a people filled with memories With Mr Lee Kuan Yew having been an integral part of Singapore, his contributions are entwined with our readers experiences of a young nations progress. This is what some of them have to say. From Yvonne Sim
From Tan Chek Sian
was a child of the 1960s, growing up in an age when Singapore
herself was a newborn grappling with racialism, a political divide and nation building, and trying to find her feet in a rather hostile neighbourhood. I remember the racial clashes and questioning the rationale for learning Malay as our national language. I remember my carefree childhood, enjoying school without tuition or enrichment classes, running barefoot along Housing and Development Board corridors with my cousins, and experiencing the smells and sights of pigswill and farms. I gawked at the first shots on colour television, caught fish in a canal and listened to Lei Tai Sor telling stories in Cantonese on Rediffusion. Those were the halcyon days when Mr Lee Kuan Yew was the face and figure of Singapore and the driving force behind his party with the lightning rod symbol. His every word was the peoples command. We obeyed without question, like children under an authoritarian parent. Upon reflection, I concede reluctantly that it had been good for us, a nation with teething problems. Then came the turning point when the inconceivable happened: We got ourselves an Opposition, with more to follow later. Mr Lee was fiercely protective of the Singapore he had nursed from her birth. Some opposing voices were bankrupted, imprisoned and discredited with deft strokes. We felt sorry for the underdogs. We wanted to believe they could offer an alternative platform. We got restless, like teenagers in transition, and started to question many things. Mr Lee did not cling to the reins as commander-in-chief, but stepped aside graciously when he felt it was time. Over the next decades, we saw signs of mellowing and more of his human side as a husband and father. I cannot forget the scene of his farewell to his soul-mate: A picture of a man suffering a deep loss and unimaginable grief. As we turn 50, we have grown up somewhat. I have upgraded from a three-room flat. Prices of cars, real estate and consumables have risen a lot, but we also have more opportunities to travel, explore and discern for ourselves. And we have bragging rights that this little red dot could and did become what it is today. My children do not
Every child of Singapore owes a part of who they are and what they are to our founding father. Photo: Robin Choo
His every word was the
peoples command. We obeyed without question ... Upon reflection, I concede reluctantly that it had been good for us, a nation with teething problems. Yvonne Sim
have much of an impression of Mr Lee,
but they are beneficiaries of his legacy. Every child of Singapore owes a part of who they are and what they are to our founding father. So, I want to say thank you, Mr Lee, for giving your life for Singapore. It was truly well lived. You have left such a footprint in the annals of history. Rest in peace and dance with your beloved. We will remember you always. This was posted on TODAYs Facebook page, www.facebook.com/todayonline
From Kok Mei Hui
y heart sank when I heard
of the death of Mr Lee Kuan Yew. His lifes lessons, vision and strategic thinking in foreign and domestic policies, and his contributions have provided valuable insights from which we can learn. With his iron-fisted policies, he was a feared leader, but was highly respected and spoke with great confidence. With his tree-planting day and the Singapore River clean-up from 1977 to 1987, he made the country clean and green. He used capable men in Cabinet Mr Goh Keng Swee to run economic policies and Mr S Rajaratnam to run foreign policy ran an efficient, corruption-free government and made friends with other countries so they could recognise our sovereignty. He was into lifelong learning and upgrading himself, continuing to work
r Lee Kuan Yew committed
himself to his lifelong passion of building this island into a nation with a stature far beyond its size. Whatever he did, here or internationally, he did with the purpose of advancing Singapores interests. Belonging to the pioneer generation, I had the privilege of being a bit player in the legend he created and can identify with all the events flashing before our eyes this week. I remember the feeling of being a third-class citizen to the colonial masters. Today, I can stand tall as a Singaporean just about anywhere I go because we had a great leader with exceptional talent who dedicated his life to making our dreams come true. In typical Singaporean style, he worked tirelessly with his capable team and a responsive people for this tiny red dot to be a First World nation, the envy of many others. His task is over; may his soul rest in peace. Ours continues. The best way to honour and cherish his memory is to continue building on what he left behind: Strengthen our cohesiveness and racial harmony; hone our skills to match or even surpass the best from our competitors; work smarter than others. We must continue striving to be number one to balance out our smallness with being relevant to the world.
even in old age and keeping abreast of
the latest developments in Singapore. He also made our educational system a bilingual journey. He was a role model as a doting father and loving husband, and a selfless leader who showed his successors the ropes. He knew the important tasks that needed to be done. Finally, he had resilience and never gave up on his vision of a prosperous Singapore. As we approach our golden jubilee in August, it would be good to reflect on how we have come far. Without Mr Lees guidance and his lieutenants walking in his footsteps, where would have been the progress and success of our nation? Their hard work and perseverance will not be in vain. It should be recorded in our hearts and minds, in schools through character and citizenship education, in libraries through a corner for learning more about our founding fathers and in ministries through articles of these men.
Everybody Has a Story & Everybody's Story Counts: One Man's Journey to Better Understand Who He Is, Where He Comes From, and Why He Does What He Does....