I did not appoint my son, I appointed somebody else (as) prime minister, who was my successor, and he stayed in the job for 14 years, and he chose my son to be his deputy. I did not arrange that.
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The following is a partial transcript of William Safire’s interview with Lee Kuan Yew on January 31, 1999 at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
WS: Here comes a prickly question. You mentioned corruption and nepotism earlier today. What about Singapore? Would your son be Deputy Prime Minister if he were not your son?
LKY: If he were not my son, he would be the Prime Minister. I’ll tell you honestly, I stopped him, because he can run faster than any of the others. But I told him it would do him no good. Just stay out of this race. And his generation, his peers, know that I am not boasting when I tell you this.
WS: So you don’t foresee a dynasty?
LKY: I am not that bereft of satisfaction with my life that I need to live vicariously through him. In fact, if he doesn’t measure up, it is better that he does not show up, because he’ll just besmirch the family reputation.
“if he doesn’t measure up, it is better that he does not show up, because he’ll just besmirch the family reputation.”
Ten years on, Lee Kuan Yew may NOT have imagined how prophetic he was!!
wow, i think that guy’s reply have convincd the world.
But why was he asked the question?
maybe the Russians should study alittle more on Chinese culture, what “face” means, & how it influence decisions.
And also a study into “Guan Xi” would suffice.
I did not appoint my son as PM, but I spoke to Wooden that he will hold the helm for 14 years so that my son would learn. This was the hint to Wooden!
Exactly what question was being asked and if it is the same ‘accusation’ of cronism, why no sueing ensue after that question?
I remembered newspapers, journals and publications were being sued many times over when similar statement to that effect was being published.
Why has the stand been softened?
How could Russian accused our MM for building a succession based on favourism and cronism.
Our government has been the most fair, most well planned in succesion planning. This is even 14 years before that our MM could envisage that so long as he lives, his Son would prove to be capable and is appointed to take over.
He said: “I always take a decision where if it fails, I got an exit route – that is a first principle I have. Take an option which is not a dead end; if it is a dead end, then you are in trouble. If that option fails, you must have plan B.”
Plan A: appoint his Son direclty of which the durian is not ripe.
Plan B: appoint somone but ensure that I live long enough to see the end result of Plan A still materialised.
What a grand strategist! I admire that vision and long sightedness.
Mmm…he can say it….but seeing is believing….
So arrogant of Russian students to ask such a insulting question. Don’t they know what is dynasty ? Moreoever, they didn’t even bow down to greet the emperor ! Who think they are ? They are nothing but a bunch of lesser mortals. They should have asked more intelligent questions like “Why are you so kind to the opp party ?” They should be grateful to the emperor for been benevolent to them. In the past, feudal emperor will have beheaded anyone that doubt his wisdom so count those Russians lucky.
Maybe we should just dig deeper into Nepotism. And then we see how deep the hole goes. Let’s how many relatives are in the cabinet and the ruling elite? For a start …Wong Kan Sing. Anyone care to increase this list?
“LKY: If he were not my son, he would be the Prime Minister. I’ll tell you honestly, I stopped him, because he can run faster than any of the others. But I told him it would do him no good. Just stay out of this race. And his generation, his peers, know that I am not boasting when I tell you this.”
———-
Hmm…really? Interesting.
Perhaps the son, was a reincarnation of the father who has yet passed; groomed to succession before the occasion arises. MM must be a truly religious man, stealing a leaf from the Tibetan process of renewing the future Lama through the chosen child reborn.
Oh dear, does that mean one of the grand children will be the next successor? Perhaps this will happen;
DMM (Departed Mentor Minister)-But Rose from The Grave For TV Interview) :
“If he were not my grandson, he would be the Prime Minister. I’ll tell you honestly, I stopped him, because he can run faster than any of the others. But I told him it would do him no good. Just stay out of this race. And his generation, his peers, know that I am not boasting when I tell you this.”
(After one generation, insert great before grand except after E*)
*Exile
Of course LKY did not appoint son as PM and neither did he appoint Ho Ching as CEO, appoint the Chief Justice, appoint the chief editor of S.T., appoint the head of ISD, appoint Nathan as President, appoint the generals, rear admirals, appoint the police commisioner, appoint the NMPs, appoint the 80 PAP stooges to stand for elections………………
…….and he did not arrange for himself to be indispensable, did not arrange to draw multi million dollar salary, did not arrange to have elections dept in PMO, did not arrange to implement GRCs, did not arrange changes to CPF, did not arrange to be awarded obscene sums of money from defamation law suits, did not arrange for ridiculous laws to be passed in parliament, did not arrange for how the 81 PAP MPs voted in parliament…….and not least he has a freaking sense of humour.
Another politician said these famous words starting wity the same 3 words
” I did not appoint my son…….”
“I did not have sexual relations with that woman”.
“I did not appoint my son, I appointed somebody else (as) prime minister, who was my successor, and he stayed in the job for 14 years, and he chose my son to be his deputy. I did not arrange that.”
OMG ! His senility has grown serious and this will adversely affect Singapore’s future and investor’s confidence. Is there correlation between bullshit and senility ? His neuron brain cell is apparently short-circuited.
If one cannot see anything wrong with old fart’s statement, try another highfalutin improvised version.
“I did not kill her, I appointed somebody else (as) to do her, who was my hired killer, and he stayed in the job for 14 years, and he chose her to be his victim. I did not arrange that.”
So, the example goes that someone hired a killer to kill a female, but yet say the killer choose to kill the female. So No one ask the killer to kill the female. What a highfalutin logic. So who is the real murderer ? As usual, it is NOBODY. Neither the killer nor instigator kill the victim but NOBODY kill her and she died. CAVEAT EMPTOR. She died with her eyes wide open.
Either old fart is senile or I am senile.
kopitiamapek,
Please refrain from posting lyrics of songs here. You’ve done so several times and all of them are disallowed.
Thanks.
the Russians must have been laughing till their tummy cramp at our “venerable” MM Lee.
reputation sweep floor…
LKY try to convince everyone that his son LHL is PM with merit not through succession. The bare truth was all planned. LKY had wooden GCT became
PM first to warm the seat for LHL. During GCT was PM, LKY relentlessly attacked him in the public eyes. So much so that wooden GCT was forced to name LHL as his successor. And all these are highly classified in the inner cabinets. Nobody will know the truth.
By himself LHL will never be PM. There are many better calibre Ministers, like George Yeo etc are far better than LHL. It is a case of nepotism acting on a stage
to look good in the public eyes. With his great influence (LKY), who dares to question his decision. Yes! to William Safire he said he did not want LHL to be PM. Is it his heartfelt words? No, never. LKY wanted to build a dynasty of the famiLEE to control Spore even when he is not around.
That is the reason why Ho is Ching is reinstated as CEO in Temased Holdings.
Dhana bolan had no said as Chairman of Temasek.. Who dared to defy godfather LKY.
LHL can still resign as PM now. HIs performance leaves much to be desired.
Riding on the old man’s fame. Everyone can do it. I can do it if LKY is my father.
Fiction is stranger than facts !!
Well that guy said it, so it must be the unquestionable Truth right?
Bill Clinton: I did not inhale!
Bill Clinton: I did not have sex!
Lee Kuan Yew: I did not appoint!
George Bush Senior: Read my lips!
Politicians. Liars all.
ya, and we have a people Elected President.
Every mother’s child in S’pore knows that Wooden Goh was just a seat warmer for LHL
LHL would not be PM if his father wasn’t LKY. In fact, the Familee members wouldn’t be holding top positions at GLCs and civil service if there wasn’t LKY.
It is really pointless for LKY to deny the TRUTH
yeah right.
Wow, our highly credible and mentally alert man has spoken once again.
I am sure the world by now will once again realise how credible he is.
He din appoint ok.
Our system is so credible, including the elected presidency system.
well, MM Lee did not build S’pore up, he got everyone else to do it, so why he always take credit?
YA RIGHT….. I believe you.
haha…. joker..
Please lah!
In the Charlie Rose’s interview, MM Lee said that if LHL is not his son; he would have MADE him Prime Minister earlier. So which one is the truth? You did’nt choose him or you MADE him?
LKY had laid the card nicely on the cabinet table for wooden Goh to act on.
The transition period was to look good in the public eyes. Surely LKY cannot downright appoint LHL as his immediate successor. Must have a few acts in the
Wayang show to draw the curtain closed preferably.
SotongBall
post #27 on September 24th, 2009 12.09 am
////Please lah!
In the Charlie Rose’s interview, MM Lee said that if LHL is not his son; he would have MADE him Prime Minister earlier. So which one is the truth? You did’nt choose him or you MADE him?////
things happen you know lah, so LHL is son. no wonder LKY so worried about freak results? :)
LIARS LIARS LIARS and a BIG ONE too! Let him swear all he like anyway he knows damn well his time is up cos poor JBJ prefers to wait for him in HELL when he is supposed to be in heaven . . . . . . I’M STILL WAITING OLD FART!
Quite well said as I believe if our current PM is not capable, he would have been asked to stepped down long ago.
LoL, imagine how people overseas who are critical of sgp will go “haha, yeah right” when they see this article…
gosh….really, for him to say it….it is just mmm…..
A and B stand behind a guy
A took B’s hand to wack the guy
Guy Turn back and A says ” I didn’t do it. it was him”
good 1 Yamamoto!! :)
there goes MM Lee’s reputation.
aiyoyo
omg next time go out to travel
should say I’m from sgp???
sad story…
aiyoyo
He did not appoint his son to be prime minister.
He just wanted his son to be the Prime Minister.
He is right and honest, he deserves the accolades given
in this Thread.
patriot
If anyone believes not that singapore is run by Minister Mentor than they are only kidding themselves. We all know that singapore is run by the father son and the holy goh and the son’s wife!
Then comes the rest of the people who are appointed by him and his cronies.Even Nathan is appointed by him . If Nathan were to stand for election against someone else for sure he is going to loose. You know it , I know it, the whole of singapore knows it and guess what the government knows it as well.
So there you have it, Minister Mentors contention that he is not involved in all the due processes.
My fellow citizens, two years later what have we achieved. The PAP is still in power, father,son , wife and holy ghost all intact.