The United Kingdom (UK) introduced the Freedom of Information Act in 2000. It allows members of the public access to otherwise confidential papers in the possession of “public authorities”.
The UK released papers pertaining to Singapore’s independence several years ago.
Below is a copy of a memo which was sent by a UK official in Singapore to the office in London in 1965. In it, the official (whose name and position we aren’t sure of) describes what transpired at the press conference at which Mr Lee Kuan Yew explained Singapore’s departure from Malaysia.
We publish a copy of the memo for one interesting note – contained in the second paragraph of the memo. Mr Lee was reported to have “threatened ‘punitive’ measures against any newspaper which printed pictures of him smiling.”
Was Mr Lee smiling before that press conference? If so, why would he be – given the gravity of the situation and that later in the press conference Mr Lee himself cried?
The memo:
The press conference:
HELP keep the voice of TOC alive!
If you like this article, please consider a small donation to help theonlinecitizen.com stay alive. Please note that we can only accept donations from Singaporeans. Thank you for your assistance.Do you have a flair for writing? Volunteer with us. Email us your full name and contact details to theonlinecitizen@gmail.com
Best actor award nomination anyone?
Crocodile tears ? We must have been conned ?
con already lah!
ya already been con big time.
he can really act better then jet li.
that’s why we are being con without knowing for years. but too bad not now.
coming GE he will soon know that acting is over.
Excellent Catch.
In honour of Our Dear LEEder Chairman LEE, we should have a national song “Don’t Cry For Me, Singapura” (sung to the tune of Don’t Cry For Me Argentina — the country that was booted out of this World Cup) ???
Ho (JINX) Ho (JINX) Ho (JINX) !!!
LOL….toc you have ruined the most cherished moment of LKY, with truth and evidence.
I just do not know what to say.
It didn’t seem to strike anyone that perhaps he meant that the press was not to use some old stock photo of him smiling or of him greeting the reporters?
was any UK official in the studio of TV Singapura? If not, how did they know Lee’s instructions?
2. Lee took pains keep UK in the dark about the separation! u guys pl read history. How could a UK official was present in the studio?
print out every copy and show them lor…
nothing wrong to share the news since strait times not sharing. maybe off budget coz our government have to spend their billions in their own interest ma…
haiz…
LKY took pains keeping UK in the dark about separation.
How could a UK guy in the studio?
Yo LKY, I am really happy for you Imma let you finish but North Korea has produced the best dictator of all times. one of best dictator of all times!
the best predator of all time!!
lky should act in the latest movie the predator.
it is invisible, he can see you but you can’t see him. suddenly you get fire on your assss and you go crawling and begging.
so for 50years this predator have been firing without anyone seeing but too bad his invisible function failed and got corrupted so every single thing is coming up now.
it’s already TOO LATE! we’ve been all screwed through and through and we will continue to be screwed because we our folks chose to believed in this traitor. So what if you can find out all these evidence even should there be a photo of a murder committed some 50 years ago, what can you people do??? NOTHING! this is the price we all singaporeans have to pay for being ignorant and bo chap attitude.
the best predator of all time!!
lky should act in the latest movie the predator.
it is invisible, he can see you but you can’t see him. suddenly you get fire on your @ss and you go crawling and begging.
so for 50years this predator have been firing without anyone seeing but too bad his invisible function failed and got corrupted so every single thing is coming up now.
@ tiredsingaporean 9 July 2010
totally agree with you. old folk immune to it already. even the end of the world also they will support this lky even lky stab their back also they will kneel down and beg. singaporeans old fools and stupid mentality that never think of future. what they dig today is for today food. tomorrow later later can think..coz lky have.
Hey folks,is this the same guy who said that the govt would give PRIORITY to Singaporeans?
he sounded truthful but tell me,where is our priority?
We hsve a good line-up of NATO experts in the govt.
Have you guys ever heard of photo stock library? Most newspapers have tons of photos of prominent people in all kinds of poses – laughing, smiling, glum, glaring, sleepy, grouchy, whatever
laulee smiled simpLEE because when the other ^HONEST^ ministers retired..
in his heart..he utterred
HOSAYlioa..all is MINE…
lky is a communist and will lead us like one slave like the japanese war time.
we are now the slave.he promise that would give PRIORITY to singaporeans for first to be jobless, first to suffer,first to beg,first to starve.
see he did promise. he didn’t promise to deliver you 3meals a day right? so singapreans fools live with it. blame on singaporeans not lky. he did his job and we let him do it sucessfully
Wah lau! Kana con for so long, Singaporeans still support him?
Really dont know what he mearnt.
But we can be sure that come national day, the paper will publish and repeat and repeat and tell and show people what they have achieved. i cannot name another country other then singapore that keeps repeating histories.
Enough. We want to move on.
I can accept that he con his way to the top(btw which politician don’t do that), but I can never accept that he con the whole country to fatten his famiLEE and apple-polishing followers at the sufferings of the many Singaporeans who had work so hard in building the country.
In his 80′s he is travelling globally to sing self-praise of his dynasty using public fund while still being paid millions. Many others in their 80′s in Singapore who had work their guts out for the progress in this country are now reduced to cleaning tables and picking aluminium cans!
His conscience is eaten by dogs. Damn it.
It’s never too late to see the true face of a man who claimed to be so upright,working day and night for the well-being of SSinkapore.We’ve been conned for so long with his crooked,witty,devilish assertions.It’s heartening to note that we’ve other avenues to get the true pictures of the state of our country.He’s been using lowly,high-handed methods to get things done for his continued rule.It’s time we get rid of this fox in the sheep’s clothing before more harms are done to us and our future generation.
reminds you of ….read the comments…
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/07/why-isnt-investment-higher/
some links to read about,
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2010/1007.verini.html
It is clear it was his personality that led Malaysia decided not to have us in and LKY alone should be responsible for that not Goh Keng Swee or someone else. It is also true LKY has the ambition of becoming Malaysia PM.
with great power comes no responsibility
he want to be the whole world PM and soon world MM lee. all the country he want to control. if that happen he will get bash up from africa itself! sick f@#$ old man
vote them out this coming GE.
we are sick of history repeating!
enough is enough. we had our days and life. give back our life and stop this dirty politics!!
MINISTER MENTOR Lee must explain about this letter
If he is still hangin around – I doubt it is for $$$, I doubt it is for power – it is truer to guess that one wants to die with an ”image” that has been PROJECTED and shoved Down the throats for very long that even lies seem like truth lah and that is what matters. The costs (is there a need to elaborate), nary a care lah!
I remember my History teacher told me 2 decades ago. Harry wanted Singapore separated from Malaysia is because he wanted to be a Prime Minister.
Same patterns are being seen everyday.
If only there is a way for the rest of us to reach out to the older folks to make them see how foolish they have been and how they are continued to be treated like fools.
-
It is not uncommon to hear old folks who are collecting cardboards or tin cans to still have good things to say about the man and the ‘good work’ he has done for Singapore.
-
It is as if they are indebted to him for what Singapore is today, never mind the situation they are now in.
-
The fear to demand accountability for promises made to them is what is stifiling the political maturity of generations of SIngaporeans.
-
There are two things we can do: one; to wait for the older folks to die off, second, for us to find a way to let them know how they have been conned and conned again, and to encourage them to stand up and fight for what they truly deserve for the contributions they have put in toward the advancement of their beloved homeland.
Yes, the old man like to identify himself with the little people, working hard day and night and rolling up his sweat filled sleeves. You look at his biography. You see what he want to protrait in so many pictures of shaking hands with common folks in wet market, temple and even difficult to access rural kampong. But after he retired, he has revealed that since he came to power he has instructed his office aircon needed to be set at a predetermine cool temperature as he can’t stand the heat here and that he only work afew hours in the wee hours of the night and wake up around eleven am. In many ways, he is like Hitler who focus all his attention on public speeches and left all the works to others(If they succeed he claim all the credit and if they fail then just sweep them under the carpet).
Citizen Kane 11 July 2010
Yes, the old man like to identify himself with the little people, working hard day and night .You look at his biography.
……………..
remembered his 10,000 $10,000 golden biography handbook? he sell it to fund the SMS university?
you think he sell it in orchard centrepoint liked the belated jeyaratnam sweatin in the sun?
he just instruct his lackies to shove it to all the government contractors without negotiation..the lackies send it to every successFOOL tenderers with a demand of $10,000 cheque payable UPFRONT!!!
FAILURE to comply..the contractors can kiss all FUTURE tenders null @ void…
~period~
those who are naive will never see through the crocodile tears of a conman.
does any netizen here think LKY shed tears for those brutalised by the japs during occupation of spore ?
LKY has yet to come clean about his actual activities while in the service of the japanese imperial army, clear the perception he was a coward and a traitor.
after that, it is nathan’s turn.
train of thought
LKY has yet to come clean about his actual activities while in the service of the japanese imperial army, clear the perception he was a coward and a traitor.
after that, it is nathan’s turn.
………….
@ the very least marcos was a gureilla fighter but he fight in the north mountains where the nipponese bicycle patrol can never cycled up those mountains
This old man, aged 87 years old is crazy of power. In the beginning, he is a good man but towards the end of the day, he is very cruel and wicked old man. This old man who is a lawyer and could not stand the criticisms from the opposition party, sued many opposition members from the past. Those who were sued by him were neither ran away to other country to escape the harsh punishment; the others were either sued until they got bankruptcy, broke up others’family and sometimes, they landed in jailed for failing to pay the fine. This old man is intelligent and know how to use the laws to around for his own advantage but he is doing alot of immoral things. First, he was PM, SM and then MM. Very smart.
Honestly, I feel it’s a reasonable order by LKY given the sensitive nature of the event.
Come on, ask yourselves, have you ever smiled or laughed while at a sad event like a funeral. Even if I believe that you manage to maintain a poker face 100% of the time throughout the proceedings, I’d say that you’d be among the minority.
Even the deceased’s loved ones happen to have moments where they smile or laugh etc. at a funeral. That’s natural isn’t it? Would you say that the deceased’s family members then have only ‘crocodile tears’ when they weep and grieve??
For LKY’s case reported by TOC here, it wouldn’t be unreasonable of LKY to give such an order given the circumstances of that time period, what with the nonsense the utusan melayu was getting up to.
Jane
Gemani-11/07
There are two things we can do: one; to wait for the older folks to die off, second, for us to find a way to let them know how they have been conned and conned again, and to encourage them to stand up and fight for what they truly deserve for the contributions they have put in toward the advancement of their beloved homeland.
Dear Gemani…pls be assured the old folks now are no more “die-hard” PAP supporters. Many of us(retirees) are very disillusioned with PAP. Just wait for the next election!
Jason, you’re missing the point by a million miles. Read the letter again and try to understand these words, if you can: ….”… he threatened punitive measures….”
-
It has been that way eversince, using threats to get his way.
-
If one is there to “attend a funeral’ as in your case, then you should just be there in all sincerity to offer your condolences and share in the grief of the family. Would you be so concern whether you’d be caught laughing or sharing alight-hearted moment in such a sad ans solemn situation?
-
In the same manner, LKY should have just let the press report what it deemed fit to report and to publish what it wanted to publish. Was it necessary to use threat to make sure the press only presented that side of him he wanted presented?
-
Is it not worse, after more than 50 years to discover that there could had been another side of the event that went unreported because of the threat issued by him?
-
Does it not now make him look like a liar, a dictator and a crook, the very thing he wanted to avoid being seen as with the issuance of the threat?
while i dun like this ‘dictatorship styled’ government, think about it, aren’t we better off? or you’d prefer your president be addressed as sultan?
smile or cry, at least, this land is where i can call home.
the truth will set us free.
we need to discern what is true sincerity and what is hypocrisy.
I think there is enough evidence for all to know what kind of person is LKY and what kind of leaders we have now in Singapore.
hannson han 12 July 2010 while i dun like this ‘dictatorship styled’ government, think about it, aren’t we better off? or you’d prefer your president be addressed as sultan?
smile or cry, at least, this land is where i can call home.
………………….
why? livin in brunei is poor mey?
It was not a funeral to begin with. What is exactly wrong if he was caught smiling ?
And why the need to threaten with punitive measures ? Was he trying to portray that he was a victim of cirumstances when it really wasn’t ?
So was it indeed an act afterall to fool the public into thinking that he was trying his best when he actually didn’t make any effort ? Otherwise what real reason is there to threaten with punitive measures ?
@Wicked oldman, you said that “In the beginning, he is a good man but towards the end of the day, he is very cruel and wicked old man.”
Notice that video and letter was in 1965 and some 6 years after he became PM. Like HBT I did consider he may have meant not to use any file photo of him smiling for any press articles about separation from Malaysia is true.
But @Wicked oldman, you are absolutely wrong about him “In the beginning, he was good man” Watched the video again and correlate it to what he said in 1956, some 2.5 years BEFORE he won big and became PM in 1959:
“Repression, Sir is a habit that grows. I am told it is like making love – it is always easier the second time! The first time there may be pangs of conscience, a sense of guilt. But once embarked on this course with constant repetition you get more and more brazen in the attack. All you have to do is to dissolve organizations and societies and banish and detain the key political workers in these societies. Then miraculously everything is tranquil on the surface. Then an intimidated press and the government-controlled radio together can regularly sing your praises, and slowly and steadily the people are made to forget the evil things that have already been done, or if these things are referred to again they’re conveniently distorted and distorted with impunity, because there will be no opposition to contradict.” – Lee Kuan Yew as an opposition PAP member speaking to David Marshall, Singapore Legislative Assembly, Debates, 4 October 1956
And in 1962, 3 years AFTER he was PM and BEFORE he shed tears at the breaking news of Separation from Malaysia in 1959:
“If I were in authority in Singapore indefinitely without having to ask those who are governed whether they like what is being done, then I would not have the slightest doubt that I could govern much more effectively in their interests.” – Lee Kuan Yew, 1962
Critical Analysis Thinking Process Guys! As time lines are critical to the substance, truth and most of sincerity of a message and situation? So, why do you think he was shedding tears? He talked about our closeness as a people right? But this was AFTER 1956 too and BEFORE 1965 right!
So, could he have been crying because it left him with ONLY Singapore to forward and practice his 1956 and 1962 tenets of “Totalitarianism Ideology”? The very ideology seen and experienced by you that are NOW The VERY Source, Reasons AND Cause for your complains in animosity against him?
This, despite the success of his hardware delivery? WHY?
Let me suggest that its is because he HAS curtailed our humanity in intellect and self-esteem to voice our views to affect change and grow. To contribute to OUR Nation of Singapore IN MUTUAL Endeavour as “A people and a government in two way process with mutual respect and dialogue?
He and his likewise “trained” pappies have been pretty much “idolized” with HIGHEST-END paychecks and condition to conform to his “ideology” right? So, its been downward “A Monologue” with “Repression” by laws, GRCs, fear, sweetener pacifiers, too much of mistakes, oversights and boast that are not palatable right? And that do show not only no justification for their kind of paychecks not seen anywhere else in the world too! And which he argued for too! CRACKS ARE SHOWING Up Falsehood’s fallacious realities right?
SO WHY DIDN’T see these things long before NOW? Simplistic minds for simplistic needs? History and so why talk about it?
Because that man seriously and wrong CRIED thinking in 1965 that he “Really” could have become an influence and perhaps also “conned’ the Malays there AND THEN became
PM Malaysia of a Muslim country? Perhaps, perhaps he might been capable by getting the then comparatively very hardworking Chinese to have lots of children to “equalize” via prosperity. And then to persuade the Malays in Malays there with “sweeteners” and some “coercions” too?
Know that the man Lee and his ideas and ideology IS ABOUT “Central CONTROL” because he had confirmed his thinking with his further tenets of 1987 & 1982:
“I am often accused of interfering in the private lives of citizens. Yes, if I did not, had I not done that, we wouldn’t be here today. And I say without the slightest remorse, that we wouldn’t be here, we would not have made economic progress, if we had not intervened on very personal matters – who your neighbour is, how you live, the noise you make, how you spit, or what language you use. We decide what is right. Never mind what the people think.” – Lee Kuan Yew, Straits Times, 20 April 1987
“I make no apologies that the PAP is the Government and the Government is the PAP.” – Lee Kuan Yew, 1982, Petir
Then re-enforcing his totalitarian political inclinations of absolute central control in 1997 he enhanced his believes that:
“If you are a troublemaker… it’s our job to politically destroy you. Put it this way. As long as JB Jeyaratnam for what he stands for – a thoroughly destructive force – we will knock him. Everybody knows that in my bag I have a hatchet, and a very sharp one. You take me on, I take my hatchet, we meet in the cul-de-sac.” – Lee Kuan Yew, The Man And His Ideas, 1997
“Anybody who decides to take me on needs to put on knuckle-dusters. If you think you can hurt me more than I can hurt you, try. There is no way you can govern a Chinese society.” ? 1997- LKY
Q: What do you think and know of this man who has been your PM, SM and MM now? And any shadows of a doubt now? THIS IS just the way I hear, read, digest, learn, know, think WITH lots of Sense and Sensibility VERY COMMON common sense which is FREE! In short, just the way I see it by taking note of everything!
Cheers and cheer up guys. Just do the needful and propagate by emails and print on personal lines! Just having cyberspace “opinions” is fun and good for pastimes. But we’re really being as in effectively unproductive in our mission like….. Well? What next!
Food for further thought: OVER Wealthy Ministers don’t make Ministers who know that “A light purse comes with a HEAVY heart”! That’s another discredit to his ideal of paying “superb” high for superb “talents”.
Listen to what she had to say about freedom from fear to be really free.
Aung San Suu Kyi is a political icon, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize and the charismatic leader of Burma’s struggle for human rights. But it has come at immense personal cost.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/documentaries/2010/06/100615_freedom_from_fear.shtml
Hannson,
You speak like one from the Myanmar DSA.
While LKY was shedding tears over the separation from Malaysia many people came out of their homes in Chinatown to let off firecrackers celebrating the happy occasion. I was shocked a man who will not condone corruption would say what is few billion dollars compare to what Suharto has done for the country. Corruption is a crime, nobody is above the law and there should not be any sympathy regardless of a person status.
When i was young, i would rush home to hear his May Day or National Day Rally speech but no more because i come to realize its nothing but sweet talks.