Remembering Lee Kuan Yew

It has been ages since I last had an urge to write something that was not suppressible by fatigue and to an extent, laziness. However, as this dark week of national mourning draw to a close, I felt that I had to write a tribute in remembrance of our nation's founding father, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, for whom we owe so much.

I was born in the eighties, a period of time where Mr Lee has served Singapore for close to thirty years, a period where Singapore has enjoyed peace and to a certain extent, prosperity, for close to two decade. I did not go through the Second World War. I did not go through the Battle for Merger or our sack from Malaysia. I did not go through the anguish and uncertainty our pioneer generation experienced in the very first days of the nation's independence. Unlike some of my peers born in the same era, I was even fortunate to be born in a brick flat and not a mud house or in a Kampong, albeit the fact that me and my parents, shared a flat with my aunt and uncle then. Perhaps because of this fortune, I did not get a chance to experience first hand, the tears, blood, sweat and sacrifice that Mr Lee, his team and the pioneer generation has given to rallying this nation, to building this nation and to strengthening this nation. What I learnt in my early days was largely a product of education, something that was a pivotal element in Mr Lee's envisioned road map to ensure a prospering future for Singapore, something that as kids, we complained about, something that perhaps, some of us have taken for granted.

The Mr Lee that I knew during my growing up years was from textbooks, the occasional television, conversations with my fellow Singaporeans and from my parents. I still remember how most of the older generation would affectionately refer to Mr Lee as the "Ah Gong" of Singapore and how my father would always hush me as he turned up the volume on the television during televised National Rallies with a "Listen Listen, Ah Gong going to talk already". As a child, I never really bothered to listen National Rallies, which were dismissed as something boring. So I grew up recognizing Mr Lee's face on the television year after year, recognizing him as someone important in Singapore without realizing just how pivotal he is.

Throughout the years, life seemed to just get better in Singapore. Buildings were built higher and prettier than before. Undeveloped land grew to beautiful neighborhoods in the blink of an eye. Old buildings were replaced with world class architectures at amazing speed and rates. Technology developed at an amazing pace. Wages increased. Sanitation, standards of living and security improved. Efficiency and productivity soar. Our city skyline became so pretty that it is enviable by any standards worldwide. From a nobody on the world map, our nation enjoyed increased attention from the world as the Garden City that made it to the ranks of "First World" countries. The nation's success which was viewed as nothing short of an economic miracle by the world unfortunately went largely unnoticed in mine, and forgive me, in the eyes of many Singaporeans in our era.

Perhaps it is because of the phenomenal and fast pace that this nation that I grew up in is going at and of which, I am part of, I never ever paused to ponder about how were all these made possible? What is the mechanism behind this clockwork driving the nation's progress? Who are in the backdrop, laboring tirelessly, propelling us forward? We take too many things for granted. Our education, our security, our cleanliness, our jobs, the clean water that we get from our taps, our beautifully green country, the protectors of our land, our leaders.

I would not say that the entire nation's progress is due to a single man as that would undermine the blood and sweat of countless Singaporeans, leaders from the pioneer generation and the Old Guards which made all of these possible. However, I believe that none would deny that Mr Lee was instrumental to that progress that we now enjoy. I'd bet that even those minority that had been discrediting Mr Lee in the past week despite the national mourning wouldn't deny that. How could you not attribute the progress to the efforts of the leader of the ruling party? Isn't that attribution more necessary when the Mr Lee in your remembrance is that autocratic to the point of being a dictator?

I would not say that Mr Lee was without his faults. In this internet age where information is freely available on the internet, who would not have heard about "Operation Cold Store"? Who would not have heard of the fear that Mr Lee instilled in the hearts of his political opponents? Who could deny the atrocities that many of his political opponents suffered? I was never and will never be in his shoes, nor was I born in that era. I could not judge the necessity of those actions or the considerations that went through his mind in executing those actions. However, ask yourself, if I gave you the chance to go back in time and you had a choice of 1) repeating history or 2) reverse those atrocities and risk the survival of the nation, which would you choose? I do not laud Mr Lee for his faults but it is my humble opinion that what he did, he did it with the belief that it was for the greater good of the Nation, for the greater good of Singaporeans.

I believe that Mr Lee is a leader with a heart for Singaporeans, a heart for Singapore. Nothing but that would have driven all the work that he has done. Nothing but that would have explained his sacrifice for Singapore. And if you are denying his sacrifice for Singapore, ponder about these:

- He has dedicated 60 years of his life to serving Singapore, serving way beyond an age where most would retire. He kept a watchful eye on Singapore even in his old age, entering into debates with the Cabinet when he had a view he felt strongly about. At his age, with his stature and his prominence in the world, he had nothing more to prove. In his words and I paraphrase - "There is nothing more he needs to do. He has gotten a successful Singapore". There could not be anything but passion and a heart for Singapore that drove him to serve till his last days.
- He has been in the public's eyes since the 1950s. He has been regarded as a pillar of modern Singapore for 60 years. This means that every action of his is scrutinized, being placed in history and judged by all Singaporeans and as Singapore gain prominence in the global arena, the world. He could not travel to much places without heavy security and losing a certain degree of privacy. He was unable to enjoy simple comforts such as strolling in a public park, going to the food center to queue for his favorite Peranakan dessert, enjoying a private overseas holiday with his children, his grandchildren. And all these, even till his last days.
- He is the founding father of Singapore. Beyond these, he is also a husband, a father, a grandfather. While he tried to shield his family from the media wall, he had to sacrifice time with his family, sacrifice time with his children, his grandchildren during their growing up years, because he was busy with his bigger child - Singapore. As much as he tried to give his children and grandchildren a normal childhood, his children and grandchildren grew up with much time in his absence in return for a security team that they probably saw more than himself. I can only imagine the sense of regret he felt towards them.

No amount of words would be sufficient to pen down Mr Lee's dedication and sacrifice to this nation. I am glad that I am not the only one that feels this way. Over the course of the past week, I have seen hundreds of thousands of Singaporeans uniting to pay their respects to him, countless kind acts and gestures to demonstrate our care for our fellow citizens, the unity and efficiency of our organizing committees and volunteers who labor tirelessly to enable the nation to pay its last tribute to our founding father, the countless heart rending tributes and condolences penned, facebook statuses expressing their grief, world leaders who sent in their condolences and/or flew huge distances to pay respects to this political giant of our age. It has been ages since I last saw such a united Singapore. Who said we Singaporeans are emotionless? We reserve our emotions for those that truly deserve it. Who said we Singaporeans are not united? We have proved that we could rally behind the right cause. We are and will always be One People, One Nation as what our founding father envisioned.

Tomorrow marks a new era for Singapore. A Singapore without Lee Kuan Yew. A Singapore I never imagined. A Singapore that holds uncertain. But who ever said that progress could not breed from uncertainty? Lee Kuan Yew has proven that it could be done and we will do it again. We are and will stay, a nation, strong and free. Rest in Peace, Mr Lee Kuan Yew. You will always live on in the hearts of Singaporeans, past, present and future.

(PS: This article was written from one man's perspective and is not meant to spark an argument. You are entitled to your views, I am entitled to mine. If you don't like what I have written, you are free to click on the "X" button on your top left or right hand corner of your window. There is no need to comment or argue.)

There was a time when people said that
Singapore won't make it
But we did
There was a time when troubles seemed too much
For us to take
But we did

We built a nation, strong and free
Reaching out together
For Peace and Harmony

This is my country
This is my flag
This is my future
This is my life
This is my family
These are my friends
We are Singapore, Singaporeans

Singapore, our homeland, it's here that we belong
All of us united, one people marching on
We've come so far together, our common destiny
Singapore forever, a nation strong and free

We are Singapore, We are Singapore
We will stand together hear the lion roar
We are Singapore, We are Singapore
We're a nation strong and free, forevermore

We, the citizens of Singapore
Pledge ourselves as one united people
Regardless of race, language or religion
To build a democratic society
Based on justice and equality
So as to achieve happiness, prosperity and
Progress for our Nation.