Dear Straits Times,
I refer to the 14 Jan 2011 reports:
– Rare insights into the mind of MM Lee
– Grilling the Minister Mentor
– Face to face with MM Lee
MM Lee believes the younger generation below 35 years do not know the threats from neighbouring countries and wants them to understand the hard truths about Singapore. But the truth of the matter is that many countries in even more dire situations have greater freedom, greater democracy. South Korea is one example. They recently had artillery shells rained on them killing people. They had a ship sunk not too long ago and servicemen lost their lives. South Korea face even greater threat than Singapore. Yet South Korea is freer and more democratic than us. That is the hard truth which MM Lee should acknowledge.
The issue is not about Singapore being vulnerable. That is never the question. The question is: should vulnerability be used as an excuse to rob Singaporeans of freedom and democracy? South Korea has clearly demonstrated that it shouldn’t be the case. Taiwan and Israel demonstrate that too.
MM Lee sounded so false when he said that convincing the interviewer is irrelevant. If convincing others is not irrelevant, why did he bother to argue so much? Why did he bother to write a book to convince others?
MM Lee insulted Mr Chan by saying that if he felt the same way at 46, he wouldn’t have learnt much. He should apply that insult to himself. He is more than 86 years old. Has he learnt anything about his own wrong doings? Has he made amends? Does he continue to think that he and his colleagues built this edifice that is Singapore? Does he not realise that the last reason you would attribute Singapore’s success to is himself?
The claim that for MM Lee, it is all about the welfare of millions of Singaporeans, is unconvincing considering that he continues to collect millions of dollars for himself every year. If he truly cares for the welfare of Singaporeans, he should donate the millions he earns every year to poor Singaporeans.
It is good to learn that MM Lee does not see profit in being loved. Singaporeans can take comfort in the knowledge that criticising him won’t lessen his profit.
It is strange for Mr Ignatius Low to feel more patriotic for Singapore through his inteview with MM Lee. Does he not know that being patriotic to MM Lee does not equate to being patriotic to Singapore?
MM Lee’s sensitivity to his loved ones doesn’t change the fact that he is about as kind and as fair as Stalin was to his opponents.
Whether it is service to the country for MM Lee is debatable. What is undeniable is his service to himself, millions of dollars every year.
Yours Truly Singapore 
January 17, 2011 at 2:00 am |
By his own admission, he has revealed that Singaporeans has given his govt little choice in admitting the new immigrants because of the declining birth rate of Singaporeans. So afterall, this meant that it has nothing to do with the Foreign Talents and the jobs they would bring in that our PAP govt kept telling to us during the last few years.
So was it another one of their white lies ?
But remember the new immigrant is most likely to be of Chinese or Indian descent apart from some other ethnic minorities, ask ourself whether we generally heard of a new colleague of ours who is new citizen of Malay descent ? Then why not, since we are so desperate of new immigrants ? Is there anything to do with the potential vote that they can bring to PAP ?
If LKY is as open enough as he says he is, then he should be answering these questions as well. It seems to me either the whole team of interviewers are not asking the right questions or that LKY only choses to answer the right questions.
The recent statistics has reported that the new immigrants are also not procreating at their desired rate, so are they not going to compound the problems of an aged population when these new immigrants in turn become old in the next 1 or 2 decade. So what next after say 2 decades, all the current problems that we are facing now will be compounded, but will LKY or LHL be around to say sorry ?
January 17, 2011 at 2:23 am |
Just to add another question for LKY if he bothers to answer it :
Why are you still having to put up with all this kind of interviews when you say you are no longer in charge (some of the times) ?
Shouldn’t LHL be able to face all these questions by himself as he is the Prime Minister and you are not ?
January 18, 2011 at 5:06 am |
lhl=pu yi – who can’t even tie his own shoe lace
lky=the dowager – the old scheming buddha