George Yeo remembers LKY

There was an interview with George Yeo on CNA yesterday evening on his personal encounters with LKY. There was one particular point that stood out glaringly in a tussle of opinions and interpretation on investment in India. LKY was not in favour, skeptical given the difficulties in that large subcontinent. George was always the optimist, sharing his positive impressions of how great India was as an investment opportunity. And in many occasions LKY dismissed his views and maintained his negative outlook of India.
George claimed that LKY seemed to have been convinced by his feedback and relented, changing some of his reservations about investing in India. That could be the reason why the CECA was signed. The CECA must be George’s and Chok Tong’s pet project as both were deeply involved in the initiative to invest in India in a big way.
 
Did LKY changed his view of India or did George manage to change his view? Read this interview with CNA,
 
‘I remember leading a delegation to India in early 1993. We spent two weeks in India and when we came back the report to the Cabinet was a relatively upbeat one. He was profoundly skeptical. And never failed, afterwards, to send me articles which expressed skepticism about India’s development.
 
But every time I visited India and reported what I saw to him, he listened. So while he had a view his mind was not closed. And gradually I saw how his position shifted, not wildly, and in many cases., he was proven right. Two years later when it was clear that Singapore was making progress in India he said to me over lunch, he said be prepared for a change of government. And a year later he was proven right, even though when he mentioned it to me, it did not seem likely.’
 
Was LKY’s position or skeptism changed? ‘I saw his position shifted, not wildly... Two years later when it was clear that Singapore was making progress in India he said to me over lunch, he said be prepared for a change of government. And a year later he was proven right.’ What has this to do with his skeptism of India’s development?
 
Did LKY give his blessing to the signing of the CECA. Until his departure, LKY had never mentioned a word about investing in India and neither had he said a word about the CECA.
 
The divergence of views of the two men was wide and whether the gulf was narrowed has not been confirmed except for what George has said. My view is that LKY has not changed his view on India and it was left to Hsien Loong and his cabinet to decide as by then he was taking a back seat.
 
History will prove if this CECA is a good and wise decision or a daft one. Would CECA benefit Singapore in the long run or lead to more problems for govt and people to handle? It was a very big and serious decision and the consequences would impact every Singaporean for good or for bad.

Remembering Lee Kuan Yew

Channel News Asia ran a full day programme on LKY and many people related many encounters with him to show the different aspects of him as a leader and as a man. Under his watch, it was all about Singaporeans, jobs for Singaporeans, homes for Singaporeans. He was obsessed with creating not just jobs, but good jobs, and not just homes but good homes for Singaporeans. There are still many good jobs being created today, and many good homes built. Somehow they are not going to Singaporeans but foreigners, especially those CEO positions. Whenever one is vacant, the joker’s first response was to look around the world for a foreigner. And many good homes are now the homes of foreigners, practically whole condo or development could be bought over and occupied by foreigners and become foreign enclaves. You would not believe you are in Singapore when you stepped into them.

Briefly I saw this clip on TV about LKY saying that he expected every button that he pushed to work. And if any button did not work, then someone would be in serious trouble or would lose his job. That was the kind of demanding and high standards he set for the whole govt. He did not go around saying he was unhappy about jobs badly done and hoped that they would improve or be done better. Wimps would say such things. Can’t imagine what he would do if he is still in the seat and seeing the deplorable state of the mrt. Just cannot imagine.

What kind of standard are we setting today? Or was there any standard expected? I remember those days in Mindef. LKY was one of the consumers of our reports, in fact the most important consumer. And our reports going out to the cabinet, with him on top of the list, must be as perfect as they could be. No mistakes, not even a missing comma or a full stop. Don’t ever dare to put out any report with typo or factual errors. It was unforgiveable. That was the kind of professionalism expected and that was the standard kept, to please him.

There was one of those days, our reports, after being vetted and vetted and cleared for print and delivery, were on their way to the cabinet ministers. The phone rang and an anxious voice came over. ‘Stop the report, there was a comma missing!’ His voice was shaking. Too late, the reports would have reached the ministries by then, and the Istana as well, and could be on the desk of the ministers and the desk of LKY. All the staff was ordered to call the minister’s PAs to intercept the report. A few minutes went past and several frantic calls made in quick succession.

Phew, we made it. The reports were stopped at the PAs and the drivers were despatched with a new set of reports, error amended, and to retrieve the earlier reports on the way. It might seem obsessive, but it was a very high standard demanded and to be maintained at all times with no compromise. Not only LKY was reading it, Goh Keng Swee too would not tolerate sloppiness. Everyone lived up to that kind of task masters. He demanded perfection, we delivered perfection. 

That was my close encounter with the man, and my fingers could have been burnt. There were many trips to the Istana and every time a tense moment, making sure every small detail was in order. Fortunately nothing untoward happened during my watch.

What is happening today is unbelieveable. Everything is like a friendly game with little or no consequence. Mistake, never mind, try to do it better the second time, or the third time or the fourth time. Making mistakes is human for human. Not then, when human are expected to be perfect human or inhuman. There was no room for error dealing with this man if you want to keep your job.

It is happy times today, happy hours all round. A new normal has taken over. Maybe that is the reason why foreigners are needed to do a better job when Singaporeans no longer able to.

7 days to end my crowdfuning for my book

Hi,

7 days left before I wrap up this crowdfunding project for Mysingaporenews Collection book. As it stood the order book is not healthy. I will have to decide to proceed or not by the end of March.

This book is not an ego trip and I started it in response to several requests for it. Unless there is a demand for it, that the book serves some purpose, I may have to decide otherwise or if I can find a sponsor for it.

One more week to decide and depending on the orders coming in.

Cheers

Redbean

A Tribute to Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew

By MIKOspace

Obituary

  

LEE KUAN YEW

[16.9-1923 – 23.3.2015]

First Prime Minister of Singapore (1965-1990);

Global Statesman, Visionaire Extraordinaire,

Nation Builder, Community Integrator,

People’s Leader, Democratic Socialist,

Ardent Socialist, Pragmatic Capitalist,

Cautious Democrat, Fearless Corporatist,

Friendly to all Nations,

Champion of Workers, Friend of Business,

Advocate of Tripartite Social Dialogue,

Social Peace-maker with Justice,

Anti-Corruption, Anti-Communist,

Builder of Racial Harmony;

Unshakeable Multi-racialist and Multi-culturist,

Builder of Public Housing;

Defender of the Weak, Poor and Vulnerable,

A Family Man;

Grandfather, Father, Husband, Lover, Brother, Uncle,

Friend of the Environment;

Garden City Initiator, Clean and Green Ambassador,

The Father of Singapore;

Without Lee Kuan Yew, there is No Singapore.

A Decent Human Being.

  

Read Original here.

A chapter closed, a new chapter begins

Singapore marks today as the end of an era dominated by the presence of LKY. Singapore will celebrate SG50 in honour of him in August. He left his mark and it is a deserving ending to a good time, to the golden years. What is left for Singapore is to wish that the next 50 years will be just as golden but not like the phrase ‘all that glitters is not gold’.
 
On the other side of the causeway there is also a new beginning. The Sultan of Johore will be crowned today and there will be a grand celebration in a different way. And a day prior to his coronation, the Sultan has invited our PM to visit him and have tea and decide on ways to go forward for the good of people from both sides of the causeway.
Singaporeans should be grateful that the Sultan of Johore is building new residential estates for Singaporeans to escape from the exorbitant prices of homes in the city state. Where on earth can you find a head of state from a neighbouring country doing just that? It is a very generous gesture that Singaporeans should take note of and reciprocate. Just hope the federal govt will not levy more taxes and impose more rules that make buying homes and living in Johore less attractive and not worth the trouble. Putting that aside, Singapore and Johore can build a symbiotic relationship for the benefits of both states and their people. Ya, win win for all.
 
There is a breath of fresh air in the new Sultan. He is pro development and pro good Singapore Johore relations. He can see how both sides can reap all the rewards in moving ahead together, with more cooperation instead of unproductive bickerings.
 
A new era has dawned on both sides of the causeway starting on 23 Mar 15 with promises of more golden years if both sides are positive, say and do all the right things. The sun is shining bright after a long and wet downpour last night. Good signs for a fresh new start.