Abstract from The Straits Time wednesday March 7 2007
Singapore's brand of democracy works because the Government gives
the country's citizens every reason to vote for it at elections,
Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew said yesterday.
The country has maintained the principal of British democracy, that
the electorate can vote a government out peacefully.
"But we have engineered it so carefully that they must be very
stupid to vote this government out" he added.
The government solved the housing problem by building public
housing using Central Provident Fund(CPF) money. These flats are
then sold to Singaporeans at cost price.
For the Singapore citizen, his flat is "something substantial" that
he owns and has to pay instalments for.
"So he must have a job. If you change the government, you have no
jobs, the house is taken back," Mr Lee said.
And as the flats become old after 20 to 30 years, the government
upgrades the buildings, subsidising 80 per cent of the cost.
"suddenly, overnight your property goes up in value. Now you find
another government that will do that. If you think you can, you
try," he said.
The Americans try to prescribe democracy by saying governments
should allow free association, demonstrations and free press, he
said.
"Here you want to hold a demonstration, you must have a permit
first."
As for his critics who say he is authoritarian, Mr Lee had this
reply:"I say,'never mind'.
"Do they vote for me? Do i stuff the ballot boxes? No. Is it a
secret vote? Yes. Do i win?
"Do i win 99 per cent? No. I win by 61 or 65 or 67 per cent."
The highest percentage of votes he ever won was 88 percent, he
recounted.
"That was the year the British decided to get out and sell
everything. So i immediately held an election. i knew the people
will be dead scared."
