Mr Lee Kuan Yew's fighting spirit helped S'pore leap from Third World to First: Low Thia Khiang

SINGAPORE - Opposition leader Low Thia Khiang today (March 26) paid homage to the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew in a Special Sitting of Parliament. He spoke in Mandarin. Here is his speech, translated:

The founding Prime Minister was an extraordinary political leader born of a turbulent and uncertain era. 

Singapore at that time was a small island and an unnoticeable city. Economically, it relied on entrepot trade. Militarily, it relied on the protection from British troops. When Singapore was forced to leave Malaysia, I don’t think many believed Singapore could survive on its own, not to mention to have imagined how our achievements are today. 

We all know that during that period, the country was to be rebuilt from scratch and there was high unemployment rate. Our neighbours were not particularly friendly either. To survive, we had to have global vision to attract foreign investments and become part of the international market. However, this put Singapore in the danger of becoming a vassal to big countries and a pawn in the international political arena that can be sacrificed at any time. 

Internal and external challenges were a great test for Mr Lee. Without his outstanding wisdom and courage, traversing among the big countries,  promoting to them Singapore’s value and the potential benefits we can provide, winning the respect of the leaders of these major powers, our economy could not have been successful and Singapore could not have achieved our status and space on the international stage. For a small country to survive, besides having a strong military defence, the international political space is the key to maintaining national interest and survival. 

In Singapore, fighting for independence and the continuous political struggle awakened the Singaporean’s political awareness. In the process of political movements and the fighting together, consensus was forged between the people and Mr Lee, as well as a common direction and mutual trust. This is the main reason that Singapore leapt from the Third World to the First within one generation. This success arose not only from Mr Lee’s extraordinary fighting spirit and tenacity, but also from his sincerity.

However, I don’t think the People’s Action Party’s one-party rule is the key to Singapore’s fast economic development, strong social cohesion and unity. This is because many Singaporeans were sacrificed during the process of nation-building and policymaking and our society has paid a price for it. This is why Mr Lee is also a controversial figure in some people’s eyes. 

He crafted policies based on the situation then and made rational judgments in the interest of the country. However, the choice and implementation of policies is not only a rational decision. It should also take into consideration human nature and the sensitivity. Only by doing so can we avoid hurting people’s feelings and creating resentment. If accumulated over a long time, the resentment could become a potential political crisis and affect people’s unity and their identification with the country.

From my meetings with Mr Lee in Parliament, I don’t think he was an autocrat who didn’t listen. If you have strong reasons and arguments that are better than the policies that he had given a lot of thought for, I think he will consider your views. I also know he was someone who hates empty talking, because he thought time was precious and there were too many things to do.

Singapore is a multi-racial society and every race has its own language and culture. In the early years of nation building, everyone hoped to maintain their advantages in this new country. How to manage the various conflicts of interest, unite people and build a national identity was a tremendous challenge. Countries with similar situations as we were in the early days are still facing the same social conflicts brought about multiracialism and multiculturalism. Some even face the danger of disintegration. Singapore today, with the ability to unite regardless of race, language and religion, is not possible without Mr Lee’s work. 

My deepest respect goes to founding Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew.