LKY legacies: This is my country

When ordinary people like us say this is my country we mean it simply that we are a citizen of this country. When LKY said this is my country, it took on a different significance. He meant it, every word of it. No one dares to dispute this statement. As he said so, he belonged to a special group of people that were founders of nations. Before Singapore became an independent state, it was a British colony. Before that, it was a part of changing empires. There was no Singapore as an independent state. The Singapore of Raffles was a piece of colony. Only in 1965 that it became an independent state and the citizens assumed the right to determine their own destiny as a new country.
 
LKY and a few young men and the people who were British subjects were the original people that turned this island into a republic. This kind of history brought along special privileges that were personal to holders. When he made the Istana, the office of the President into the office of the PM, who dared to say no? In the last Presidential Election, Tan Cheng Bock was the only candidate who made it an issue, that he would want to move in if elected and to move out the PM’s office.
 
There is proper decorum and protocol, just like Chok Tong revealing that LKY was ‘protocolly’ correct to arrive earlier than him in meetings to respect his office as the PM of the country. Tony Tan also confirmed this that instead of him visiting LKY, LKY would visit him as Tony was the head of state, ‘protocolly’ correct. No one say anything about being ‘protocolly’ correct for the PM to have an office in the Istana. No one question if the office of MM or SM should be at the Istana. No one question or wonder if it is ‘protocolly’ correct for an MP to sit and work in the Istana.
 
It was ‘correct’ only because an MP or SM, or MM or PM to occupy the Istana if he is the founding father. It is correct if one could proudly proclaim that ‘This is my country’ and meant every word he said.
 
This right to occupy the Istana and use it as the office of a MP,SM,MM and PM is a legacy of LKY. Would this legacy be extended to any other PM,SM,MM or MP in the future? Would there be another one to claim this right without being questioned in the future? Would this legacy be buried together with LKY?