Reflections on Singapore

Singapore Today
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Formal Academic Engagements - Singapore
THE CLASH OF TWO DISCOURSES: THE DISCOURSE OF PHILIPPINE VALUES CONTRA THE DISCOURSE OF ASIAN VALUES

Special section (INTS 265): Chinese in...
Chinese in Singapore

Informal Sub-Section - Singapore

	The Singapore Story: Memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew by Kuan Yew Lee, et al: He will go down in history as one of Asia's most famous (or infamous) statesmen. "The Singapore Story" tells one side of the story - Lee's. Former Singaporean prime minister Lee Kuan Yew has long been acclaimed for his outspoken persona and alert and thorough intellect. However, it is not certain that he is fully aware of his impact (or maybe he is) on other people - specially on Tunku Abdul Rahman. With this, the inaugural volume of his autobiography, he also proves himself as an charming and pleasant narrator - and therein lies the problem. The tone of the book is almost benign - but was her really. His tale begins as an distinguished student from a non pretentious bourgeois, English speaking home (this proves problematic in the future as Lee makes his way around the Chinese speaking communities). Lee's deftly moves to recount how his education was discontinued by the Japanese occupation in World War II - of which he also elaborates how it taught him the many life lessons and impressions he would take into the future political and personal trials he would undergo. After a brief experiment as a black-market entrepreneur during the war (for which he was able to support his family as well as other interests), he decided to make his way to England after the Japanese defeat - to become a practitioner of the Law. He recounts as well how he managed to convinced Cambridge University to admit - not just himself - but his future wife Choo as well - they were both eventually called to the Bar in England. Upon passing the British rendition of the bar examination, Lee decides to return home - to Singapore. Lee is quickly embroiled in the complex labyrinth of Singaporean politics of independence while both fighting and using - the Communist Party. If you read between the lines, it is clear that Lee was anxious to be rid of this red menace while playing "The Prince" and playing sides against each other. Convinced that the red threat from Singapore could only be controlled by assimilation into the federation of Malaysia, the Tunku entertains the call by Lee to form Malaysia. Lee's story, told in extended and obviously well documented detail really zeroes in on his dream of uniting Singapore with Malaysia - only for it to come apart in the seams - of which he is not completely blameless. Lee bitterly relates his disappointment over Malaysian Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman's decision to ungraciously expel Singapore from the recently formed Malaysian federation. Lee wishes to play the victim. If you treat each side as a discourse - with its own set of truth creating mechanisms (ontology) and societal formulas - it will be quickly evident the Lee's formula is not welcome in the Tunku's Malaysia. No matter which side of the argument the reader places him/herself, Lee posed a threat to everything that the Tunku and his cadre held dear. As much as Lee viewed (or perceived) the ills or threat that the Tunku's cadre (if not the Tunku himself) represented, Lee had to admit that he was not in his "zone" - he was out of his element. He did, in effect, break a trust not to engage in federal politics (as originally agreed) - predictably causing the ire of the Tunku. It is the chickens coming home to roost. While gracious towards the Tunku, Lee turns his harshest appraisals of other politicians in Kuala Lumpur - zeroing in on the close cadre of the Tunkku - the book goes into very informative detail in this regard. Lee's wonderfully in-depth character analyses and impressions only foreshadows volume two (Lee, Kuan Yew From Third World to First - The Singapore Story: 1965 - 2000 Singapore and the Asian Economic Boom New York: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., 2000 - also available on Amazon.com) describes an entire generation of world class leaders. It seems that most leaders were mindful of this as several former presidents, secretaries of state, prime ministers, and foreign ministers have sang the praises to Mr. Lee. There is no argument from this reviewer that the praise is well deserved and the reader of this and the subsequent book will come to know Lee as crafty but exceptionally brilliant political animal - but there are always more sides to a story.
	From Third World to First : The Singapore Story: 1965-2000 by Lee Kuan Yew: I just finished the book and I was, to say the least, impressed. The book is full of insight, it is wonder that not more people have read it - not just for what it says but for what it does not say. Lee begins this, his second volume of a set of autobiographies, with "from Singapore's independence in 1965...." - it has been a long road. The book runs thhrough the whole gamut of Lee's experience with the world. As the uncontested leader of one of the most prosperous city-states in the world - for at least 30 years - it is no wonder that he could divulge the amount of insight he has in this book. From the local to the global, Lee impresses. Toward the end of the book, Lee speaks candidly about choosing his successor - speaking in terms of "Helicopter" visionaries who can see the big picture but can zero in on details when required. Lee tells us of the successes and the price of that success. There is so much more to the Singapore story that is not told in this book though - but that is job for other books in the discourse of Singapore. Lee does, to his credit deal with some of the issues brought up by his interlocutors in the Western press - specially allegations relating to alledged authoritarian policies. One of the most insightful comments was the encounter he had with Kim Dae Jung and the lack of response regarding their polemic in Foreign Affairs concerning "Asian Values". Like I said, as much as there was said - so much is also not said. The book is full of the erudite Lee and his stories read like a wise sage imparting his life story - it was an autobiography. Despite my restraint, I have admit these memoirs leave us a rich legacy for future generations to ponder - to learn what can and cannot be accomplished, what can and cannot apply to a particular situation. We can learn to never underestimate the Russians, take note of actions in China and Japan, almost always be aware of our neighbors, and to keep the house in order. An extrordinary man in an extrordinary era. Like MacArthur said: "Old soldiers never die, they just fade away." For more info, you can also look back into his first autobiography "The Singapore Story: Memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew" (Also available on Amazon.com)

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