ON MAY 23, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew delivered an eulogy at
the state funeral for former deputy prime minister Goh Keng Swee,
who was the cousin of my father, Tun Tan Siew Sin.
In his eulogy, Mr Lee said: 'After we (Singapore) had joined
Malaysia, we discovered we had been ambushed. He (Dr Goh) stood up
for our rights and fought to protect Singapore's interests against
the Federal Finance Ministry, whose Finance Minister was his
cousin, Tan Siew Sin, who was out to spite Singapore.'
In deference to Mrs Goh Keng Swee, son Kian Chee and his wife
Siok Sun, I have waited until after the 100 days of mourning before
responding to Mr Lee's unwarranted attack on my father.
Despite their differences on policy issues, my father had a high
regard for Dr Goh whom he credited as the architect of Singapore's
stunning economic success.
In his two-volume autobiography, Mr Lee wrote disparagingly
about my father. I had hoped that would be the end of his
invective. I am sad the Minister Mentor still harbours ill will
against a man who has been dead for 22 years.
My father's attitude towards Singapore is encapsulated in his
speech in Parliament on June 1, 1965, in which he said:
'I would like to make it clear that we in the Central
Government, whatever our differences with the Singapore Government
might be, have no quarrel with the people of Singapore. Not only do
we wish them well, but also we want them to progress as they should
progress, bearing in mind some of the great qualities which they
possess in so marked a degree.'
These words - and his acknowledgement that Singapore possessed
some great qualities in a marked degree - refutes the suggestion
that my father was 'out to spite Singapore'.
Mr Lee's continuing animus against my father makes memorable the
tea that my mother and I had with Mrs Lee Kuan Yew in Carcosa (a
hotel which was once the residence of the British High Commissioner
in Kuala Lumpur) in September 2001.
Realising that my mother's hearing problems inhibited
conversation, Mrs Lee - who was seated next to Tun Dr Siti Hasmah
(wife of then Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad) - broke
with protocol, came and sat next to my mother and conversed with
her for a few minutes.
My mother and I will always cherish meeting Mrs Lee.
Tan Siok Choo (Ms)
Kuala Lumpur
