Andrew Loh
“Will he ever stop bashing Singapore?” – screamed a big bold headline in a New Paper report in October 2007. It was in reference to the secretary-general of the Singapore Democratic Party, Dr Chee Soon Juan. Dr Chee was accused of “bashing Singapore” for questioning then-Deputy Prime Minister S Jayakumar at the International Bar Association symposium here.
Indeed, in past years, opposition politicians have been accused of and criticized for being less than loyal to the country, especially when they speak overseas. It is a criticism which government ministers and the local media have played up to the full.
So, when Minister Mentor (MM) Lee Kuan Yew did the same in an interview with National Geographic in July 2009, one would have to ask the same question of the MM: “Will you ever stop bashing Singaporeans?” The question should also be directed at People’s Action Party Members of Parliament as well, such as Mr Sam Tan and Mr Charles Chong. (More of that later.)
The MM, in his National Geographic interview, effectively compared Singaporeans to animals when he said, “No, I think the spurs are not stuck on your hinds. They are part of the herd, why-go-faster?” He was answering a question about Singaporeans’ seeming lack of drive. And in quintessential MM arrogance, he went on, “We tell them look they have got to work harder or they’ll become stupid.” He added, “Singaporeans are champion grumblers.”
This is, of course, not the first time that the MM has disparaged Singaporeans but what made this latest instance more disconcerting is that he chose to do so in an interview with a foreign publication. It makes one wonder if the MM, living on his laurels, has become so arrogant that he does not feel there would be any political consequences to this.
More importantly, is the MM painting a picture of Singaporeans as a defective people to the world?
This is not the first time that the MM has used the word “stupid” when speaking of Singaporeans.
In his 1983 National Day Rally speech, when he was Prime Minister, MM Lee said, “If you don’t include your women graduates in your breeding pool and leave them on the shelf, you would end up a more stupid society…So what happens? There will be less bright people to support dumb people in the next generation. That’s a problem.”
But that is not the worst of it. In the 1997 book, The Man And His Ideas, he was quoted as having said, “Mine is a very matter-of-fact approach to the problem. If you can select a population and they’re educated and they’re properly brought up, then you don’t have to use too much of the stick because they would already have been trained. It’s like with dogs. You train it in a proper way from small. It will know that it’s got to leave, go outside to pee and to defecate. No, we are not that kind of society. We had to train adult dogs who even today deliberately urinate in the lifts.”
And more recently, his comment about Singaporeans wanting more opposition or alternative voices in Parliament, that “the cure for all this talk is really a good dose of incompetent government” again brought to the fore the thinking behind the man, his attitude towards Singaporeans. He warned that “your security will be at risk and our women will become maids in other people’s countries, foreign workers.”
Grumblers. Animals. Stupid. Dogs. Maids.
There is no politician in the world who would get away with calling his own citizens these. Yet, by the looks of it, MM Lee’s remarks over the years have not met with much outcry. It is a serious problem if Singaporeans are so mellowed or disempowered to the point of being nonchalant to such disparagement – even if it is from a founding father of modern Singapore.
Where is our pride?
Yet, it seems that the MM is not the only one whose arrogant ways have taken root. Memorably, People’s Action Party MPs too have displayed signs of such conceitedness and contempt of their fellow Singaporeans.
MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, Mr Charles Chong, termed Singaporeans “lesser mortals” earlier this year (2009), when commenting on the civil servant who spent some S$45,000 in a cooking class while on holiday in France. “This may naturally lead to unhappiness and even envy especially during difficult times,” Mr Chong said.
In a similar vein, another PAP MP, Mr Sam Tan, accused Singaporeans of being “molly-coddled”. “A boy who is mollycoddled is a very different person from the one who is physically tough and takes spills without fear and whining,” Mr Tan was quoted by the Straits Times as having said.
It is worrying that the ridicule of Singaporeans come from the highest office-holders in the land as well. In his 2002 National Day Rally speech, then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong weighed in on the brain drain issue. “Fair-weather Singaporeans will run away whenever the country runs into stormy weather. I call them ‘quitters’”, he said bluntly.
Perhaps our leaders are trying to spur Singaporeans to greater heights by these remarks. Perhaps they’re trying to jolt Singaporeans into a realization of our vulnerabilities. While that may be good, one would question if disparaging Singaporeans is the best way to do so.
If one looks at the praises these very same Members of Parliament heap on themselves, the contrast is especially startling. Basically, government ministers and MPs are in quite a different league from ordinary “mere mortals”.
Here are some examples of self-praise by those in government:
Teo Chee Hean:
“The government is a special government… Singapore is helped along by afirst-class, excellent, efficient, uncorrupted public service.” (CNA)
Irene Ng:
“Singapore is governed by extraordinary men willing to make personal sacrifices” (CNA)
Lee Hsien Loong:
“Singaporeans know we have done the right thing. The participants agree, too, and nobody alleges any hanky panky. There are proper procedures and due diligence. Who else can do that in the world?” (CNA)
Lee Hsien Loong:
“They are most impressed by how we have maintained the vigour and quality of our government, without becoming complacent after so many years in power. They want to learn how our system has stayed clean, and our ministers and officials honest.” (AsiaOne)
Yaacob Ibrahim:
“Frankly speaking, you cannot find another civil service quite like it. It’s an ecosystem. … Look at other countries — how the civil service is corrupt, inept, inefficient. Ours is on the ball. They get the job done.” (CNA)
Lee Kuan Yew:
“To make the transformation from what we were in 1959 or 1965, to what we are requires an extraordinary government with extraordinary government officers to support it.” (AsiaOne)
A world of difference from “stupid”, “dogs”, “maids”, “mere mortals”. A great affective divide indeed.
While these unkind remarks on Singaporeans have always been limited to within Singapore itself, MM Lee’s latest comments reported by National Geographic is something new. We have a senior minister in government making the most unkind remarks about the people he governs in an interview with a foreign publication.
All Singaporeans should reject such remarks. But even if one agrees with the points raised by the MM through his comments, one should question if a senior government minister should make such remarks to foreigners or foreign publications.
After all, isn’t this exactly what the government itself had criticized opposition politicians for allegedly doing? Did not our government-controlled media label such opposition politicians as “traitors”?
Indeed, from all the callous remarks about Singaporeans throughout the years, one should ask of the Minister Mentor and his fellow party MPs, “Praise yourself all you want but will you ever stop bashing Singaporeans?”
The consequence is a serious one, make no mistake. It results in a divide between the people and those who govern them. A nation is not built by its leaders making its people feel small.
On the contrary, nations are destroyed that way.
——
Related posts:
- Look who’s bashing Singaporeans
- The race to engage Singaporeans
- Singaporeans, take responsibility!
- Putting Singaporeans first – The Workers’ Party press release
- Annuities for Singaporeans, pension for ministers?
The problem with the current government is the minsters are so far removed from the ‘lesser mortals’ they are supposed to be serving.
Shaking a few hands in hawker centers and heartland void decks is not the same.
In US or other countries, the ministers have to work themselves from ground up.
Singapore is quite unique, these current batch are almost like instant ministers.
So can you really blame them for all the cock-up? It only prove to show their inexperience nothing more (even if i would like to believe they are doing their best).
Old Man is scared to lose and worst…his PAP Mps and ministers are a joke.
Not sloving the problem, everytime it is the USA’s economy or this and that.
Now Singaporeans.
Throw the blame elsewhere. Take it easy.
It is time people or your kids are going to be sleeping on tents.
For heavens sake, why can’t LKY retire gracefully. Is he really that indispensable in the 1st place considering the fact that he likes to shoot his mouth without thinking about the consequences and feelings of other people.
It has become increasingly clear that the old man is losing the respect that he once commanded from the majority of Singaporeans. Instead he now looks like he is more of a liability with his senile remarks and wrongful financial forecasts.
To be hurled insults by so many Singaporeans, it’s about time for him to call it a day. Why can’t someone just tell him off that his time is already over.
“Maybe they will do it once they are able to rope in some willing participating bodies (either public organizations or NGOs) to take care with the provision of food and shelter in order to give you a nice ending story on how fortunate they still are in this country. ”
Ohmigawd. You are asking the homeless to go seek help themselves while you, who feels so fortunate, just sit back and wait until they get help, then tell them how fortunate they are..
They are indeed fortunate to have you as a fellow Singaporean, Mr umm… Singaporean.
National Geographic interviews a dinosaur
Dec. 27 2009 – 04:59 pm
The interview with Singapore’s founding father Lee Kuan Yew in the January edition of National Geographic is a pretty soft piece of journalism that takes a few perfunctory swipes at the Lee Kuan Yew/Singapore Story while buying into its key myths in a rather unquestioning fashion.
For example, the author of the piece, Mark Jacobson, states that few living leaders have “dominated their homeland’s national narrative the way Lee Kuan Yew has”. That’s true but partly down to the fact that LKY and his supporters have controlled the historical narrative in Singapore using the education system and restrictions on free speech, in much the same way as Suharto did in Indonesia (more of which in an upcoming post).
Jacobson does talk about repression in Singapore but doesn’t really seem to understand how it has been used to subvert the historical record.
http://asiancorrespondent.com/the-asia-file/national-geographic-interviews-a-dinosaur
Perhaps the most interesting part of the interview is LKY’s restatement of his Social Darwinistic views.
“I have always thought that humanity was animal-like,” he says. “The Confucian theory was man could be improved, but I’m not sure he can be. He can be trained, he can be disciplined.”
Warm words to inspire a nation, don’t you think?
Later, he bemoans the lazy Singaporeans who complain that the influx of cheap foreign labour is driving down wages. If Singaporeans are falling behind, he explains, it is because “the spurs are not stuck into the hide”.
http://asiancorrespondent.com/the-asia-file/national-geographic-interviews-a-dinosaur
aiyoyo,
we need better 衣 食 住 行 & $$$;
can 2010 be better?
continue to pray…
aiyoyo
“Ohmigawd. You are asking the homeless to go seek help themselves while you, who feels so fortunate, just sit back and wait until they get help, then tell them how fortunate they are..”
Did I sound like I was doing that. You and me are not sitting back and we are all here for a good reason. You and me may do it differently in our own ways and within our own limited capacities of helping the unfortunates.
You may want to redirect your energy & focus on those rightful authorities which have given us the impression of their scare & rare abilities and have all the right power to make or break a person on a long term basis with their policies.
Else we will spend most our time dusting up crumbs which the big men clumsily leave behind while munching on their nice full pieces of bread.
I vote whoever gets the job done. I don’t vote for in order to hear nice things. Don’t confuse politics with entertainment.
This is a free world, free to have your own opinions. We are talking about facts and not emotions. You can hate LKY and PAP for all you want, but you cannot deny the fact the world respect and acknowledge him for a job well done.
From 3rd world to1st world in one generation! That is something.
The interview covers so many topics and it is an insult to our intelligence to take it out of context.
I used to respect him before. But not now anymore.
He loves and enjoys claiming credits for himself what he has done for Singapore and sprouting rubbish the same time to belittle us which interpreted and sounds like we are so stupid as sinagporean.
I am damn tired of his nonsense and I have no words to describe him further.
The policy maker is applying a ‘double standard’ because just as he bashed Singaporeans, I do not see an admission from himself for the wrong population control policy….
How about the little guy who said `Mas Selamat is either still hiding in Singapore or He has left the country’?. Now that’s what I call `True-blue stupidity in its purest form’.
Hey thinktok,
how about giving us some facts about what old fart did? Two is enough? Proposed the national going into dot com and keep quiet when the burble burst?!
You kept repeating how great the old fart is, like a broken record keep playing the same old tune. Think before you talk lah! Idiot!
Monopolistic political systems , arrogant politicians and lack of freedom of speech are characteristic of South East Asian countries , and the system is starting to show its age and inadaptablility .
Also the system in Singapore has developed a certain mindset for a lot of people and to change that will be very difficult , I would agree with the reference to Singaporenas as molly-coddled .
Those who did not like that system have already left Singapore .
///We are talking about facts and not emotions///
We are also talking about the fact that humans do manifest emotions because of certain facts depending on where they stand. Humans are afterall emotional animals and you cannot have facts in isolation & without the human emotional element to give it the lives & meaning that the facts are supposed to give.
///From 3rd world to1st world in one generation! That is something.///
Yes, an achievement indeed. The other side is that behind these two simple harmless words “1st world” (a surface nicety) lie the many people whose trust may be broken.
(with reference)
Yes, an achievement indeed. The other side is that behind these two simple harmless words “1st world” (a surface nicety) lie the many people whose trust may be broken.
Mine is broken,hurt & disgusted. The signs are showing,that unless we collectively act, we will be foreigners in our own land in the years to come.
(with reference)
Yes, an achievement indeed. The other side is that behind these two simple harmless words “1st world” (a surface nicety) lie the many people whose trust may be broken.
Mine is broken,hurt & disgusted. The signs are showing,that unless we collectively act, we will be foreigners in our own land in the years to come.
Poor goh chok tong and even more pitiful lee hsien loong, after more than almost 20 years of power “handover” stupid SINgaporeans can still feel the PAINs where these coming from— LKY. no more sorrows from next election pls.
Goh CT and like-minded elite pls take the lead to change the system, ie the famiLEE . we have enough al F**** pains already
So we are a country of stupid dogs, animals, grumblers and maids led by extraordinary, excellent and first-class men? The quality of leadership is reflected by the quality of it’s followers… so something doesn’t make sense here…
Unless Singaporeans are secure and have a good sense of self worth, they will continue to be bashed with impunity by such people.
It is not inconceivable that power-holders make inappropriate (an euphemism, really) remarks.
What scares me more is that people accept these remarks as truth.
Unless you say no, I am not an “animal” (in the pejorative sense of the word) and I will not allow myself to be called one by one who is nothing more than a “fellow animal”, you will continue to be bashed with impunity and this bashing will be with more than words. It will one day be paid for with unequal policies, with financial loss, and even physical hardship.
Think that what you have is worth keeping the government in for? The man himself, when visiting Angkor Wat, said that you can never take your security for granted. If you do not keep in mind that this government, not a foreign enemy, can one day take away all you have, abrogate your rights to the point where you are kept at the very brink of starvation, and expect you to be grateful for it, the worst could very well happen.
Too many people rely on their past glories to justify their demands for continued deitification. But the past cannot chart the future. Perhaps, as a reference, yes, but certainly not as a guidepost.
The deitification process has long been implemented. A slew of publications coupled with special funds, scholarships and naming of various institutions have been carefully “released” at “staggered” intervals to maximise public impact. It is actually part & parcel of a grand game-plan to consolidate its dictatorial rule over the island.
The mass media have been manipulated into a faithful mouthpiece to convert the docile populace to accept such a deitification exercise, without question. Half a century of intense but subtle indoctrination has reduced the People into soulless digits.
Meantime, the rulers make hay while the sun shines. Thus the reluctance to let go of the gold-laden bandwagon. Plump pays, princely perks, prestigeous posts plus prime previleges are worldly attachments for mere mortals.
The same “rewards” are used to enlist various “(y)in-tell-i-gent” individuals into playing the game, for a period of time, after which they can choose to migrate to less stressful shores southwards.
The occasional abject utterances by various ministers and other paid functionaries are just part of a reinforcement ritual required by their masters, to ensure that they are toeing the line while on the take.
Power is the world’s deadiest drug. Having been hooked, mere mortals may find it difficult to relinguish such hellish habits. But is is not impossible. Past US Presidents and UK Prime Ministers have retired gracefully when their terms expired. They turned to humanitarian pursuits. They are at least closer to “deitification” than any money-grabbing mere mortal.
Apart from the casinos at the outskirts, the main island is promising to be a big fun place. The devil is now in-charge!