposed Lee Kuan Yew had by the 70s became his ardent fans.

IF LEE KUAN YEW IF FOUND RESPONSIBLE FOR WHATEVER THAT'S DEEM UNFAVOURABLE TO SINGAPORE,
I FIND HIS ADULATORS IN THE EARLY DAYS MORE CULPABLE OF ANY MISGIVING AND WRONG IN THE MANAGEMENT OF OUR SOCIETY.

Today, it is the English Educated Young Men that are in search of change in Sg.
The womanfolks, as usual ate largely pro authority/establishment.
Anyway, damage is done beyond repair; regret and forgiveness will not change the Future.
Hope lies in our youths and let's hope they can correct the Mistakes their Elders made.
Meanwhile tjose who regretted their blind loyalty to their demi-god, spend your time to repent as Lee Kuan Yew was fond of telling his DAFT Subjects.

patriot

patriot said...

Btw,
the Greayest Legacy Lee Kuan Yew had left for Sin are his
DAFT SUPPORTERS.

patriot

Anonymous said...

I want to erect a statue of LKY in Johor.
To protect all the elderly Singaporeans who are living in Johor nursing homes.

Anonymous said...

In China they blamed the Gang of Four for all the turmoils of the time. And when they held up their hands they did not show you four fingers but five. One is always unspoken, unmentionable for the crimes he was involved.

Anonymous said...

Is Angtau a ardent fan of lky?

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

As an observer, I can choose to look at the good stuff or at the bad stuff. Not very good to just look at the bad stuff.

Better to work on the good stuff for the good of Singaporeans.

Anonymous said...

LKY says he wants his house to be demolished.
Lucky for PAPigs LKY did not say he wants the PAP government demolished after his death.

market2garden said...

FIERCE!!!
One of your best ......