1 December, 2024

Blog

Singapore Has Chosen The 4th Prime Minister 

By Rusiripala Tennakoon –

Rusiripala Tennakoon

The model south-east Asian country, Singapore is reported to have chosen the 4th Prime Minister after the declaration of Independence on 9th August 1965 by its first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. In its long history of existence Singapore had come under the rulership of several different empires successively until it became another Entrepôt trading post of the British Empire in 1819. In 1867 it came under the Direct control of Britain as another conquered member country by them among the Straits Settlements in the South East region as a crown colony.

During the 2nd World War Singapore came under the Japanese Empire occupied by the Japanese from 1942 to 1945. After the surrender of Japan, Singapore once again came under the British control. During the British rule Singaporev was granted self-government in several stages. Under the Self Government rights Singapore merged with Malaya to form a federation which came to be known as Malaysia in 1963. Due to serious growing conflicts within the federation Singapore had to say talak-talak-talak to the Malaysian federation to become a free independent sovereign nation with Lee Kuan Yew as the Prime Minister. Soon after it became a Republican State under a constitutional amendment.

This state of relinquishing ties with the Malaysian Federation was a highly critical move with lot of skepticism from different quarters expressing doubts about its ability to survive as a separate independent country with several social and economic draw backs and pressing problems of housing, education, high unemployment  and more than anything else the lack of land space and natural resources when the country was confined to a small tip detached from the main land. The city was filled with squatters with rampant criminal activities and health issues.

But it amazing to note how Singapore State steered clear out of this abominable state of affairs within the space of less than a decade. Why I chose to refer to this appointment of its 4th Prime Minister is because the rise of Singapore to its highest pedestal in the ivory tower as a recognized rich developed nation of the World is attributable to the choosing of the right leaders to run the country affairs.

Today Singapore stands as one the most Stable economies of the World. It is not indebted to the rest of the World. The government generates a revenue sufficient to contribute to a consistently growing surplus of the budget. It serves as a major financial hub of the Asia-Pacific and is ranked as the world’s most open economy which provides a pro-business regime not second to any other country.

A country which was plagued with shanty dwellers when it first emerged as a free sovereign nation, today proudly speak of a record of having provided a house for each citizen. They did it with funding from the Employees Provident Fund. It has one of the busiest ports in this part of the world and has created a dream world of a tourism hub with a green environment. The Airport is ranked high among the busy and regarded as a world class destination in air traffic.

All these success stories are attributable to one cardinal factor. Meticulous planning, extremely knowledgeable and sound inputs with a visionary selfless approach of those in the decision-making process. They have been guided throughout by leaders who were relentlessly committed to the Nation building program. Beginning with the revolutionary leader who transformed the island city nation filled with scarcity and poverty to a rich and powerful recognized economy of the World, Singapore has been choosing their leaders in a unique manner assessing their capacities determined according to  decided criteria.

It will be interesting to note how they apply the  choosing score system and standards; It is reported that the new Prime minister was chosen from among other outstanding candidates by a tedious filtering review selection process. The areas examined for disqualification of a candidate is more interesting than the assessment of their character, integrity and qualifications for the required performance in the position.

They look into the history of

1. Public Complaints

2. Police Traffic Summons

3. Public Summon

4. Racial hatred Statements

5. Corruption and bribery

6. Legal Court cases

7. Abuse of Power

8. FBI, CIA and Interpol checks

This type of determination of leadership competence will no doubt bring in the desired results for the people than choosing characters who go on deceiving the public using their crafty, underhanded verbal ingenuities.

There are many lessons to learn from the Singapore experiences. Elimination of corruption was one of their prime targets, We have read how their Prime Minister treated some cabinet ministers who were accused (sometimes suspected only) of corruption and fraud. He did not sympathize with such elements and made them quit politics in that country. We have heard of some who were identified with such allegations even committing suicide.

Singapore lesson shows how a correct political leadership could contribute to transfer the economoy of a country within a short period. In a recent public speech made by the current PM of Singapore he categorically stated that,

“First of all , kkeo our system clean!how can our politicians do that? Fisrt of all they have to be honest. Politics have to be honest,the people have to be clean and honest. If you are not clean and if you have a black mark whether people know it or not please stay out of politics. We need honest politicians and we need people who will support honest politicians. Reputation is temporary and character is permanent. We cannot have corruption in Singapore. We cannot have wrong doing in the government or in high places in Singapore. WE have an Auditor General Office to keep the government clean.There is only one thing our beloved leader said on his 90Th birthday. ‘keep our system clean’ ….”

Shall we all as citizens of the country and as politicians seasoned senior or otherwise  remember this golden lesson. We will have no fear of the country going bankrupt again.

Latest comments

  • 11
    1

    ” ‘keep our system clean’ ….” “

    Rusi old boy ………. what is this …….. did you go and become Mahana all of a sudden?


    “Fisrt of all they have to be honest. Politics have to be honest, the people have to be clean and honest. If you are not clean and if you have a black mark whether people know it or not please stay out of politics. We need honest politicians and we need people who will support honest politicians.”

    So, that’s what you were doing all these years …….. washing Rajapakse clothes …….. to keep them clean, eh? :)))

    Practice: don’t preach!

    We have too many preachers …….. not enough practice-tioners.

    The story of mankind ………. from the inception.

    • 4
      0

      Rusiripala, what happened to the letter you wrote to Singapore government to extradite Arjuna Mahendran to Srilanka ?. The present Prime Minister threw it into the waste paper basket. Once the new Prime Minister assumes office, you can write again to try your luck.

  • 9
    1

    Back in 1975, Singapore was young. So was I.
    Having spent 5 months in that disciplined country, on my return to Ceylon (Sr Lanka) I wrote that if only I could afford to send 250 of our youth to Singapore for a stay of a few months, there would be a revolution in our country. Alas, it was never to be!

    • 2
      3

      “Revolution made easy”?
      Probably, the JVP’s 5 lessons would have been more workable.

  • 3
    0

    A slight correction on Singapore saying talak, talak. To Malaysia. Here is what I read and what I recall from my time there:
    “Despite last-ditch attempts by PAP leaders, including Lee Kuan Yew, to keep Singapore as a state in the union, the Parliament on 9 August 1965 voted 126–0 in favour of the expulsion of Singapore, with Members of Parliament from Singapore not present.”

    Lee Kuan too, like all great men, had his communalist weaknesses as when he ran down Indians. Some of these pontifications of his are on record.

    • 1
      1

      JM
      True.
      Lee Kwan Yew was virtually in tears about the decision.

      • 3
        1

        Jaffna Man, Lee Kwan Yew had very high regard to Jaffna Tamils. He made Tamil as one of four equal official languages, where as India is refusing to make Tamil as official language despite its antiquity. He may have run down north Indians and not Tamils. When some north Indians wanted to make Hindi the official language in place of Tamils, as Hindi is the official language of India and not Tamil, he told them off, saying for us India means Tamil.

        • 3
          0

          Part I of II
          Whether India means Tamil in Singapore is a messy issue. There is a policy of maintaining current ethnic proportions in immigration approval for Singapore. However, many Tamil Singaporeans see a deliberate attempt to bring North Indians into Singapore using Tamil proportions so that Tamils are weakened. Lee was a clever politician who would say things to support Tamils but do everything to bring in North Indians to weaken Tamils.
          He knew how to play us. Say a few positive things about us and we would coo and drool as that is how heritage history works. Given how we admire Lee let me quote the real Lee as he spoke in Parliament:
          “I have said this on many a previous occasion: that had the mix in Singapore been different, had it been 75% Indians, 15% Malays and the rest Chinese, it would not have worked. Because they believe in the politics of contention, of opposition.” President’s Address, Debate on President’s Address, Parliament of Singapore (March 01, 1985).
          Lee was a very intelligent man who was generally careful how he spoke but prone to occasional carelessness when he went on his pet topics. The above was said at one such weak moment.

          • 3
            0

            Part II of II
            Friends report seeing what he said on TV, paraphrased: “Give an Indian a heavy load to carry and he would struggle putting the load one way and another such as on his head and then his shoulders and not make progress. Give the same load to a Chinaman, he would use a stick on his shoulder and divide the load into two halves, place one on each side, and smartly carry the load.”
            Unfortunately I do not have a reference for this but it is from a responsible lecturer at the National University of Singapore who fears to be named.
            Another weak moment of Lee’s was when his grandson turned out to be an albino. “Not from my family,” he asserted walking out of the hospital. I am quoting an uncle of mine who was close to the forensic geneticist who was put to work to find out from where the gene came. The geneticist traced it to an ancestor of Lee’s from Indonesia who had the same issue. The daughter-in-law committed suicide.
            When we make heroes of people who help uphold the positive world view we have of ourselves, the historical record becomes unreliable. As such, it is usually difficult to make an accurate portrait of Lee. The real Lee is part admirable and part ugly and cruel.

        • 0
          0

          “He may have run down north Indians and not Tamils.”
          That is an amusing excuse.

  • 0
    10

    Rusiripala Tennakoon – you’ve stated: “There are many lessons to learn from the Singapore experiences. Elimination of corruption was one of their prime targets, …” but that would betray the loyalty expected from us to India, especially given the fact that they have extended an emergency fund facility of 4 billion USD in its efforts to help Sri Lanka out of the financial mess it is in. Therefore we must look at and learn from Toilet oppps my badd, Tamil Nadu where corruption drives development, hence should promote corruption giving its due place as a driver of economic growth. We must follow India, Modi’s India. Not Yew’s Singapore. Because India is where Buddha is from. You need to get the simple facts right.

    • 5
      2

      “We must follow India, Modi’s India.”
      Put the minorities in place and return to ancient wisdom.

    • 3
      0

      Regarding corruption in Singapore, I have heard of someone responding at a seminar to this claim by asking “What about Lee and Lee?” to which legal firm, it was alleged, lucrative government contracts were given.

      • 0
        1

        Singapore is not the utopia that some people would like to portray it to be.
        .
        But given Singapore and India I’d probably choose the former over the latter.
        .
        Some say in Singapore corruption is centralized and thus contained, in the form of, like you have correctly said, giving lucrative government contracts to Yew’s family. As a result the rest of the system as a whole isn’t corrupt.
        .
        You have also stated above: “The real Lee is part admirable and part ugly and cruel.” I’d presume many leaders to be so. They all have the good, the bad and the ugly. It I believe is the human nature. Sometimes we only see one aspect.
        .
        The world we have built has been enforced on us, perhaps against natural inclinations of the human being. Just to give a simple example do you think we are naturally evolved to sit behind a desk 8 hours a day and 5 to 6 days a week and 200+ days of the year? Does any other species of the animal kingdom has that kind of practice? Yet we continue to do it as if it’s the most natural thing to do.
        .
        TBC

        • 0
          0

          Cont’d…
          .
          The economies of scale and prosperity associated with them are built, maintained and sustained using force, violence and coercion, no matter how subtle they are, they exist in every society. That’s why we need large armies, like that of the US.
          .
          In such a world there are at times right reasons to do the wrong thing. It becomes a problem when doing the ‘wrong’ thing tries to override doing the ‘right’ thing and dominate.
          .
          There’s an interesting book if you would like to read. Master and Emissary – Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World by Iain McGilchrist, a Psychiatrist by profession.
          .
          We will not resolve societal woes by some simple measures. It will take a renaissance of the human society to accomplish that and some are of the belief that we are on the verge of one.
          .
          That would be the ones like James Redfield…
          .
          TBC

          • 0
            0

            Cont’d…
            .
            If you read the two of them together in the context I have tried to illustrate, you will look start looking at the world through a very different lens.
            .
            But then again you may be already aware… of such… descriptions and phenomena

            • 0
              0

              Sorry typo. * you will start looking

  • 5
    0

    I am happy to read this article, which is the narration of a success story, rather than the usual depressing tale surrounding our beloved country, basically a failed state, just slightly out of a dark age of shortages of energy and very rightly the author expressing fears of a relapse of the economic disease. To put the record straight, it was Malaysia who uttered the triple “talak” in kicking out Singapore out of Malaysia. Irrespective of the credibility of the story, it is said that in one day the necessary kicking out was passed in both houses of parliament of Malaysia along with the royal assent. The lesson we must learn here is the supremacy of good values centered on decency. Prudency of action and decision-making, upholding the rule of law, etc. are the result of that cardinal principle of good values resulting in a good government. Yes! Out of nothing, something big has come out. The man who spearheaded the country is no more, but the value system prevails. So much so, even the opposition has embraced certain principles such as strict prohibition of extra-marital activity for MPs. Naturally Integrity, Service and Excellence is the motto.

Leave A Comment

Comments should not exceed 200 words. Embedding external links and writing in capital letters are discouraged. Commenting is automatically disabled after 5 days and approval may take up to 24 hours. Please read our Comments Policy for further details. Your email address will not be published.