6/09/2007
The Living Legend
He may have come from a little red dot. Some may not have good things to say about him. Some may even hate him. Some may regard him as enemy. But he is a living legend among the world leaders today. No one in the world can command the kind of respect and deference from around the world except him. Not George Bush, Putin, Blair, Mahathir, you can name anyone, none is even close to the presence that he commands.
LKY, just saw him in Tatarstan over the news. You can see how respectful and honoured the Russians felt to have him visiting them. And he is Asian, from a little red dot. Not even an Ang Mo. He is at least a head taller than all the Ang Mo leaders today.
Whether you like him or dislike him, agree with him or disagree with him, he is in a class of his own. Singapore or the world will take a long long time to produce another man like him.
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19 comments:
This is just the world perspective deeply ignorant of the actual factors involved in the success of Singapore. The world thinks that LKY alone created Singapore. He is overtly lionised. In the 60s and 70s, he was lucky to have a group of talented and committed comrades together with the blessing and hardworking masses. One without the other and Singapore would not be what it is today.
I used to hear Pinoy wishing if only they had LKY, Philippine would not be what it is today. Naive is the word that comes to mind...as if LKY alone can create a miracle.
Let us remember that LKY is one of the architects and NOT the SOLE architect of modern Singapore. Your parents, grandparents too, are architects of Singapore.
With GRC, politically motivated lawsuits and ISD around, Singapore will NEVER produce another like him.
We can't even get rid of this one and you're looking forward to another?
In my opinion, Goh Keng Swee is a greater giant than LKY. He had his hand in defence, education and the economy. In short, GKS can do without LKY but LKY can't do without GKS. I often wonder what it would be like if GKS was PM instead.
All old guards have left quietly and maintained a low profile, why is LKY still hogging the limelight?
Lastly, I would like to salute all the old guards for their contributions toward nation building.
He once said:" If the people don't fear me, I am meaningless."
LKY is someone you would fear and respect but not likely to be love or like by the masses.
He used the communist to shore up his support and later allied with the British and Tengku to wipe out the communist. He also outmaneuvered Tunku Abdul Rahman, prompting the Tengku to issue an ultimatum to Singapore to drop LKY or leave the federation. To me, he is a ruthless manipulator. He probably never dream that he would be outmaneuvered by the PRC in the Suzhou fiasco years later.
I once respected LKY but not anymore.
He wouldn't do the right thing-
-separate the judiciary from the executive
-open up the political arena and leveled the playing field
-transparency in GIC, Temasek, GLCs and governmental accounts
-transparency and accountability at all levels of government
-media freedom
-political parties must not be allowed to influence or control other institutions or organisations
such as civil service, trade union, mass media etc.
-admit mistakes and be responsible
The Russians of course put on a good show....they are eying our $$$$$.
MM politely told the Russians that it was not the right time for Singapore to invest yet when asked. In other words, the Russian industrial park is not likely to be successful. Who wants to invest in a bitterly cold country(I meant the whether).
Sorry, I meant weather....lousy English.
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his policies and decisions may be controversial, especially in his later years. i too disagree with some of them.
but he is one man whose views in politics and govt are sought after by other govt leaders. they too will disagree with some of the things that he did. india is calling for caution against over paying their talents the way we are told that it is the best and right thing to do.
look around at home or around the world, many go around trying to sell their views, but no one bothers to listen to them. one ear in one ear out. no one has that kind of stature where people will want to listen to.
but of course people will pay thousands to listen to bill clinton...about his exploits in the white house just for the humour.
ok, there is something to do with the money for the industrial park. but many countries have more money than us. the americans, the japs, and the chinese are throwing their money to win friendship. but no one listen to what their leaders said when they visit.
for that matter, would anyone listen to our leaders other than lky?
Of course the Russians have to put on a show, because our man is still running the show indirectly. Just like Mahathir or Suharto etc, once they lost their power, nobody cares a hoot about their views.
Overated overstayer.
I agree it happens all the time, the moment blokes like that step them nobody would care two hoots abt their views. Look at Suharto and Mathathir, they were kinder to their people, yet they were sidelined in a flash only weeks after they quitted. This is life.
i never like suharto. he is the smiling tiger that allowed the indonesians a free hand to kill the indonesian chinese there, many times during his reign.
mahathir in the same way allowed his racist policies to go too far that ruined the country, the malaysian chinese and indians as well as the bumiputras. the damage he has done to his country is far more than what we are seeing today. it has a snowballing effect and getting bigger over the years.
abdullah and future prime ministers will have a hard time to unwind what mahathir had done.
in the case of lky, there are more good than bad. it is quite easy to table them to do an objective comparison.
but it is good that he stops getting involved with new policies. his ideas are good for nation building in the early stages. trying to use the same values for a first world country looks more like a mismatch.
I think the damage to Malaysia by Mahathir cannot be underestimted. Years of NEP have made the favoured group unable to compete successfully even on their own home ground, not to say globally. That is why they are afraid of having open competition in the IDR, fearing it will spread countrywide.
I am being blunt. Its like a sick person sitting in a wheelchair. The longer he sits there, the less he will want to walk and very soon when he wants to walk, he found he cannot even walk. Its a pity that a country of such potential could be reduced to such a state and yet when people tell them this they will get angry.
I better not say any more otherwise the kris will be drawn for blood again.
Not to sound disrespectful, but I really think we need a breath of fresh air after all these years. If they said Singapore has done well, then what happens to all those lost opportunities they didnt say. China is now a trillion dollar economy, and we have stagnated in that sense.
If they are as smart as they said they are, we would have piggy back on china's growth back when deng xiao peng was around and be a trillion dollar economy by now. Instead of going around China reciting Alvin Tofler's futuristic predictions, they could have done alot in seizing the opportunites much earlier and more agressively, if they were really that smart.
Look at the way china has come up that country is really run by true geniuses!
Despite that there is so much humility and patriotism in the leadership. It is truly remarkable.
These are the things I admire about the country, not just the economics.
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I also say like that.. You leh? Huh, also same meh?
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