Singapore’s Founding Father Mr Lee Kuan Yew may have transcended to the other world, but Singaporeans know that he lives on in many other ways. A statesman and a lawyer, Mr Yew served as the Prime Minister of Singapore between 1959 and 1990 and was instrumental in building the young nation for the good of the people over the last decades.
Seven years since his death, he is still remembered for his contributions to society and for making Singapore the powerhouse that it has turned out to be since independence.
A stalwart supporter of Asian values, it was Lee’s strong beliefs around government transparency that have helped make Singapore one of the least corrupt countries in the world.
And even today, Mr Lee Kuan Yew continues to inspire the next generation of Singaporeans in many ways, touching every life in one way or another. As we pay our sincere tribute to the Father of Singapore, here’s a look at the seven ways Mr Lee Kuan Yew has made a difference in our lives.
1. Gave Us National Day
Mr Lee Kuan Yew championed meritocracy and multiracialism as his governing principles. He went to the extent of upsetting United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) leaders who did not want their party’s agenda of undisputed Malay dominance to be challenged.
However, Lee understood this well that for a society to grow and nurture it needed to stay independent, which led to the creation of the Republic of Singapore in 1965. He made English the lingua franca (adopted language) to integrate its immigrant society and to facilitate trade with the world.
He also made bilingualism mandatory in schools to preserve students' mother tongue and ethnic identity.
“Whatever our race or religion, it is what we produce that entitles us to what we get, not our race or religion,” Mr Lee Kuan Yew said in 1969.
2. Insisted On Good Education For All
Mr Lee Kuan Yew believed in making good education accessible to everyone in Singapore that helped the nation’s economic growth in a major way. As the country established free trade, strong academic education remained key in making the nation a high economy market.
“A people’s standard of living depends on a number of basic factors: first, the resources it has in relation to its population...; second, it's level of technological competence and standards of industrial development; third, its educational and training standards; and fourth, the culture, the discipline and drive in the workforce,” he once said.
3. Helped Get Better Jobs For Trade Unions
Mr Lee Kuan Yew played a key role in improving the standards for trade unions. Lee started his career representing trade unions. He was a young legal assistant at Laycock & Ong and was asked to look after them. The postmen went on strike and Lee drafted the union’s statements.
Public sentiment swung towards the trade union and the then colonial government had to meet their demands including better wages, conditions of service, and even removal thick printed red stripes on trousers that made them look like circus attendants.
Because the trade union won, Lee got called by the clerical union of Post & Telegraphs for their demands. This union won as well, further strengthening the basic wages and services of the people.
“Self-respect is what our trade unions have, and will give to our workers. That protection for a man’s right to his own dignity, his dignity as a human being, as a citizen. He may be an unskilled worker, but he is one of us,” Mr Lee Kuan Yew said in 1969.
4. Amplified Workers’ Voice Through Tripartism
Mr Lee Kuan Yew played a key role in establishing tripartism in Singapore’s economy. It is a unique system where unions do not become adversaries and squeeze employers out of business.
Instead, they team up with the government and employers creating a tripartite system that brings benefits to workers and maintains industrial peace.
This helped attract more foreign investments and push the economy forward in Singapore.
5. Brought Singapore From Third World Nation To First
Mr Lee Kuan Yew was strict about bringing transparency within the government and ensuring that the island remained a haven for the locals and immigrants alike.
That’s why Singapore remains the gold standard when it comes to cleanliness while emphasising education for all.
He transformed the nation from a third world country to the first within one generation. To further understand how much of an impact he made, Mr Lee took the per capita income that was about $400 in the 1960s to over $50,000 in only about two generations.
Memorable Quotes From Mr Lee Kuan Yew
1. Welcome the best of the world
"Throughout history, all empires that succeeded have embraced and included in their midst people of other races, languages, religions, and cultures.”
2. It's results that matter, not promises
It’s about results, not promises.
“When you have a popular democracy, to win voices you have to give more and more. And to beat your opponent in the next election, you have to promise to give more away. So it is a never-ending process of auctions—and the cost, the debt is paid for by the next generation. Presidents do not get reelected if they give a hard dose of medicine to their people. So, there is a tendency to procrastinate, to postpone unpopular policies in order to win elections. So problems such as budget deficits, debt, and high unemployment have been carried forward from one administration to the next.”
3. Earn your place in history
“A nation is great not by its size alone. It is the will, the cohesion, the stamina, the discipline of its people, and the quality of their leaders which ensure it an honourable place in history.”
4. Acknowledge humans are competitive
“Human beings are not born equal. They are highly competitive. Systems like Soviet and Chinese communism have failed because they tried to equalize benefits. Then nobody works hard enough, but everyone wants to get as much as, if not more than, the other person.”
5. Learn from the past
“If you do not know history, you think short term. If you know history, you think medium and long term.”
Featured/Lead image courtesy: National Museum of Singapore
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