MM Lee and SM Goh are my 2 heros...

[makapaaa]

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Coffeeshop Chit Chat - MM Lee and SM Goh are my 2 heros...</TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right>

Subscribe </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=msgtable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"> </TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgF width="1%" noWrap align=right>From: </TD><TD class=msgFname width="68%" noWrap>CPL (kojakbt22) <NOBR>

</NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate width="30%" noWrap align=right>9:55 am </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT height=20 width="1%" noWrap align=right>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname width="68%" noWrap>ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> (1 of 3) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft rowSpan=4 width="1%"> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>23597.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt>MM Lee, SM Goh continue to go all out for S'pore
AS I read The Straits Times on Thursday ('Warm tributes from old friends' and 'Hero's welcome for SM Goh'), I felt compelled to write of how fortunate Singapore is to have two senior statesmen like Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong.
Reading the glowing tributes paid to MM Lee by senior politicians in America, one genuinely places in proper context how his vision and capabilities helped command our country's growth, strengthened its ties with the region and earned respect from peers in the West over
the years. That a small island nation can achieve so much in so short a time speaks volumes of MM Lee's stewardship. That a leader from Singapore can, in the words of former US secretary of state and Nobel Peace Prize winner Henry Kissinger, get 'to see an array of (American) people that almost no foreign leader gets to see in such a grouping and in a mode which is unique' shows us how highly respected MM Lee is as a statesman internationally.
SM Goh's visit to his hometown in Yongchun county, China, as was reported, was deliberate, to help put in context the recent debate about new immigrants to Singapore.
That we are not reproducing enough as a society is a fact. That we need more people in Singapore to continue to grow this country is also indisputable. Yet we remonstrate strongly when a permanent resident (PR) takes part in her native country's anniversary celebrations, calling for her PR status to be revoked.
Is there a missing link in this equation? SM Goh sums up this debate aptly by saying: 'We are or were all world immigrants from somewhere.' Bringing in new immigrants is not new, it has been going on since Sir Stamford Raffles founded Singapore in 1819.
To have a senior statesman from Singapore recognised and respected internationally speaks volumes of how a young island nation has moved from Third World to First.
To have another going to great lengths to explain the importance of growing and balancing our social fabric shows how our country is evolving for continued prosperity.
Both have shown how, at ages when many of us would have retired and gone on to other pursuits, they continue to go all out for the good of Singapore, internationally and domestically.
The harshest of critics will hold their loquacity in this excellent demonstration by MM Lee and SM Goh of selfless statesmanship. Let us wish them both the best of health and recognise their efforts well.
Steve Tan

[email protected]

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[trulysingapore]

Dear Mr President,

I refer to your recent compliment to our Minister Mentor, Mr Lee Kuan Yew. You said Mr Lee 'helped to trigger the Asian economic miracle.' But just how momentous or crucial has this 'trigger' been?

The 'Asian economic miracle' began with the miracles of the four East Asian dragons of Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea and Singapore. Since all started industrialisation around the same time, how do we know if it was Mr Lee's Singapore that helped 'trigger the Asian miracle' and not Hong Kong, Taiwan or Korea instead?

We now know that the success of the Asian miracle rests with export oriented industrialisation. Countries that embarked on import substitution industrialisation failed to prosper. Yet, when Mr Lee first took over the reins of government in 1959, it was precisely the route of import substitution that he took. It was only in 1965 when Singapore was separated from its Malaysian hinterland that import substitution became untenable, forcing Singapore to embark on export oriented industrialisation instead. So if there had been a 'trigger' for the 'Singapore miracle', it must have been lady luck.

Moreover, Singapore's plans for industrialisation came largely from one man - the Dutch economist Dr Albert Winsemius who was also instrumental in bringing the first multinationals like Shell and Philips onto the shores of Singapore. So if we have to name one person who 'helped trigger the Singapore miracle', it would have been Dr Winsemius rather than Mr Lee.

Finally, if all it takes is just a 'trigger', why aren't we seeing more 'miracles' all around the world? The Singapore story is no secret but an open recipe for all to see and to emulate. Yet even within Asia itself we see so many countries languishing in poverty. Does it make sense to say that Mr Lee 'triggered' China more and the Phillippines less? It doesn't make sense. So clearly, it takes more than just 'triggers' for 'miracles' to happen. Thus it makes little sense to attribute the 'Asian miracle' to any one 'trigger'.


Thank you

 

[halsey02]

He likes legendary "WONG FEI HONG", and his servant, the tall version of "SAI GUAY POW".....

 

[Liquigas]

A true measure of greatness of a leader, to me, is whether the person occupies first position in the hearts of his countryman. Chairman Mao, despite causing sufferings to millions of Chinese people, is still the revered figure in China. If you have been to Vietnam, you will know that Uncle Ho, who died in 1969, is still deeply respected to this day. So who is this person in Singapore? If I ask my 77-year old mother, the answer, no surprise, is MM Lee!

 

[goldenmonkey]

Oh gosh, these I would expect only to see in N.Korea or PR China papers!!
This is so out-dated even for Iraq!!!

 

[halsey02]

A true measure of greatness of a leader, to me, is whether the person occupies first position in the hearts of his countryman. Chairman Mao, despite causing sufferings to millions of Chinese people, is still the revered figure in China. If you have been to Vietnam, you will know that Uncle Ho, who died in 1969, is still deeply respected to this day. So who is this person in Singapore? If I ask my 77-year old mother, the answer, no surprise, is MM Lee!

My mother would say Sun Yat Sen...the founder of Chung Hwa Ming Guo...your mom had drank too much PAPpy juices. Ok!, mum, would say LKY have done a lot for SINgapore...but stop short there.

To each their own..no offence to you or your mum...:p

 

[johnny333]

So who is this person in Singapore? If I ask my 77-year old mother, the answer, no surprise, is MM Lee!

If you ask the hundreds of thousands of ex-Sporeans who left Spore. LKY wouldn't be their 1st choice

When LKY ups the lorry & people get to see the 'real' books. LKY will probably join the ranks of Marcos, Suharto,... & yet not get caught & thrown out.

 

[trulysingapore]

I refer to the letter to Straits Times by Steve Tan dated 31 Oct 2009.

Mr Tan feels that the glowing tributes by American dignitaries place in context the vision and stewardship of MM Lee. But many of those tributes don't even make sense. Mr Clinton said that MM helped millions of people across Southeast Asia to live better, more prosperous lives. Yet, much of Southeast Asia is still in poverty. Should we instead say that MM helped millions across Southeast Asia to stay in poverty?

Mr Bush said that MM has done so much for Singapore and desserves the recognition for making Singapore the thriving, prosperous nation it is today. But the fact remains that Singapore was already a thriving city under the British. MM merely inherited a Singapore that had been thriving for more than a century. Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea have similarly thrived and prospered without the stewardship of any one 'legendary' figure. This suggests that the prosperity that we experience today is not necessarily the work of any one individual but the result of something common amongst East Asians.

We should ask ourselves what this incessant pursuit of growth is for? Do we pursue growth for growth's sake? Or do we pursue growth to become prosperous? But we are already prosperous. The developed economies have shown us that as we near the apex of prosperity, growth slows naturally. It's like a child who improves by 10 marks every year, very soon, he'll hit 100 marks.

When Sir Stamford Raffles brought in immigrants, Singapore was just a colony. Now that Singapore is a nation, how can we continue to behave like we are a colony? When will we ever start behaving like a nation?

The recognition and honouring of our leader doesn't automatically translate to the honouring of our country. Just like the honouring of Stalin or Hitler doesn't automatically translate to the honouring of Russia or Germany.

Both MM and SM have shown us that at ages when many can no longer find gainful employment, they are privileged enough to continue to work for the millions they pocket every year.

You don't need the harshest critics to see the meaninglessness of it all. I wish MM au Revoir and early deliverance for the people of Singapore.

 

[trulysingapore]

A true measure of greatness of a leader, to me, is whether the person occupies first position in the hearts of his countryman. Chairman Mao, despite causing sufferings to millions of Chinese people, is still the revered figure in China. If you have been to Vietnam, you will know that Uncle Ho, who died in 1969, is still deeply respected to this day. So who is this person in Singapore? If I ask my 77-year old mother, the answer, no surprise, is MM Lee!

if you asked any german citizen during Adolf Hitler's rein, there will be no doubt that he is the leader and the saviour.

today, if you ask any german whether hitler was their hero, you will get a totally different answer.

time will pass, the old generation will come to pass. your mother will come to pass and the new generation, being more educated will better judge LKY. only then will the true picture arise.

same goes for chairman mao. if you ask who the chinese people respected more. it would be deng xiao ping, zhou en lai before mao ze dong.