High Time for LHL to Take Over

lotus999 SG

Yes I agree with Seah Chiang Nee of littlespeck that MM Lee is out of syn with younger Singaporeans:

Dialogue
High time for change
PM Lee Hsien Loong should take over annual chats with young Singaporeans from minister mentor. Here's why... By Seah Chiang Nee, littlespeck.com
Apr 14, 2006

Mr. Lee Kuan Yew has continued his annual dialogue sessions with youths long after his exit as Prime Minister, a useful tradition that often provides the nation a brief glimpse into his thoughts.

Usually it takes place at the university; the format may change, but the idea remains the same: To talk to the youths about the problems of the day and to listen to their aspirations.

But after this week's TV discussions with 10 selected Singaporeans, mostly below 30, it has become apparent to me that the time for him to stop and let Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong take over the function.

My reasons for suggesting it are: -

(1) With half a century separating them, the gap between the minister mentor - at 82 - and the youths was just too wide to make the dialogue meaningful.

Mr. Lee was at his usual articulate self but his views - on democracy, fair elections, role of opposition and the press - were little changed from what he had been advocating since the 70s.

On the other hand, the younger Singaporeans held very different views on these subjects. My impression is that each simply couldn't get through to the other.

There was little effort on Mr. Lee's part to try to understand the younger people's viewpoints, while the latter seemed to find some of what Mr. Lee said hard to comprehend.

Comments like walkovers in Singapore these years spelled a strong mandate for the government or "politics is not about to vote or not to vote.." did not impress many of them. It's much like a grandfather talking to - or lecturing - his grandchildren.

(2) PM Lee Hsien Loong should take over because he has to bond with these people, not the father. He has to develop an understanding with them. The age gap is less insurmountable.

(3) Mr. Lee Senior cannot - without upsetting protocol - promise any specific changes or new policies that the prime minister can. Without that, the dialogue becomes less than relevant in breaking new ground.

Regular dialogue sessions between the Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Singapore's youths are not only more meaningful than with Minister Mentor - but very crucial for the country.

dragg SG

in his replies he kept talking about the past.

robertteh SG

Actually if people are to read the old Straits Times of the 1980s and early 1990s just before MM Lee handed over premiership to GCT, it will be seen that many people have already given much feedbacks that his ideas about nationhoold and society principally based on maintaining control of laws and orders and preventing people to have their says and contributions would not work in the new world order.

That is why, being fatigued by too many complaints and disquiet, he has handed over premiership to GCT. GCT appeared to have moderated much of MM Lee hardened authoritative style but MM Lee did not appear to have changed with the time and is in recent years reasserting his past hardened authoritative approach which is being countered by the 10 young journalists in the TV dialogue session: "Does my vote matter? "

Many talents have migrated to other countries due to unease with Singapore's future given such cold and hardened line of top-down authoritative control of the population where people are increasingly being made to sacrifice for the country. Mistakes and inefficiencies are generally dismissed with rhetorics or justified and not admitted. There have been no new initiatives or alternatives in creating a more competitive spirit of endeavours among the people or the government.

So I fully agree with Seah Chiang Nee's urging of PM Lee's taking over the government dialogue with the people from MM Lee. It is not necessary to keep harping on the old policies as without motivations and empowering of the people nothing will work any more for the country.