🇸🇬 Singapore: The House that Lee Built | People and Power
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Published 2018-03-01
The tiny island state has no hinterland and few natural resources and few at the time thought it a candidate for any kind of success on the world stage.
But today, it's one of Asia's richest cities, a truly modern metropolis that's frequently been described as an economic miracle. It's safe, courteous, orderly, and business friendly, its people are educated and cared for to an extent many of its neighbours can only dream of emulating.
The principal architect of this remarkable achievement was Singapore's founding father Lee Kuan Yew, who served three decades as prime minister and even longer as leader of the ruling People's Action Party (PAP).
On his death in 2015, over a million Singaporean residents turned out to honour his memory, his infamously tough pragmatism and his many accomplishments - not the least of was the creation of an effective and largely incorrupt government and civil service, which proved a huge magnet to foreign investors .
But for many this respect was also undermined by disappointment that development was bought at the price of civil rights.
Throughout his time in power LKY - as he was known - was often accused of stifling freedom of speech and suppressing political opposition. It is no accident, say critics, that he won election after election up until he stepped down as prime minister in 1990 (he continued as an MP to be an influential figure behind the scenes), because under his tenure his authoritarian government maintained such tight political control over every aspect of the city state that it became almost impossible for parties other than the PAP to gain a foothold.
Now, almost three years after his death, there are signs of some very modest relaxation in that control, but it's by no means as much as some would like. Singaporeans still do not enjoy many of the liberties citizens in most first-world nations take for granted and it's ranked 151st out of 180 countries on the Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index.
So inevitably, with economic pressures increasing amid a growing appetite for greater democracy, Lee Kuan Yews's complex legacy is coming under more scrutiny.
As this film from Lynn Lee and James Leong explains, that scrutiny has been given an extra edge over the past few months because of a bitter (and embarrassingly public) family dispute among his offspring, about what should be done about the house in which Lee spent most of his life.
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All Comments (21)
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I'm a British person living in Singapore for 7 years. What living here for the last 7 years has taught me is that democracy is overrated. What this piece misses is that the population here have overwhelming trust in the government. Something that may have been forced to begin with is now reinforced with real trust in what the government has delivered. No place is perfect, but Singapore comes very close in my opinion. Through forward planning and great policy implementation, coupled with a capable and compliant population, Singapore will continue to achieve great things and I hope to contribute what little I can towards my new home. Thank you LKY and thank you Singapore.
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I am a Singaporean living in Europe for 40 years . Singapore is the safest and cleanest countries in the world . don't think that you can say what you want and do what you want here in Europe. People's always think grass is greener on the other side.
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Having live in Singapore for like 9 yrs, I come to realize that most of the opposition parties and public figures dont actually know what they are doing and believe. Some, like Roy Ngerng, simply is blinded by promises brought about by Western style free speech and democracy, which as we have known and experienced, could result on harsh debates, mistrusts, disfunctional politics etc without even certifying their cause to the issue, becoming more and more unsubstantial thus discourage nuance and compromise. Just recently, the largest opposition party had created a scandal related to racial politics in which one of the MP was found to be lying. This is just a no no for a country such as Singapore. So i dont think that LKY was wrong on his decision as the result is just very clear for Singapore. He knows what he thought and what he did, whereas the opposition lacks any implementation of their ideas and their doings. P.S : qatari funded aljazeera dare to talk about democracy is an example of epic irony of a shonen manga LOL
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As I get older, I am getting more appreciative of the country I live in. Look at the rest of many countries around the world and you will start to appreciate what was done for our country. It’s never going to be perfect but it’s so much better than the most.
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Dear Roy. We Singaporeans generally don't challenge the government not because we are afraid but because we don't protest for the sake of protesting. Furthermore, the government though not perfect is still doing a fairly good job.
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"I spend my whole life building it, i have no doubt it not only will survive but also will prosper continually as long as i am in-charged" . "This in not a game of card, this is your life and my life, if you don't have the iron wills, give it up and stop whining. "
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Sometimes, you just don't appreciate what you've got until it's gone. It's ridiculous that each time prosperity comes, people just want to sit down and entitle themselves.
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Lee Kuan yew is the greatest statesman of all time, so much wisdom and foresight, he is so we'll educated and smart most people he talks to can barely even comprehend his intelligence.
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Yes, we don't appreciate what we have until the day we lose it. Law and order. Peace and prosperity. Cleanliness and safety.
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In the end...he did good. The young generations tend to be ignorant and they do not understand what it is be like to be poor just as Kuan Yew said. This is an everlasting cycle.
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Funny that a news agency from Qatar, an absolute monarchy, makes a special segment on the short-comings of democracy in a country that has succeeded without abundant oil and other hydrocarbon resources. It was an interesting piece, I would like to see one on the al Thani family and their efforts at democratizing and secularizing Qatar. If any.
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Imagine you donated some money to another person and that person said "so little". How would you feel. We should always appreciate what the government had done for us, especially LKY. Singapore is so successful today, it was all due to what had been done in the past till now and this proved the approach taken is correct. Could you imagine what would happen to Singapore if we had done otherwise. Just look around your surrounding vs outside Singapore. Learn to appreciate and be grateful.
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Why is trusting a government we chose wrong? They have proven to be not corrupted, working hard for the people, and very importantly brought Singapore to what we are now. Having stayed in Singapore for some years doesnt make you a Singaporean!
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The miracle of Singapore was not only because of Lee Kuan Yew. Most important was Goh Keng Swee who was the true architect of our economy, defence, and education system.
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'this is my life, this is my country, this is my people. You will trample over us over my dead body..'' I live by that .. if i hear anyone putting singapore or singaporeans down I tell them off...!
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LSW is revolting against his grandfather’s plan and vision for Singapore. He is too inclined to western ideals that LKW knew to be not applicable in Singapore.
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Watching this in 2019, democracy is laughable citing Poland, Brexit, and US Govt. Singapore succeeds because its not Democratic, the fact the govt can foresee these weaknesses is to be credited
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This was kind of a hit piece but the comments fill me with joy. They don't just buy the propaganda sold by the news.
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Good report, I admire Lee Kuan Yew, I think there is always a cost for everything and in this case, the net result for Singapour, under LKY´s system is by far a net positive and all its citizens should feel proud and lucky to have such a founding father. I've lived 11 years in USA and I can say with all certainty that their citizens live under a sense of fear of their police and the law, however you want to define and analyze it, let's remember they have the Patriot Act too. There will always be contrarians, that is just human nature.
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It's sad to know that the grandson didn't know the history of the event before making a statement at 9:10. LKY did not pass down Prime minister position to his son. It was passed from LKY to goh chok tok in 28 November 1990, then to his son LHL on 12 August 2004.
