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Who can save our country? Nawawi Mohamad

Published: 25 March 2015 7:31 AM
With Datuk Seri Najib Razak as prime minister, our countrys funds are going down the drain and
the government is spending our money like nobodys business. This is because it is neither his
money nor his inheritance! Surely he would think twice when spending his own money and his
inheritance.
But the main reason why Najib has a free hand on spending our money is because there are still
many people, especially the voters, who continue voting Umno/BN into power, in every general
election, 13 GEs so far!
Of course, they are in the minority but somehow with some manipulation under the veil of
democracy, Umno/BN managed to stay in power.
Knowing that the Umno/BN is a minority government, Najib has been quick to consolidate power
by empowering his sycophants, from the civil service, within the government and outside. And
getting support from a few members of the opposition has been a huge bonus to his power. Thus,
Najib is now almost invincible.
Now, who can challenge Najib? So far there is nobody who can stop Najib from ruining the
country. There have been criticisms by many influential and prominent people with the most
powerful being Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who needs no introduction, yet nothing has changed
and Najib keeps on spending and wasting our money.
The problem with those criticising Najib is that most of them are no better than him. Najib can
always reply back to his critics, Look, who is talking!
Najib has no sincere intention to improve things in the country. Whatever transformation initiatives
are nowhere really successful physically and many have failed. Of course, on paper everything is
fine and Malaysians are living in heaven.
Najib is only playing a sandiwara all along for the foolish people to watch and be entertained. The
48.6% of them had been had and the most pathetic thing about them is that they do not realise that
they had been had.
But one thing is sure, Najib would never let his wife down and will always make her happy. Or
rather Najib has to make his wife happy because she can do a lot of damage to him.
What about the opposition? Is the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) still relevant? Unfortunately for the 51.4%
voters who voted for PR, you have been had too.
Just watch the destruction of PR day by day. PR leader are simply foolish and hopeless. They are
like the marathon runners who ultimately managed to be at the front of the race yet after reaching
just a few meters to the end of the race; they start to hit each other ensuring that none of them
would cross the finishing line.
Forget opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim because as much as his supporters wish him to
be free and continue leading PR, Najib would not want him to be free and revive his political life.
Get someone else to lead.

As for PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, he has his own agenda and not necessarily in
the best interest of the country and the people.
Lately, Lim Kit Siang has been ridiculous. When it is the democratic right for PAS to table the
hudud enactment in Kelantan and Parliament, why is LKS making so much noise? Let PAS table it
and wait and see, if not Umno, the numbers will sum up the answer.
If LKS is worried on the hudud being imposed on non-Muslims as reported, the Amended Kelantan
Hudud Act 2015 has clearly stated that it is only applicable to Muslims. By the way, why is LKS so
worried as if the 28 million of us are hardcore criminals.
So with nobody to remove Najib from power, all the efforts to remove him have failed, the
opposition leaders are hopeless, the 48.6% voters unaware of anything and the remaining 51.4%
being let down by the PR, who can save Malaysia from the incompetent Najib? March 25, 2015.
* Nawawi Mohamad reads The Malaysian Insider.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the
views of The Malaysian Insider.
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/sideviews/article/who-can-save-our-countrynawawi-mohamad#sthash.JevoP6aW.dpuf
cks an hour ago
Very good comment.
Zionchar11 an hour ago
this post make me cry.. I cant believe someone actually understand how the situation of this
country.. well said to you sir..ir well written to e exact...

Harry Joshua 2 hours ago

People/Rakyat formed this government...then Rakyat has the power to remove it...

One other person is typing

mark 2 hours ago

IF there is no suitable person(or party) to lead the country,then Najib will be most happy bcos no
challenger for him and he can continue to rule.So if the rakyat want to change,they must take
side.No venture no gain! DAP is seen to be the best choice to lead(bcos of their firm principles) but

bcos its leaders are mostly Chinese,the malays wont want it to be.The only choice is from
PKR.People like Azmi,Raffizi look capable.

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nckeat88 2 hours ago

As long as people believe in racial politic, this will go on. BN is race based. Same for PR

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Kakh Arshad nckeat88 an hour ago

Absolutely right, my friend!

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Parameswara Malaysia 2 hours ago

Hudud has again sparked off many debates. I would advise En.Nawawi Mohamad to check the
hearts of Malaysians by having a good, long, honest, chit chat with the multi-racial people at a
mamak stall. Bear in mind, we need to ask whether the ancient Hudud is applicable in modern
times and especially in a multi-racial, multi-religious country.

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Hans Goodday Parameswara Malaysia an hour ago

If Hudud is ancient, then Hinduism is more ancient. Parameswara will tell you.
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WTF 2 hours ago

this bolehland has wrong sets of values, wrong set of vision and are very self-center. After going for
more than 50+ year, it is not going anywhere. The leader are fire-fighting taking care of own
agenda and forgotten the country need to progress. Some sectors think religion is more important
than the bread and butter. They think that with relgion , you can survive without food on the plates.
Amazing. It is high time the whole leadership come back to drawing board and think where they
want to go.

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Hans Goodday WTF 2 hours ago

If this is Bolehland, so where are you from? Wasteland?
Commonlah this is Malaysia. If you dont like the name so much, you are free to leave.
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tony chew 2 hours ago

There really is no hope !!!!

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coc334 2 hours ago

But you forgot that if LKS does not make noise about hudud, it will be fodder for MCA and
Gerakan. And they will play on the sentiment of the chinese and DAP will lose the chinese votes. A
majority of DAP voters come from chinese. If DAP lose a lot of seats because of hudud and the
voters no longer trust them, how will PR had more seats. PR will have less seats and will not be
able to take over Putrajaya.

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Kakh Arshad coc334 an hour ago

Why everyone must talk about racial matters, or speak only of races? No matter what, we
should always address as Malaysians. I know it is is difficult as all political parties
developed from various ethnic groups, all clinging to their own types; this is selfish, the
leaders being more selfish and egoist. Regards.

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Gro Sevo 2 hours ago

I tend to agree with Nawawi. We have a more urgent issue at hand. Malaysia is on the path of selfdestruct. We need a new kind of leader to reverse the damage done so far.

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Kakh Arshad Gro Sevo an hour ago

We have leaders that we wish for but unfortunately (VERY) and sadly (VERY), it would
again boil down to selfishness, that racial and religious would prevail instead of
development, progress and most important, EDUCATION! When the last three facts are
lacking or disregarded, no country will ever go forward.
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Mercy 2 hours ago

We are not a muslims but it doesn't mean our future generation will not be to fight corruption,
oppression and power abuse.Remember more than 500 years ago many type of people/tribe didn't
wear clothing or shoes but now more people are civilised by religion/knowledge. today you doesn't
wear hijab, it doesn't mean your future generations would not choose to wear them.It took more that
500 yrs to make Africans wear shoes. It take time. Be patient. I am not a muslim but I have never
ever fear about hudud and Islamic laws. the only one thing that worries me is emnno might abuse
hudud to punish anyone who oppose them since they are still the gov. and ask yourself who control
the police? I am not worry hudud under PAS Islam but I am worry about hudud under anmno.

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onyekaozuru Mercy an hour ago

talk what you know fools. must you call Africans before you say something. every Malaysia
born man is black. remember when Africans first come into this country if not Chinese and
Indian Africans would have been in Malaysia. but they push African away thinking things
will be better no not so. african government is bad dose not mean changes will not come it
will. so go and read your history MERCY . all those malaysia white are out cast and i say to
you malaysia is black
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Whatup Mercy an hour ago

Islamic Law is totally different fm Mans Law. Islamic Law is simple , transparent , holistic ,
fair & foremost ly not that easy to give unjustic sentence

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Atol 3 hours ago

I totally agree with you. Is DAP a pro chinese party or does it really stands for democracy. PAS are
for hard line muslims....while PKR is paralysed from Annuars capture. We have 3 loser as the
opposition at the time being..but we must eradicate UMNO at all costs....less the destruction of this
country.

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FYMF 3 hours ago

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Only practicing meritocracy by electing those leaders who are best regardless of race, religion and
gender can save this country!!

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Kakh Arshad FYMF an hour ago

You said it, ABSOLUTELY correct!
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Stephen sesaiah 3 hours ago

Wonderfully written article I guess all those people who are too obsessed with taking sides will
never appreciate an article like this.I wished more writers will start writing objectively without
taking any sides. I am sure ordinary Malaysians are really fed up with people who cannot write
objectively and they feel they have to be slaves to their political masters. Once again well done
although I may not agree totally with every points. I have to admit it is really refreshing to read an
articles like this. Well done again.................................

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lina 3 hours ago

I think he is smart actually, come GE14 he will simply give to opposition to rule and let them lead
the debt laden Malaysia, afterall he has nothing to lose since he have 'taken' all for himself and he
dun have to worry as he and his beloved family can be eating with silver and gold spoon till his last
life. That is his plan.

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Mujaheed Abdullah 3 hours ago

I love those last three paragrafh, if the PR leaders dont come to their senses no way we could
remove the umno/bn government in the next GE. I dont give a damn about the hudud, because I
dont plan to commit any sort of crime, my main concern is to unseat the corrupted gov

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Freedom99 3 hours ago

@Nawawi.... you are the type of person alike - "today is tomorrow and worried about yesterday"

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chuatk 3 hours ago

Nawawi Mohamad, you are the problem, not the solution, so don't talk too much on your hudud.
Has it ever occurred to you that because of hudud, the attention of the whole country is now
diverted to something else. If hudud (as understood and implemented by humans) could solve all
the human problems, I believe it does not need to wait for PAS. Others would have done it a long
time ago.

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Mujaheed Abdullah chuatk 3 hours ago

You must be a hardcore MCA or DAP supporter I guess.
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Mister Godiva 4 hours ago

Lets not forget that the delineation of boundaries excercise that increased number of seats in BN
majority areas in Sarawak and Sabah also will contribute to a higher majority for BN next GE even
if only 30% of malaysians vote for them.

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Lucy Yong 4 hours ago

Ya, LKS is worried as if 28 million of us are hard core criminals.
Why is worried:? Look at all the happenings whereby all the oppositions and the supporters are
rendered totally helpless.
Ya, Who can save Malaysia ?
Ya, Who can get Najib out.?
We wait patiently and see.

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Rehman Jamal 4 hours ago

Nawavi at the right time you spoke the right comments. Keep it up. Its very true of what you have
said. If the ruling party or the next ruling party comes in they must learn from neighbouring country
singapore which was a fishing island and today its world reconise and salute the country. But god
has given everything good and bless this country without any disastors but till todate its people are
suffering due to stupidity of the governing party. Its time for rakyats to wake up and decide who is
capable to run this country

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JS 4 hours ago
Thank you for speaking on behalf of most of us

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Maintigabola 4 hours ago

Who can save Bolihland? Hadi, Hadi can save Bolihland. For under Hudud Najib's hand will be
chopped off for spending the Rakyat money without our permission.

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Benison Maintigabola 3 hours ago

Yeah, right. For all you know is the government that manipulate hudud and uses it to chop
opposition..
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Atol Maintigabola 3 hours ago

They have to get him to Kelantan first...
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Lee Kuan Yews legacy to me, a former Asean scholar Ong

Kian Ming

Published: 25 March 2015 12:00 PM

Many accolades have been heaped on modern Singapores founding father, Mr Lee Kuan
Yew (LKY hereafter), since his passing on March 23, 2015. But rather than examining his
legacy and what he meant to Singapores development as a nation, allow me instead to share
how his vision for Singapore affected me as an individual.

As a recipient of the Asean scholarship way back in 1991, I started my secondary school
education in LKYs alma mater, Raffles Institution, in the year which he stepped down as
prime minister. His shadow still loomed large as senior minister, even though I often saw
his predecessor, Goh Chok Tong, another Rafflesian, being driven out of his house at Namly

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Avenue while I was walking to the bus stop from Hua Zhong hostel just off Jalan Bukit
Timah. I knew, even then, consciously and sub-consciously, that I was part of LKYs grand
plan of sucking in the best brains in the region, to see if I was worthy enough to partake in
the Singapore Story.

I was most definitely a beneficiary of Singapores education system and its policy of
awarding scholarships to Malaysians starting at the age of 13. While some countries or
certain universities in some countries do award scholarships to students at the university
level, Singapore is the only country that I know of that was conscientiously broadening its
talent pool starting at the secondary school level.

Looking back, I cannot help but feel LKYs imprint in my own education experience. Being
placed in the best class in one of the best secondary schools in Singapore (and some would
argue, the best), the intense competition, the high standards in English, Mathematics and the
Sciences, the exacting teachers and the spanking new facilities in a new campus came as a
culture shock to me.
While I acclimatised myself to my new surroundings, I also began to realise that the elitist
culture around me was also highly meritocratic. Among my classmates was a son of the then
education minister, who is now himself a member of Parliament in Singapore, and the son
of a kuay teow seller who later on graduated from MIT. Half of my classmates were
Malaysian Asean scholars. They hailed from Penang, Ipoh and various parts of the Klang
Valley and were mostly from middle class backgrounds.

The willingness to invest in training high quality teachers and physical infrastructure in
schools (the microscopes in the science labs actually work!), the implementation of a
vigorous and challenging syllabus and tough exam standards, the creation of a highly elitist
and meritocratic education system and the foresight of offering scholarships to foreign
students at a relatively young age are all classic hallmarks of LKY.

The second legacy of LKY from which I benefitted was his investment in the public
transportation system and public infrastructure. Prior to going to Singapore, I hardly had the
opportunity to take public buses in Petaling Jaya and KL. My school was a 5-minute walk
from home (yes, this was a time when parents still allowed their children to walk to school).

In Singapore, I took public transportation everywhere (except for the times when I had to
take a cab to rush to school before the bell rang for attendance taking). For 35 Singapore
dollars a month, one could buy a student bus pass that gave you unlimited rides on public
buses. Bus schedules were clearly displayed at the bus stops and bus interchanges to switch
from buses were conveniently located in the hubs of housing estates. Well demarcated
sidewalks, overpasses and underpasses also allowed me to run to the 7km from my hostel to
school, which I did on occasion. In my final two years in Singapore, I lived in a housing
development board (HDB) flat which is one of the great success stories on Singapore
providing affordable and good quality public housing for 80% of the population.

While many obituaries focused on how Singapores GDP per capita soured under LKYs
rule, the investment in public transportation and public infrastructure are arguably more
visible and more impactful on the everyday lives of those who live in Singapore.

The third legacy of LKY which left an imprint on me was, ironically, an increased political
consciousness. I was a voracious reader of the Straits Times on domestic, regional and
international news as well as the many opinion pieces written by its journalists. These opeds seemed reasonable, well-argued and had just enough criticism of certain government
policies to warrant some level of credibility.

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But at the same time, I could not help a niggling feeling at the back of my mind there was
trouble brewing beneath the surface. Chewing gum was banned while I was studying in
Singapore and Michael Fay was caned for public vandalism. Did a country as successful
and orderly as Singapore really need to resort to these extreme measures in order to
maintain law and order, I thought to myself.

Singapores first presidential elections took place when I was doing my A-levels. I found it
strange that a man who seemed to have been forced to campaign as an alternative to the
PAP candidate and who did so very reluctantly could somehow win 41% of the popular
vote. Did the high level of protest votes indicate an underlying sense of discontentment
among a portion of the restless masses, I wondered.

Towards the tail end of my time in Singapore, I found myself wanting to track down a copy
of Francis Seows To Catch a Tartar, which was published in 1994. I desperately wanted
to find out why this former high ranking civil servant would want to take on LKY and had
to flee the country as a result. I finally managed to procure a copy of the book in Malaysia
since it was banned in Singapore at that time.

I was also fascinated by the story of Christopher Lingle, an academic at NUS who had
written an op-ed in the International Herald Tribune that was highly critical of Singapores
judiciary and political system. After being sued for contempt and still facing a libel suit by
none other than LKY, Lingle left Singapore, never to return. I would go on to buy his book
entitled Singapores Authoritarian Capitalism Asian Values, Free Market Illusions and
Political Dependency and even tracked him down much later on Facebook where, Im
happy to report, we are friends.

Many of my fellow Malaysian Asean scholars have settled in Singapore. Some have taken
Singaporean citizenship. Most are permanent residents. Almost all are married with children
and are not likely to return to Malaysia anytime soon. They are partaking in LKYs
Singapore Story.

As LKY departs the stage, todays Singapore faces new challenges which were not part of
the landscape in the early 1990s when I was studying there. The education system which I
was part of may not be as meritocratic today as ones family income and background
become more important in determining ones education prospects. How many students in
the best class in Raffles Institution live in 2015 live in HDB flats, I wonder?

The much heralded public transportation is bursting at its seams, with additional MRT lines
not able to cope with the increased population, many of them foreigners. The rise of social
media and of a generation of voters who are not used to being muzzled and not easily scared
by yesteryear stories of political bogeymen are already posing some interesting
challenges to the PAP regime. How will all of this play out in the next general election in
Singapore, which is due in 2016? Only time will tell.

In the meantime, #RIP Harry Lee Kuan Yew. Thank you for the Sean scholarship and 4
character building and life changing years in Singapore. Thank you for showing me how to
appreciate Malaysia all the more, warts and all. March 25, 2015.

* Dr Ong Kian Ming is the MP for Serdang. He was an Asean scholar at Raffles Institution
from 1991 to 1992 and in Raffles Junior College from 1993 to 1994.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily
represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

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- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/sideviews/article/lee-kuan-yews-legacyto-me-a-former-asean-scholar-ong-kian-ming#sthash.zew6YcLP.dpuf

LKY: The passing of a giant Lim Sue Goan

Wednesday March 25, 2015
07:43 AM GMT+8

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MARCH 25 Following the death of modern Singapore's

founding father Lee Kuan Yew, the Chinese world will have lost a truly revered politician.
Although LKY has left us, he has nevertheless left behind a rich legacy of his wisdom, policies and
systems that are poised to benefit the future generations.
There are several attributes of LKY that deserve genuine respect from the world over, including his
pragmatic way of doing things, corruption-free and highly efficient leadership as well as his full
dedication towards his country.
After Singapore was separated from Malaysia, it was indeed not easy for a tiny island devoid of
natural resources. Lee had to be really practical, so he adopted the most practical way of developing
the sovereignty state's economy, establishing a path that belonged to Singapore while creating an
economic miracle.
LKY opted for the English-first educational policy as English was the predominant language in the
world during those years while most of the professional talents were from English-speaking
countries. If the newly independent state were to embroil itself in education controversies, it would
indeed be very hard for it to move forward.
Because of his English-first educational policy, LKY invited criticisms for sidelining or even
wiping out Chinese education on the island. He closed down Nanyang University because of
national interests and needs.
But with China becoming increasingly powerful, LKY made frequent visits to the country, and was
the architect behind the Suzhou Industrial Park in China. He also actively promoted the learning of
Mandarin. To him, anything that favoured Singapore would be adopted by him. While such an
attitude could be cold-hearted at times, it was nevertheless vastly successful.
Thanks to his sharp observation, LKY seldom erred in his decision-making. And in the event he
made a mistake, he would not overlook it for the sake of his own self-respect.

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LKY built a highly efficient and incorrupt bureaucracy and laid a formidable foundation for a
prosperous Singapore.
He led by example to wipe out corruption because of his powerful determination and resolution.
He treasured talented people irrespective of their ethnic backgrounds. While the island republic has
no natural resources, it has been backed up by a pool of high-caliber brains hailing from across the
world.
He believed a government ought to be led by capable people in order to put in place an efficient
government.
His other strength was a deep sense of crisis. He always anticipated the worst to come and therefore
constantly upgraded the versatility of Singapore's economy, from the manufacturing industry to
entrept, free trade, financial center to services industry, pharmaceuticals to the gaming industry, he
made Singapore's economy truly diversified.
LKY can no longer watch over the country he once built up from scratch. Many would ask where
Singapore would be headed from here and whether it would retain its prosperity and stability. This
would not be problem if Lee Hsien Loong and his successors could inherit the systems and policies
he left behind.
We could safely say that history had offered LKY a good opportunity to display his competencies.
The departure of Singapore from Malaysia gave LKY some space to test out his political ideologies
which were eventually proven workable.
A mention of LKY would not be complete without touching on Malaysia. These two countries that
used to start at more or less the same level in mid 20th century have demonstrated vast differences
today. Malaysia is still plagued by a plethora of racial and religious controversies and arguments
between secularism and hudud law.
It was right for Singapore to wean itself from ethnic politics, or sensitive racial, religious and
linguistic issues will consume this tiny city-state.
Singapore was forced into independence during the turbulent years. LKY had to be firm in his
decisions and had done his utmost for his nation and people. That said, his iron-fisted rule including
his alleged control of democratic movements and liberty as well as his paternalistic leadership, had
also made him a target of merciless criticisms.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or organisation and does not necessarily represent
the views of Malay Mail Online.
- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/what-you-think/article/lky-thepassing-of-a-giant-lim-sue-goan#sthash.NTmCNQad.dpuf

Lee Kuan Yews political legacy Bridget Welsh

Tuesday March 24, 2015
02:08 PM GMT+8

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MARCH 24 As Singaporeans mourn their charismatic leader Lee

Kuan Yew (LKY), whose political acumen, drive and ideas defined the young nation and played a
major role in its successful development, attention turns to assessment. Moments of transition
always bring reflection, and this is especially the case with the passing of the man who both
personified and defined Singapore. The fact that LKY has passed on in the pivotal year of the
nation celebrating the countrys 50th anniversary only serves to reinforce the need for review.
There is good reason to acknowledge the accolades of a man who has been labelled as one of Asias
most influential leaders. Most of the media, especially in the government-linked media of
Singapore, lay out these reasons well. LKY was a force to be reckoned with, a complex man who
made no excuses in his views and was direct in stating his opinions. He trusted few, but chose to
collaborate with those who shared his hard work ethic with talent and ideas to develop the busy
port of Singapore into a safe dynamic cosmopolitan city-state. He will rightly be remembered for
not only putting Singapore on the world map, but as a model that is admired and respected by many
the world over.
LKY was a man who was respected, but importantly not loved by all. He used fear to stay in power.
From the inception of Singapores independence when it was expelled from Malaysia the ideas
of vulnerability and survival were used to justify decisions. He promoted the idea that Singapore
had to have a strong armed forces, requiring national service in 1967, to protect itself as a nation
surrounded by the perceived threat of its Malay neighbours. The enemies outside were matched by
those inside, who had to be displaced and in some cases detained. Among the most controversial
were the arrests of men labeled as communists in Operation Coldstore of 1963 and Operation
Spectrum of 1987 (a.k.a. the Marxist Conspiracy) that targeted social activists who promoted
greater social equality and were seen as challenging LKYs Peoples Action Partys (PAP) authority.
Two other round-ups occurred with Operation Pecah (Split) in 1966, which coincided with the year
of the arrest of Dr. Chia Thye Poh who was held under detention and restriction until 1997, and the
arrests of the Eurocommunists in 1976-77. Many others from opposition politics, business to
academia faced the wrath for challenging and questioning LKY, his PAP and the politicised
decisions of its institutions, castigated in the government controlled media, removed from position,
forced to live in exile and, in some cases, sued and bankrupted. In the relatively small city-state, it
did not take much to instill a political culture of fear by making a few examples.

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In the Gallery

People lay flowers, as they mourn the passing of former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, outsi

People pen their condolences on the passing of former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, outsid

Members of the public pen tributes for Lee Kuan Yew in Singapore, March 23, 2015. TODA

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Members of the public pen tributes for Lee Kuan Yew in Singapore, March 23, 2015. TODA

Indian national Anand Ashiya, 67, pens a tribute for Lee Kuan Yew in Singapore, March 23 2

The state flag is pictured at half-mast as the National Pledge is recited during morning asse

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The state flag is pictured at half-mast as the National Pledge is recited during morning asse

Mourners gather at the Singapore General Hospital to pay tribute to the late Lee Kuan Yew

Mourners gather at the Singapore General Hospital to pay tribute to the late Lee Kuan Yew

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The hearse carrying the body of former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew arrives at the Istana in

A woman reads a newspaper bearing the image of Singapores former prime minister Lee K

Special editions of newspapers bearing images of former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew are s

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Special editions of newspapers bearing the images of former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew a

Special editions of newspapers bearing images of former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew are s

A man reads a newspaper bearing the image of Singapore's former prime minister Lee Kuan

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People queue up to pen their condolences as they mourn the passing of former prime minis

Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka Shing (2nd left) pays his respects to the late Lee Kuan Yew at th

Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah pays his respects to the late Lee Kuan Yew next to Singap

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People pay their respects to the late former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew at Tanjong Pagar c
Singapore March 24, 2015. Reuters pic

A woman places flowers in tribute to the late former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew outside t

Flowers are placed in tribute to the late former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew outside the Pa

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Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (centre right) lookd on as members of the Secu
Temasek at the Istana in this handout supplied by Lee Hsien Loong's Facebook Page March

Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong looks at a board of tributes penned for the late

Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong looks at flowers placed in tribute to the late for

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Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks to the media after signing a condolences book fo
March 24, 2015. Reuters pic

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (front) bows after signing a condolences book for the late
2015. Reuters pic

A main point of contention goes that LKY sparred with Western critics over democracy and human
rights, with LKY dismissing these ideas as not part of Asias values. The debate was never about
differences in values, but the justification of holding power in the hands of a few for nearly five
decades. Singapores political model is at its foundation about the elites, with Lee, his family and
loyalists at the core. In recent years, reports in Singapore have highlighted a growing trust deficit in
the PAP government that LKY founded. The real deficit that defined LKY and became embedded
within the party he molded is that he never fundamentally trusted his people.
The group that received the special focus of LKYs distrust was the Malay population, who now
comprise over 10 per cent of the countrys population. Even as LKY matured as a politician, he
continued to reinforce negative stereotypes of this community that rioted over their grievances in
1950, 1964 and 1969 when LKY was in his early years in power, and with whom he expressed hard
judgments about their religion, Islam. This distrust was shaped in part by a worldview that was not
only shaped by his early experiences in political life but had sharp racial cleavages, drew from
eugenics and believed in a clear social order. Part of LKYs outlook prioritized women as
homemakers and disparaged single women who opted not to marry or follow a career another
group similar to Malays that faced discrimination within LKYs Singapore.

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In the heyday of Singapores economic miracle, the 1970s through the 1990s, the LKY PAP
government worked to win over the trust of its people. It did so by providing for the basic welfare
of its citizens, with an impressive housing program, affordable food prices, a living wage, job
security, safety, education and opportunity. This involved hard work of LKYs founding team of
PAP cadre, as well as the sacrifice of ordinary Singaporeans. It also reflected the wise realization of
LKY that fear was not enough to stay in power. There needed to be a healthy balance of
deliverable. The LKY decades of economic growth translated into real rewards at least through
the 1980s.
Singapores trajectory of sharing the benefits of development has followed a pattern of diminishing
returns, as the country now boasts the highest per capita of millionaires and is the worlds most
expensive city, with a large number its citizens unable to save and afford the lifestyle promised in
the nations early narrative. As much as LKY deserves credit for Singapores success, he also
should be seen to be part of todays shortcomings. Elitism has breed arrogance, and a distance
between those in power and those governed. Most of the new leaders of the PAP have come from
subsequent wealthy generations that do not fully understand the sacrifices of the countrys working
poor shocking in number and the obstacles elderly and young people face in an era of high
costs. Years of following the LKYs example and being told that the PAP is made up of the best
and brightest has imbued a mindset of superiority, a lack of empathy, and frequent dismissal of
difference in engagement with the public.
While LKYs son Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has worked to win over support, he has suffered
consecutive drops of support in the two elections he has led since he assumed office, failing to
match the 75% popular vote height of the predecessor Goh Chok Tong in 2001. Unlike in the
information controlled era of his father, Lee Hsien Loong is not able to effectively censor and limit
public discussions in todays wired and connected Singapore. His recent expansion of social
services and incentive packages that provide small sums for pensioners, modest support for health
and childcare and tax reductions for the middle class are a drop in the bucket for the growing
grievances and costs faced by ordinary citizens.
This has to do in part with the challenge Lee Hsien Loong faces in dealing with his fathers legacy.
In 2007 LKY claimed that he governed without ideology. This was not quite true. The ideological
foundation of LKYs pragmatic tenure was materialism. This obsession with money, saving it and
forcing the public to save it in rigid regulated ways, assuring that government funds were only
given to those worthy and loyal and defining the value of the performance of his government
ministers by pegging their salaries to growth numbers comprised the lifeblood of LKYs state. With
annual bonuses to perform, there is a focus on short-term gains rather than long-term investments.
The irony is that it is not even clear how much money the government of Singapore and its linked
companies actually have. Singapore is one of the few countries in the world that does not follow the
International Monetary Fund guidelines on its budget reporting. It also does not transparently report
losses in many of the financial accounts of the government-linked companies (GLCs). Lee Hsien
Loong has had to tackle head-on the ingrained pattern of limited government spending on social
welfare and services, as he attempts to move away from his fathers restrictive parsimony and
secretive mindset that originated from a lack of trust in people.
Lee Hsien Loong also has to address the problems of a government-dominated economy. Singapore
Inc emerged out of the political economy LKY put in place, with the government and its linked
companies controlling over half the countrys economy and undercutting almost all domestic
business. LKY did not trust local capital, and did not want to strengthen an alternative power center
to his own. As such, Singapores economy is not a genuinely competitive one. It favors big
business, especially property developers, and those allied with government rather than independent

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entrepreneurs. Those in the system have apparently disproportionately benefited from it, although
the exact amounts and assets remain unknown. The accumulated assets of individuals remain
hidden as the estate tax was removed in 2008. What is known is that workers have limited rights in
the LKY-shaped political economy. A recent example is the sexual harassment bill passed in
parliament that excludes employer liability. The harsh response to the bus driver strike in in 2012 is
another. Much is made about the limited corruption of Singapore, but few appreciate that the
country ranks high on the Economist crony-capitalism index, an important outgrowth of the
government dominance of the economy. The ties between companies and government are close, at
times with government and family members on their boards and a revolving door that never really
closes.
Singapores economy also favors foreigners. LKY was to start this trend, with the appeal to
outsiders for capital rather than a focus on domestic business. Foreigners may have been easier to
engage, as they could always be kicked out. Foreign investment has been extremely important in
Singapores growth numbers initially in manufacturing and later in services. To maintain global
competitiveness, keep wages low and maintain high growth numbers, Singapore also turned to
foreign labor cheap workers to staff their construction sectors and to work as domestic help and
foreign talent to bring in ideas and the occasional sports medal. This prioritization of outsiders has
fostered resentment. When LKY assumed office he worked to force a nation, but with his passing
many in Singapore feel the government he left behind is working for others and undermining the
fabric of the nation. The crowded trains, strain on services and displacement of Singaporeans in the
job market and advancement have angered many, who now see LKYs legacy as one that in fact left
many Singaporeans vulnerable and worried about survival.
No one can take away LKYs contributions. He lived a long meaningful life, and shaped the lives
of all Singaporeans. This does not mean that there is agreement on what he left behind. Singapore
now faces the challenge of moving beyond LKYs ideas and shaping a more promising future for
all of its citizens. An integral part of this dynamic will be moving away from fear, promoting more
effective policies for inclusion in the economy and society and building trust. It starts with placing
more trust in Singaporeans.
It is arguably the latter that is the hardest. LKY lived in an era where societies trusted their leaders.
He was given the benefit of the doubt. The PAP remains a relatively closed institution, with the
distrust of those not inside deeply embedded. Today in the age of social media and instant
messaging there is not as much leeway to work behind closed doors. There is an urgent need to
forge genuine dialogue, connectivity and understanding that moves beyond materialism, and
reignites the sense of belonging that LKY forged in his early years.
Singapore today has become a more politically divided nation, with those who strongly defend
LKYs incumbent government, die-hard opponents and the majority in the middle. As the country
marks its 50th year it moves toward a different narrative, the task at hand is to forge a new
Singapore story, one in which LKY is a valued part of its past, but not a constraint on the dreams
and aspirations of Singaporeans future.
* Bridget Welsh is a Senior Research Associate of the Centre for East Asia Democratic Studies of
the National Taiwan University where she conducts research on democracy and politics in
Southeast Asia. This article first appeared here.
** This is the personal opinion of the writer or organisation and does not necessarily
represent the views of Malay Mail Online.

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