SINGAPORE — As a small country, Singapore always has to “fight” to be at the table with the big boys, and former Senior Minister S Jayakumar’s new memoir is a reminder of the nation’s position, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong today (May 6).

Things have gone well for Singapore for so long that “people sometimes do not realise that we can still easily be turfed off the table and become an item on the menu”, Mr Lee said during the launch of the book held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).

The book, Be At The Table or Be On The Menu, “reminds us of the harsh reality of international affairs, especially for a small country with little clout vis-a-vis big players”, Mr Lee noted.

He also paid tribute to the “quiet and unremitting” efforts of Professor Jayakumar, who was Foreign Minister from 1994 to 2004, and others like him “who speak up for Singapore”.

“They make sure that we have a table, that we have something to say, and that our voice is heard,” Mr Lee said.

He also noted that Prof Jayakumar, who was in politics for 31 years and helmed important ministries, had participated in many major events, policies and constitutional changes.

For example, as Home Affairs Minister, Prof Jayakumar led the rescue operations after Hotel New World collapsed in 1986, and headed the operation to end the hijacking of Singapore Airlines Flight SQ117 in 1991.

When he was Law Minister, Prof Jayakumar also played a major role in all the important constitutional and legislative changes, such as the introduction of Non-Constituency Member of Parliament scheme and the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act.

Mr Lee also shared an anecdote which he said reflected Prof Jayakumar’s and his colleagues’ deep commitment to Singapore. Prof Jayakumar was going to bed one night when he was startled by a big bang, which sounded like an explosion. He was not able to sleep until he had checked and was assured that no major incident had been reported, Mr Lee said.

The Prime Minister noted that Prof Jayakumar’s personal story, as laid out in the book, is also a reminder of Singapore’s ideals as a nation.

Mr Lee pointed out that Prof Jayakumar, who was born to a poor family in a minority community, managed to make it to university. He then become a minister holding important portfolios in a multi-racial Cabinet team, a team which treated one another as friends and equals — something that would not have been possible without a system that upheld meritocracy, multi-racialism and the rule of law.

Thanking Prof Jayakumar for dedicating the book to the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, the Prime Minister noted that it contains a moving exchange of emails between both men after the 2011 general election.

The exchange includes Prof Jayakumar telling the then Minister Mentor of the profound impact the latter had had on him, and how Prof Jayakumar himself had tried to imbue his younger colleagues with the same approach he had learnt from the late Mr Lee.

Citing the email exchange, Mr Lee Hsien Loong said: “We must keep alive this spirit of stewardship, this compulsion to pass on our values and our experiences to our successors ...”

Prof Jayakumar, who retired from politics in May 2011, said he wrote the book because he feels it is important to record some important episodes and events in Singapore’s history.

Certain themes and lessons can be learnt from the book, he said, such as the need to be prepared for all kinds of situations, the importance of working as a team and having competent officials.

The book, published by Straits Times Press, is priced at S$26 before GST and is available at all bookstores.