Two days ago, I googled for a Singapore's community site to post
birthday greetings to our Singapore Founding Father Minister
Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and chanced upon this site.
Emailed my friend Joyce Tan yesterday to share her insights
in this forum and appended below is excerpts of her response and
the article she would like to share with everyone:
When I was a little child, we live
in a small rented flat in Toa Payoh. My parents could only afford
to buy chicken and new clothings/shoes for the children
during Chinese New Year. Never tasted prawns before during my
childhood days. My dad cycled to work everyday, regardless of the
weather....no TV, fridge, washing machine, telephone.....Due to the
foresight and leadership of MM Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore was
transformed from a poor, smelly, chaotic country into one of
the cleanest, safest, richest, and most efficient big cities in the
world. I and my family are grateful for the vision shown by our
beloved wise leader and the PAP for the harmonious and
wonderful lives we now lead... Many people from other
countries still have to go overseas to work as labourers to earn a
living...
http://www.articlediscovery.com/blog/2007/02/09/leadership-in-singapore-lee-kuan-yew/
While watching a Discovery Channel presentation of The History
of Singapore a few days ago I was once again impressed about the
vast difference in results that are obtained by visionary
leadership.
One of the great leaders of the 20th century was Lee Kuan Yew,
former Prime Minster of Singapore from 1965 until 1990. Under Mr
Lee’s leadership Singapore was transformed from being a sleepy
third world island nation with rather dismal prospects of even
surviving as a city nation state into a thriving Asian tiger
economy.
How was this accomplished? Can the effort be duplicated by
larger more populated nations?
The answer to the first question is that from the beginning of
Lee Kuan Yew’s term in office he insisted that whatever economic
activity that Singapore engaged in must make economic
sense and rather quickly make profits. He insisted that Singapore find it’s own
way and not blindly follow in the footsteps of other
nations. Thus while Singapore was in many ways run as a socialist
society the state owned enterprises had to quickly prove themselves
by being profitable.
An example of this is Singapore Airlines. Singapore Airlines was
profitable against all odds because even thought state owned it
made it’s own rules for operating and frequently did things totally
out of the ordinary compared to airline industry norms.
Singapore replaced it’s aircraft fleet far earlier in the
operation cycle compared to other airlines. And people the world
over preferred to fly on Singapore Airlines because for one thing
it’s fleet was fresh and extremely well maintained.
The cabin crews were trained longer than at other airlines. They
were young, attractive, could speak several languages,
and attentive. The “Singapore Girl” with their excellent service
became the standard for excellence in the airline industry.
Another example of Lee Kuan Yew’s enlightened leadership is that
while the majority of housing in Singapore was build by state owned
enterprises rental of the properties was discouraged. Instead the
apartments were sold to Singapore residents and the decline so
often seen in the condition of state owned rental properties
worldwide was completely avoided. The new home owners took pride in
their homes, their communities, and in Singapore.Â
Lee Kuan Yew knew that to attract world leaders in business to
set up operations in Singapore you needed a well trained
disciplined work force, a friendly business regulatory environment,
the free exchange and ability to repatriate currencies, English
speaking workers, and a viable banking system and good infrastructure,
especially in transportation and communications. With great
foresight and careful planning all of these things were
provided by Singapore.
Can Singapore’s and Lee Kuan Yew’s example be followed by other
nations? Of course,
it is possible, even on a much larger scale. But first you need
excellent enlightened leadership.
Unfortunately, the world of today seems to have a critical
shortage of qualified leadership along with enough competent
bureaucrats to help plan and to oversee the implementation of the
necessary efficient government infrastructure.
In order for economic development to take place that is up to
the standard set by Singapore you must not politicize the
development process. Ministers and high ranking bureaucrats must be
empowered because of their competence, not their political
connections. Witness the mess that the US has made out of their
occupation of Iraq to see the truth behind that statement.
Today Dubai, UAE is probably the world’s leading center for new
economic development. I feel certain that Dubai’s leaders spent a
considerable amount of time researching the progress made by
Singapore under the leadership of Lee Kuan Yew.
Yeah, Long LIVE LEE KUAN YEW!! LONG LIVE PAP!! LONG LIVE Lee Kuan
YEW!!! our leader!! our hero!! our savior!!!...take my student red
EZlink card and flash up on my right hands, ok all together,...LOVE
LEE kuan Yew!!! flash your red linkcard, damn it getting expensive
to own this card. I still prefer the Chinese Red little book
