The Singapore Spirit, Renewed
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TODAY • WEDNESDAY 23 MARCH 2016 12 hot news | mr lee, one year on Bouquets placed at Istana Park last night. Today marks the first anniversary of founding Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s death. PHOTO: WONG PEI TING The Singapore spirit, renewed LOH CHEE KONG than-life presence, with lawmakers, businessmen and leaders Associate Editor both here and abroad hanging on to his every word. Such was [email protected] the influence of the man who had been synonymous with the transformation of Singapore from backwater to Asian Tiger in just a single generation. Yet, his death on March 23 last year did not shake the very foundations of what Mr Lee spent his life building, contrary to what some had feared. As People’s Action Party chairman T Khaw Boon Wan put it last week, Mr Lee’s death “did not cause any jitters among investors or (a loss of) confidence among here was a time when it would have been simply impossible to the people. There was widespread sadness, but there was no imagine a Singapore without Mr Lee Kuan Yew. Even in his despair or helplessness”. later years, the Republic’s first Prime Minister was a larger- CONTINUED ON PAGE 13 13 hot news | mr lee, one year on TODAY • WEDNESDAY 23 MARCH 2016 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12 seemingly endless series of obsta- Mr Khaw hit the nail on the head. cles, applying ingenuity, attention But he left unsaid something to detail, foresight and sheer force more important than the fact that of will in equal measure. no jitters were felt in the days after In death, he has continued to do so. March 23, 2015: Those fateful days Acting Minister for Education of a year ago have had a profound (Schools) Ng Chee Meng, who head- efect on Singaporeans. Confronted ed the organising committee for by the loss of a giant of a man, Sin- Mr Lee’s State Funeral, saw irst- gaporeans had a chance to relect hand Singaporeans’ outpouring of on the spirit of exceptionalism that grief during the seven days of na- had driven the creation of a nation, tional mourning. That experience be reminded of the extraordinary will stay with him for a long time, sense of purpose that Mr Lee em- he said as he begins his own politi- bodied, and absorb anew the prin- cal journey as part of Singapore’s ciples that form the bedrock values fourth-generation leadership core. of the Republic. “This airmation of Singaporeans’ Bouyed by this, Singaporeans unity... gave me great optimism young and old now have high levels about Singapore’s way forward,” of confidence in the country’s fu- he told TODAY in an interview to ture, even as murky economic wa- mark Mr Lee’s death anniversary. ters cloud the outlook, showed a sur- While he is no longer around, vey commissioned by TODAY that Mr Lee’s values, such as multira- took the pulse of 500 respondents cialism, meritocracy and incor- aged 15 to 70. ruptibility, which have become en- There is no doubt that Mr Lee is trenched in public institutions and missed. The more than 100 ground- society at large, will continue to up initiatives that have sprung up live on, political observers and MPs all over the island in the days lead- said. National University of Singa- ing up to the first anniversary of pore political scientist Bilveer Singh his death are a reminder of that. In noted that basic principles, such as Tanjong Pagar, in particular, where meritocracy, are evergreen. “The Mr Lee was Member of Parliament day certain people are given more for six decades, thousands of resi- privilege than others, we will see a dents as well as people who used to serious decline in Singapore’s pros- Six-year-old Beldon Tan looking at a panel at a remembrance event for Mr Lee Kuan Yew at the Marine live there gathered to pay their trib- perity and peace,” he said. Still, Sin- Parade Community Club last weekend. PHOTO: JASON QUAH utes over the weekend, and remind gapore Management University law themselves from whence they came, don Eugene Tan noted the country and where the country is headed. is transitioning towards a more One of them was Mr Chew Kok broad-based measure of merit, be- and his handpicking of top Govern- And he was conident that they will Leong, 76, who was grateful to yond academic excellence. ment oicials. be able to make the right call. Mr Lee for touching his life and On Mr Lee’s legacy, political NUS sociologist Tan Ern Ser felt Indeed, for a country that re- transforming the country, whose analyst Felix Tan from SIM Glob- the indings showed that Singapo- cently lost a monumental igure in streets were once illed with gang- al Education reiterated the need reans “appreciate his wise, decisive its short history, Singaporeans and sters and people who were jobless. to see the found- and pragmatic their leaders alike now exude a level “The country was in a state of cha- ing Prime Minis- leadership, but of conidence — not just about its fu- os, and inding a job was diicult. ter’s accomplish- not what they ture but also in its place in the world He managed to govern Singapore ments in context. would consider — that some might say is dispropor- very well — turning it into what it Mr Lee had to do THEY THINK OUR ABILITY TO his authoritari- tionate to its size. is today,” said the retiree, who made what he did in an STAND FIRM ONLY DEPENDS an, paternalistic In an interview with TODAY, the short hop from his Tiong Bahru era that was very style of ruling the Ambassador-at-Large Bilaha- home to Duxton Plain Park, where diferent from the ON LEE KUAN YEW — THAT’S country”. ri Kausikan revealed that since a remembrance event to honour present, he said. RUBBISH. OR IF THEY Still, observ- Mr Lee died, some countries have Mr Lee was held on Saturday. The Prof Singh THINK THAT NOW HE’S NOT ers were quick to tried their luck to put Singapore next day, Mr Chew returned with a added: “Today, AROUND YOU CAN RE-DO point out that the in its place: “... All I will say is that bouquet of white lowers. Singapore’s suc- THINGS, NO, SORRY … Government’s if they persist, they will be in for a INSIDE Over at Marine Parade, Mr Mu- cess will be meas- Bilahari Kausikan leadership style rude surprise,” he said. hammad Nur Hakimin, 26, chanced ured not just eco- AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE had evolved long He added: “They think our abili- 20 upon an exhibition on Mr Lee at the nomically, but before Mr Lee’s ty to stand irm only depends on Lee pages of Marine Parade Community Club also via other indices such as de- death — and he had a big part to Kuan Yew — that’s rubbish. Or if coverage when he and his wife were out and mocracy, human rights… (Beyond) play in laying the groundwork for they think that now he’s not around about with their four children. The economic growth, we may not al- these changes. you can re-do things, no, sorry…” 16 SMRT technician saw it as a per- ways look good.” “Today, the Government (is) a lot In many ways, the conidence that A nation’s fect opportunity to teach his chil- Not all of Mr Lee’s values and more lax in that regard — a lot more Singapore oozes as it heads into the ‘where were dren —aged between one and six principles are universally em- willing to engage in discourse, ar- next phase of development is testa- you when ...’ years old — about the values and braced. He had his critics, who de- gue in the public sphere, rather than ment to the work of Mr Lee and his moment work of Mr Lee. “He was like family cried his authoritative style and find a way to correct unjustified team, and stems from their lifelong to everyone in Singapore. He (dedi- the ruthless approach he used to statements or allegations through eforts to prepare the country and 23 cated) his life to us… he turned noth- deal with political opponents. But lawsuits,” Nanyang Technological its people for challenges well into the From ing into something. Without his ef- the plusses far outweigh the criti- University Assistant Professor Woo future. That Singaporeans have re- abroad, forts, there would be no home,” Mr cisms. About three-quarters of the Jun Jie said. newed conidence and a new unity of tests for a Hakimin said, as he recounted how respondents in the TODAY survey During his interview with this purpose just 366 days after the na- nation Mr Lee’s values inspired him to cited Mr Lee’s integrity, intelligence newspaper, Mr Ng stressed that tion awoke to a statement informing as others work harder when he was strug- and wisdom, his zero-tolerance for it is up to the next generation of them that they had lost their found- try their luck gling to make ends meet for the fam- corruption as the top qualities that Singaporeans to decide whether ing Prime Minister is testament to ily as a young father. Singapore’s leaders “must deinite- they want to hold on to the values how well the Founding Fathers laid 31 Over his lifetime, Mr Lee in- ly” emulate. Propping up the list and principles that Mr Lee stood the groundwork for success. A precious spired many and cobbled a people were Mr Lee’s ruthlessness in deal- for.