Lee says free press not answer to country's development woes

Poh Ah Pak SG

Lee says free press not the answer to country's development problems

Correction: January 13, 2008, 1830 hours Pacific Standard Time, Northern California: I have just received an Email from Melanie Lee, the Reuters newspaper reporter. She has pointed out that it was she who had interviewed Lee Kuan Yew. Clarissa Oon was the Straits Times reporter who merely reported it. I have thanked her for the correction and informed her of my appreciation that Reuters, the respected news agency, are reading my blogposts.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Singapore state owned and controlled paper the Straits Times (mind you all the newspapers, TV, Radio and mass media are all owned and controlled by Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew and his government) on Jan 11, 2008 carried the story "Free press not the answer to country's development problems: MM Lee".

He said this in answer to a Reuters reporter, Clarissa Oon, who asked him how can one expect Singapore to reach the standards of Italy and Austria within 10 to 15 years without a free press? Lee had previously said it was his view that Singapore will continue to progress and become another Italy or Austria in this time.

By the way, not to digress too much, the reader will recall that about 15 years ago his former Prime Minister had said that in this time, Singapore will become another Switzerland. With about half the people in Singapore now finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet; many of whom decide to end their lives by jumping off high rise buildings and onto on coming trains, due to poverty; Lee Kuan Yew has conveniently decided to completely forget his earlier reference to Switzerland. It is quite obvious today that Singapore is not Switzerland. Even a blind man can see that much!

And now it is the turn of Italy and Austria! Switzerland having been conveniently forgotten! During this interview a very sharp reporter Clarissa Oon of Reuters asked the 85 year old Lee Kuan Yew, longest serving head of state in Asia, even longer than Fidel Castro of Cuba, a very good question. She asked, how did Mr. Lee expect Singapore to reach the level of Italy or Austria if it did not have a free press? It so happens by the way that both Italy and Austria have strong and independent free press. Both these countries pride in the freedom of the press and cherish it as a bastion of their democracy.

But Mr. Lee, as is his usual cunning conveniently avoided the question altogether. His answer was that even though Taiwan Philippines and South Korea have free presses, they are corrupt. I will come to the issue of corruption in a minute, but look at his answer. It was not even remotely responsive to the question!

Clarissa Oon did not ask whether a free press will or will not cause corruption to take root. Her question was how did Singapore expect to become another Italy or Austria without a free press. As is usually the case when the 85 year old Mr. Lee Kuan Yew is unable to answer the question, he sidesteps it entirely! As in this case.

Clarissa Oon is right. It is fundamentally important for a country to have a free press in order to reach an advanced status. Without a free press, there is no access to correct information. Without access to latest and correct information, business cannot make the correct decisions. Trade suffers because the correct information is lacking. Science and Technology is stymied for lack of it. Like North Korea, with its state controlled media, the people live without knowing what goes on outside. And if they know, it is not the correct picture.

With Lee controlling all sections of the media in Singapore, it can never hope, not in 10, not even in a 100 years to become an Italy or Austria.

Now let us look at Lee Kuan Yew's unsolicited opinion on corruption. He says Taiwan, the Philippines and South Korea are corrupted because they have a free press! Is he saying that because Singapore does not have a free press, it is not corrupted? Well what do you call his paying himself and each of his family members and his friends $3.7 million dollars each and every year, year in and year out! Is this not corruption? Each of Lee Kuan Yew and his family members are taking 5 times the salary of President George Bush of the United States each year! If you don't call this corruption, what do you call it?

And you can say this to Mr. Lee Kuan Yew. This astronomical levels of state sanctioned corruption in Singapore, is because there is no free press in Singapore. Not only that, there is no rule of law, no fundamental rights of any sort. If only Singapore had a free press and basic fundamental human rights, Lee Kuan Yew will not be able to be as blatantly corrupted as he is.

And by the way, the corruption in those countries that he mentioned is not because of a free press. It is because those countries have their own peculiar problems. There is no correlation between a free press and corruption.

New Zealand and Australia have free presses. Yet they are not corrupted. So are Finland and Norway, so are countless countries all over the world which are advanced countries, with a free press, with rights and sophistication.

The problem with Lee Kuan Yew is this. Without a state owned and controlled press, he will not be able to rule Singapore. He can only do this by instilling fear and repression on his people. Therefore he is a poor politician. And at 84, and about to die in the not too distant future, despite his cycling, running and what not.

And he fears death, because Singapore does not have a mechanism in place for smooth transfer of power like Australia and New Zealand. His son whom he placed as the Prime Minister also worries for the same reason, poor man.

By the way, Clarissa Oon's direct and peremptory question had taken him aback. He was not accustomed to Singaporean journalists asking him such direct questions. Most of them, through fear are cautious only to ask questions which are unlikely to cause him any annoyance.

Taken aback, it appears he asked her how old she was to which she replied she was 23. As to his second question, which school she attended; she pointed out it had nothing to do with the interview!

Gopalan Nair

http://singaporedissident.blogspot.com/2008/01/lee-says-free-press-not-answer-to.html

phil30k SG

Wha?

Free press does not mean correct information. Free Presses would be free to have their own political affiliations and to print the news with the according biase. He was quoting examples.

I think he was surprised by her stupidity, hence the question of her age and which school she went to. I'd also wonder if she was really 14 and only managed to complete kindergarten.

Actually how old is Gopal and which school did he attend?

Smile

phil30k SG

I wanted to look at the original article so I clicked on your link.

I saw there was an option to post a comment so I clicked on that.

Guess what?

The author has to approve the comment before it could be posted.

Wow, so much for free speech.

qlqq9 SG

Some people are just too selectively nitpicking. People who really make a difference to influence life in Singapore are the ones that can create hell or heaven for the nation not TS and the journalist who interviewed old man. Find fault with journalist and TS will not stop what LKY is doing. Well, it is OK for you if you condone his ways of running Singapore, good for you.

EarlNeo SG

Pardon my stupidity then for i do not see the so call stupidity in any of her simple yet direct question. Innocently asked maybe, but stupidity not. As for LKY asking her age and education background, that is just another form of intimidation coming from a toothless old tiger too set in his old habit at his home turf. Would his answer be any different if it was coming form a well reputable old reporter with a 1st class world well known university education?

We all know what he had done and achieved, and he wont be there on the top if he din got what it take. Dun really expect any less from LKY but politically right answer. I bet the reporter know that too and the fact that nothing new ever gona come out of this interview nor any answer not already know. Still, it is refreshing and interesting seeing someone point the obvious in LKY face for once then the usual boot licker our media have to offer here.

holygoh SG

our dear mm always use this tactic to justify the way he runs the country. link something that is right to something else that is very wrong and say "see, it doesnt solve the problem". unfortunately many of my fellow peasants who have been told not to think too hard since young cannot see pass the rhetoric.

wool over the eyes, or as we say bah jiu ta stamp (eyes stick stamp)

AndrewPKYap SG

Originally posted by Poh Ah Pak:
[b]Lee says free press not the answer to country's development problems

http://singaporedissident.blogspot.com/2008/01/lee-says-free-press-not-answer-to.html[/b]

So when it suits him, Singapore is a developing nation and at other times, Singapore is 1st world?

Like he said, he has to die before we can see more progress...

Looks like when he wants to take more public money, he will say whatever suits him...[/img]

phil30k SG

Originally posted by EarlNeo:

Pardon my stupidity then for i [b]do not see the so call stupidity in any of her simple yet direct question. Innocently asked maybe, but stupidity not. As for LKY asking her age and education background, that is just another from of intimidation coming from a toothless old tiger too set in his old habit at his home turf. Would his answer be any different if it was coming form a well reputable old reporter with a 1st class world well known university education?

We all know what he had done and achieved, and he wont be there on the top if he din got what it take. Dun really expect any less from LKY but politically right answer. I bet the reporter know that too and the fact that nothing new ever gona come out of this interview nor any answer not already know. Still, it is refreshing and interesting seeing someone point the obvious in LKY face for once then the usual boot licker our media have to offer here.[/b]

Thank you for pointing out that I expressed a judgemental opinion. I apologize for making that observation.

I think the debating styles in this forum was beginning to influence me. I'll try to resist that.

phil30k SG

Thank you for your correction. Again I apologize. There are better ways I could have expressed that without being offensive.

EarlNeo SG

It just my 2 cent worth really. But I do think this forum could use more ppl like you. U stand up for ur believes and apologize when u think u should. Sometime, there isnt really a wrong or right, just different perspective most of the time. Unlike others that prefer flaming and bashing then contributing anything concrete. Hope to see more of ur posting again.

qlqq9 SG

No worries. It all depends on how one looks at issues and so on and the choice and tone of words/language.

qlqq9 SG

This old man made it clear that he wanted the press to be under his control once he became the PM in the beginning. As mentioned by him, he said he knew the influence press has so he made the press work for the gahmen. Rather despicable.

He is the King of manipulation. Obviously, he plays his chess well. Anyway, he does not have much time playing chess. So we people of Singapore must not read, listen, watch newspapers, radio and TV blindly.