"A Singapore Recalcitrant Blog that was taken down"
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2009
The Illustrious Minister Mentor
The Minister Mentor is indeed an illustrious personality. He is the father of the current prime minister, Mr. Lee Hsien Loong, who has given the MM the greatest satisfaction in perpetuating the Lee dynasty, thus fulfilling the old man's life-long ambition. But the octogenerian Minister Mentor (MM) refuses to be consigned to obscurity and still considers himself a political heavyweight making his presence felt. He hovers politically more prominently in the foreground than in the background where an eminence grise should rightly be supposed to be. But is he an eminence grise?
What seems to be baffling most people is the nature of his contributions to the country whilst drawing an astronomical annual salary of more than three million dollars of the taxpayers' money. People are wondering, if not asking, if his jetting from place to place around the world making grandiloquent speeches is a fair charge on the taxpayers' money. People are asking why, with his colossal wealth, he could not offer his so-called sterling service to the country voluntarily forgoing his whopping salary or, better still, donating it to charity. That would be the most sublimable act of a statesman and one that would endear him to the people.
But would the MM be capable of doing such a noble deed? He is not only well-heeled but reckoned to be in the billionaire class. For some arcane reason Forbes has missed out the billionaire MM from its global superaffluence list. Some billionaires are keen to appear on Forbes' list while there are also some who are not for personal reasons. Forbes are not known to be unheeding to their wishes.
It is not a secret that the Lee family derives its fortunes mainly from the Lee & Lee law firm, which grew from a modest beginning in the fifties of the last century to its present mammoth organisation. The Lee law firm has a near monpoly of the conveyancing business of Housing & Development HDB) apartments. It is a bizarre phenomenon that HDB apartments purchasers and sellers gravitate towards Lee & Lee law firm for their conveyancing needs, as it seems the law firm has an uncanny knack of accomplishing its assignments with incredible
speed and ease. It is not surprising if the enormity of the fortunes from this source of income runs into the billion figure over all these years.
And so the million dollar question is whether the superaffluent MM will feel the pinch if he were to give up his whopping salary and opt to give voluntary public service. The answer is best given by the MM himself. It will not raise any eyebrow if the MM finds the proposition of relinguishing his whopping salary distasteful and unacceptable. When it comes to this, it no longer bothers him if it is a manifestation of a mercenary character.
Is the illustrious MM a narcissistic character by nature? Is he fond of self-aggrandizement and self -conceit? One thing is certain is that it is very hard to detect any quality of humility in his character. In fact the MM is not known to have given any apology of anyone he had aggrieved throughout his career. Unless he is a god, it is only human for one to make mistakes.
He considers himself a formidable and invincible speaker and does not take kindly to any adversary with similar or superior oratorical or debating skills. The late David Marshall was one, but the former solicitor-general Mr. Francis Seow was a perpetual thorn in his flesh. His caustic taunts were so irritable that they often left the MM fuming mad. A scintillating example was the televised inqusition of Mr. Francis Seow at the old Parliament House in October, 1986. It centred on the Legal Profession (Amendment) Bill which was aimed at discrediting Mr. Francis Seow and dislodging him from his position as president of the Law Society. MM appointed himself the inquisitor and started off confidently. In the course of the proceedings he was zugzwanged all the way by the superior debating skills of Mr. Seow.
He was so frustrated that he decided to call off the televised version halfway through but continued with the inquisition in Parliament House. He saw to it that Mr. Francis Seow was unceremoniously removed from his presidency of the Law Society.
Whether by design or otherwise there was no mention in the MM's memoirs about his stint as an interpreter for the infamous Japanese Kempeitai during the Japanese occupation. He and Mr. S.R. Nathan, the president, were two typical examples of so-called loyal Singapore patriots who worked for the Japanese Kempeitais as interpreters. The Kempeitais had shown that they had developed the tortures of patriotic anti-Japanese prisoners into a fine art. Their water treatment was especially inhuman. A water-hose was inserted into the mouth of the prisoner and his nose was pressed shut to prevent breathing. Water was then pumped into the mouth and the prisoner was forced to swallow the water until his stomach became bloated. Water was later forced out with the Japanese torturer stamping on the prisoner's stomach. The question is whether the scope of an interprepter's work was just interpreting.
In the book "Singapore's Political Economy" by a Chan Heng Kong, possibly an academic in Australia, the author asserted that the Singapore Special Branch made the Minister Mentor the prime minister of Singapore. Whether the MM finds this uncomfortable is one thing but he will find it hard not to agree. There is a Chinese saying that when a war is won then of thousands of skeletons will rot. The late Communist United Front leader Lim Chin Siong was one of the fallen warriors who started as a comrade-in-arm of the MM in their anti- colonial struggle. In fact it was the MM who latched on to the powerful sinews of Lim Chin Siong who had control of the mass base, which an aspiring political leader cannot do without.
History is always writtgen from the victor's point of view. How history views first the collaboration and later the confrontation between these two political leaders will be a stimulating exercise.
Posted by Singapore Recalcitrant at 6:05 AM
8 comments:
black feline said...
very good eulogy...hope we get to hear it publicly when the day comes!
February 23, 2009 7:00 PM
Poh Seng said...
One of the things that some people forget is that MM Lee opens door for Singapore to many leaderships of the world. He is much respected that when he visited USA, the top American Government leadership (President, Vice-President, Secretary of State, Treasury Secretary, Defence Secretary and the Head of the National Security Council) made time for him. Which foreign visitor of USA has been bestowed such honour and privilege??? Similarly when he visited Great Britain or France. Even in Russia, then President Putin had time for him. MM Lee is one of our country's greatest, if not the greatest, assets. My work exposed me to many foreigners, and virtually all had nothing but praise for MM Lee. So I am often dismayed to read such cynical comment on MM Lee.
February 25, 2009 2:49 AM
Singapore Recalcitrant said...
Dear Poh Seng, perhaps there is a side of the great MM that we do not know about. I too used to admire him a GREAT deal especially the troubled years of the 50s and 60s and I appreciate what he did to bring us to what we have today. But is he not staying on too long? And at such a sinful salary when he does not NEED it??? If he were to say now that because he loves this country and works for it for free I'll even go down on my knees to worship him as THE GREATEST!!!
February 26, 2009 12:14 AM
Poh Seng said...
Dear Singapore Recalcitrant,
I consider any person as staying too long when that person is no longer useful or relevant and still staying. MM Lee is still very useful, as he opens door for our country. His connections with world leaders are not restricted to those in the Western countries which I mentioned in my earlier comment; his connections are also with those in up-and-coming countries, like China and India (though China may be considered as having arrived). When he visited China, even though he is not the Head of State, or the Prime Minister, he had an audience with Chairman Hu and Premier Wen, besides being introduced to the next generation of leadership. When he visited India, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and even Sonia Gandhi had time for him. Just on this point of his positive connections with these leaderships, he opens door for Singapore, and this type of relationship is invaluable, and this aspect of valuation should address your term of "sinful salary". While it would be a great gesture on his part to forgo his remuneration especially since he does not need it, there could be well reasons beyond our comprehension as to why he does not do that. Notwithstanding your labelled "sinful salary", it is still a discount to what he brings to our country. So how much is he paid ... S$2 million or S$3 million? Well, a retainer fee with Kissinger Inc would easily be S$500,000, and much more on specific projects or assistance, and yet, I doubt Henry Kissinger can deliver more than our MM Lee can in terms of our needs. Further, I am sure that, if he says he wishes to step down because the "sinful salary" is not "sinful" enough, there are a lot of Singaporeans willing to contribute to make his salary twice the sinfulness that you ascribe. Finally, if MM Lee is no longer useful or relevant, it is up to the voters to throw him out, and I doubt that Singaporeans will do that, certainly not me. What’s more, I wish he is immortal so that he can continue to contribute what he is contributing these days.
February 26, 2009 7:11 AM
Singapore Recalcitrant said...
Bravo!
MM Lee needs loyal and staunch supporters and admirers for his political career, otherwise he would fade into oblivion. There are any number of such people who are so mesmerized by his so-called charisma that they are unable or unwilling to see the less illustrious aspects of his character. To say his saalary is sinful if putting it mildly. More colourful epithets are used by people who are not necessarily inimical to MM Lee.
Enough has been said, so let true historians give the final verdict whether in MM Lee's lifetime or after.
Kissenger carries no historical baggage and enjoys a unique international prestige.
February 27, 2009 4:57 AM
Poh Seng said...
As I read your column one more time, I realise there is a schizophrenic streak in your comments, and I shall split the issues raised:
You wrote "If he were to say now that because he loves this country and works for it for free I'll even go down on my knees to worship him as THE GREATEST!!!" So, clearly your issue is not him staying too long, but the quantum of his remuneration which you consider “sinful”. Let’s focus on this “sinful salary” and not be distracted: While I have stated why his salary is not sinful on the basis of the contributions he is making, you have not demolished my point and/or made a case in support of your contention.
Secondly, you have maligned his character not on the basis of this “sinful salary”. Your main issue is something deeper and stronger: That is why when I mentioned that MM Lee is able to contribute more to Singapore’s needs than Kissinger can, you went off tangent to talk about historic baggage. What has historic baggage got to do with contribution to Singapore? I contend that you have some grudges against MM Lee: you admired him in the 50’s and 60’s and yet you brought up MM Lee’s supposedly past flaws which, if existed, were always there in the first place. Clearly somewhere along the way to the present, you split from MM Lee, and thus the so-called past flaws became relevant. This reminds me of a wise man telling me this: when two persons wish to get married, no obstacle is a problem, but when they wish to get a divorce, even a partner’s snoring is intolerable.
Finally, I have been brought up to value gratitude. Like you, I appreciate what MM Lee and his team did for Singapore. Unlike you, I am still grateful today. And for that, should I disagree with MM Lee, I will tell him so, objectively and privately; I will certainly not bring up his so-called past flaws, even if true, to taunt him let alone doing it in public.
March 1, 2009 1:15 AM
Singapore Recalcitrant said...
I think you are getting too personal and have descended to a level allowing yourself to steer dangerously close to personal denigration.
I am not against anyone blindly idolising MM Lee and in a democracy there must be respect for the wishes of the people who are not so enchanted.
It you are unable to remain unemotional in your comments, I strongly advise you to refrain from making them.
March 1, 2009 4:46 AM
Poh Seng said...
I normally do not read blogs, let alone particpate. Yours is probably the 4th or 5th blog I have read in past years. Your blog was sent to me by a friend, and after reading, I felt you were unfair to MM Lee, and therefore, while MM Lee may be too busy to respond, I am not. I shall be asking my friends to read our exchanges. Have a good day.
March 2, 2009 9:21 PM
Post Script (4 Apr 13):
1. One week or so after my last posting on 2 Mar 2009, the above set of exchanges was taken off. But I managed to keep a copy of it and reproduce hereof.
2. It was one or two years later, I found out that the Singapore Recalcitrant is Mr. Yoong Siew Wah. Mr. Yoong was the Director of the Internal Security Department (ISD) in 1971- 1974, reporting directly to the then Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew.
3. In the 4th paragraph of the referred blog, Mr. Yoong wrote: “It is not a secret that the Lee family derives its fortunes mainly from the Lee & Lee law firm, which grew from a modest beginning in the fifties of the last century to its present mammoth organisation. The Lee law firm has a near monpoly of the conveyancing business of Housing & Development HDB) apartments. It is a bizarre phenomenon that HDB apartments purchasers and sellers gravitate towards Lee & Lee law firm for their conveyancing needs, as it seems the law firm has an uncanny knack of accomplishing its assignments with incredible speed and ease. It is not surprising if the enormity of the fortunes from this source of income runs into the billion figure over all these years.” Within a few days of this post, Mr. Yoong posted an apology to Lee & Lee law firm. (This apology posting was also taken off.) His explanation, to the best of my memory, was that his lawyer-friends told him that the conveyance business was not a profitable business and therefore most law firms shunted it. Now, I leave the readers this simple question: What could possibly be the motivation for Mr. Yoong, who is obviously not a stupid person or a frivolous one after all he was in an authoritative position of making decisions that affected lives of Singapore citizens, to write so irresponsibly to imply improprieties on the part of the Lee family and/or Lee and Lee law firm without checking out? (Remember when he was Director of ISD, he was also in charge of issuing the Suitability Certificate. At that time, a person had to apply for a Suitability Certificate to be allowed to attend the local universities.)
Poh Seng
4 Apr 2013
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2009
The Illustrious Minister Mentor
The Minister Mentor is indeed an illustrious personality. He is the father of the current prime minister, Mr. Lee Hsien Loong, who has given the MM the greatest satisfaction in perpetuating the Lee dynasty, thus fulfilling the old man's life-long ambition. But the octogenerian Minister Mentor (MM) refuses to be consigned to obscurity and still considers himself a political heavyweight making his presence felt. He hovers politically more prominently in the foreground than in the background where an eminence grise should rightly be supposed to be. But is he an eminence grise?
What seems to be baffling most people is the nature of his contributions to the country whilst drawing an astronomical annual salary of more than three million dollars of the taxpayers' money. People are wondering, if not asking, if his jetting from place to place around the world making grandiloquent speeches is a fair charge on the taxpayers' money. People are asking why, with his colossal wealth, he could not offer his so-called sterling service to the country voluntarily forgoing his whopping salary or, better still, donating it to charity. That would be the most sublimable act of a statesman and one that would endear him to the people.
But would the MM be capable of doing such a noble deed? He is not only well-heeled but reckoned to be in the billionaire class. For some arcane reason Forbes has missed out the billionaire MM from its global superaffluence list. Some billionaires are keen to appear on Forbes' list while there are also some who are not for personal reasons. Forbes are not known to be unheeding to their wishes.
It is not a secret that the Lee family derives its fortunes mainly from the Lee & Lee law firm, which grew from a modest beginning in the fifties of the last century to its present mammoth organisation. The Lee law firm has a near monpoly of the conveyancing business of Housing & Development HDB) apartments. It is a bizarre phenomenon that HDB apartments purchasers and sellers gravitate towards Lee & Lee law firm for their conveyancing needs, as it seems the law firm has an uncanny knack of accomplishing its assignments with incredible
speed and ease. It is not surprising if the enormity of the fortunes from this source of income runs into the billion figure over all these years.
And so the million dollar question is whether the superaffluent MM will feel the pinch if he were to give up his whopping salary and opt to give voluntary public service. The answer is best given by the MM himself. It will not raise any eyebrow if the MM finds the proposition of relinguishing his whopping salary distasteful and unacceptable. When it comes to this, it no longer bothers him if it is a manifestation of a mercenary character.
Is the illustrious MM a narcissistic character by nature? Is he fond of self-aggrandizement and self -conceit? One thing is certain is that it is very hard to detect any quality of humility in his character. In fact the MM is not known to have given any apology of anyone he had aggrieved throughout his career. Unless he is a god, it is only human for one to make mistakes.
He considers himself a formidable and invincible speaker and does not take kindly to any adversary with similar or superior oratorical or debating skills. The late David Marshall was one, but the former solicitor-general Mr. Francis Seow was a perpetual thorn in his flesh. His caustic taunts were so irritable that they often left the MM fuming mad. A scintillating example was the televised inqusition of Mr. Francis Seow at the old Parliament House in October, 1986. It centred on the Legal Profession (Amendment) Bill which was aimed at discrediting Mr. Francis Seow and dislodging him from his position as president of the Law Society. MM appointed himself the inquisitor and started off confidently. In the course of the proceedings he was zugzwanged all the way by the superior debating skills of Mr. Seow.
He was so frustrated that he decided to call off the televised version halfway through but continued with the inquisition in Parliament House. He saw to it that Mr. Francis Seow was unceremoniously removed from his presidency of the Law Society.
Whether by design or otherwise there was no mention in the MM's memoirs about his stint as an interpreter for the infamous Japanese Kempeitai during the Japanese occupation. He and Mr. S.R. Nathan, the president, were two typical examples of so-called loyal Singapore patriots who worked for the Japanese Kempeitais as interpreters. The Kempeitais had shown that they had developed the tortures of patriotic anti-Japanese prisoners into a fine art. Their water treatment was especially inhuman. A water-hose was inserted into the mouth of the prisoner and his nose was pressed shut to prevent breathing. Water was then pumped into the mouth and the prisoner was forced to swallow the water until his stomach became bloated. Water was later forced out with the Japanese torturer stamping on the prisoner's stomach. The question is whether the scope of an interprepter's work was just interpreting.
In the book "Singapore's Political Economy" by a Chan Heng Kong, possibly an academic in Australia, the author asserted that the Singapore Special Branch made the Minister Mentor the prime minister of Singapore. Whether the MM finds this uncomfortable is one thing but he will find it hard not to agree. There is a Chinese saying that when a war is won then of thousands of skeletons will rot. The late Communist United Front leader Lim Chin Siong was one of the fallen warriors who started as a comrade-in-arm of the MM in their anti- colonial struggle. In fact it was the MM who latched on to the powerful sinews of Lim Chin Siong who had control of the mass base, which an aspiring political leader cannot do without.
History is always writtgen from the victor's point of view. How history views first the collaboration and later the confrontation between these two political leaders will be a stimulating exercise.
Posted by Singapore Recalcitrant at 6:05 AM
8 comments:
black feline said...
very good eulogy...hope we get to hear it publicly when the day comes!
February 23, 2009 7:00 PM
Poh Seng said...
One of the things that some people forget is that MM Lee opens door for Singapore to many leaderships of the world. He is much respected that when he visited USA, the top American Government leadership (President, Vice-President, Secretary of State, Treasury Secretary, Defence Secretary and the Head of the National Security Council) made time for him. Which foreign visitor of USA has been bestowed such honour and privilege??? Similarly when he visited Great Britain or France. Even in Russia, then President Putin had time for him. MM Lee is one of our country's greatest, if not the greatest, assets. My work exposed me to many foreigners, and virtually all had nothing but praise for MM Lee. So I am often dismayed to read such cynical comment on MM Lee.
February 25, 2009 2:49 AM
Singapore Recalcitrant said...
Dear Poh Seng, perhaps there is a side of the great MM that we do not know about. I too used to admire him a GREAT deal especially the troubled years of the 50s and 60s and I appreciate what he did to bring us to what we have today. But is he not staying on too long? And at such a sinful salary when he does not NEED it??? If he were to say now that because he loves this country and works for it for free I'll even go down on my knees to worship him as THE GREATEST!!!
February 26, 2009 12:14 AM
Poh Seng said...
Dear Singapore Recalcitrant,
I consider any person as staying too long when that person is no longer useful or relevant and still staying. MM Lee is still very useful, as he opens door for our country. His connections with world leaders are not restricted to those in the Western countries which I mentioned in my earlier comment; his connections are also with those in up-and-coming countries, like China and India (though China may be considered as having arrived). When he visited China, even though he is not the Head of State, or the Prime Minister, he had an audience with Chairman Hu and Premier Wen, besides being introduced to the next generation of leadership. When he visited India, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and even Sonia Gandhi had time for him. Just on this point of his positive connections with these leaderships, he opens door for Singapore, and this type of relationship is invaluable, and this aspect of valuation should address your term of "sinful salary". While it would be a great gesture on his part to forgo his remuneration especially since he does not need it, there could be well reasons beyond our comprehension as to why he does not do that. Notwithstanding your labelled "sinful salary", it is still a discount to what he brings to our country. So how much is he paid ... S$2 million or S$3 million? Well, a retainer fee with Kissinger Inc would easily be S$500,000, and much more on specific projects or assistance, and yet, I doubt Henry Kissinger can deliver more than our MM Lee can in terms of our needs. Further, I am sure that, if he says he wishes to step down because the "sinful salary" is not "sinful" enough, there are a lot of Singaporeans willing to contribute to make his salary twice the sinfulness that you ascribe. Finally, if MM Lee is no longer useful or relevant, it is up to the voters to throw him out, and I doubt that Singaporeans will do that, certainly not me. What’s more, I wish he is immortal so that he can continue to contribute what he is contributing these days.
February 26, 2009 7:11 AM
Singapore Recalcitrant said...
Bravo!
MM Lee needs loyal and staunch supporters and admirers for his political career, otherwise he would fade into oblivion. There are any number of such people who are so mesmerized by his so-called charisma that they are unable or unwilling to see the less illustrious aspects of his character. To say his saalary is sinful if putting it mildly. More colourful epithets are used by people who are not necessarily inimical to MM Lee.
Enough has been said, so let true historians give the final verdict whether in MM Lee's lifetime or after.
Kissenger carries no historical baggage and enjoys a unique international prestige.
February 27, 2009 4:57 AM
Poh Seng said...
As I read your column one more time, I realise there is a schizophrenic streak in your comments, and I shall split the issues raised:
You wrote "If he were to say now that because he loves this country and works for it for free I'll even go down on my knees to worship him as THE GREATEST!!!" So, clearly your issue is not him staying too long, but the quantum of his remuneration which you consider “sinful”. Let’s focus on this “sinful salary” and not be distracted: While I have stated why his salary is not sinful on the basis of the contributions he is making, you have not demolished my point and/or made a case in support of your contention.
Secondly, you have maligned his character not on the basis of this “sinful salary”. Your main issue is something deeper and stronger: That is why when I mentioned that MM Lee is able to contribute more to Singapore’s needs than Kissinger can, you went off tangent to talk about historic baggage. What has historic baggage got to do with contribution to Singapore? I contend that you have some grudges against MM Lee: you admired him in the 50’s and 60’s and yet you brought up MM Lee’s supposedly past flaws which, if existed, were always there in the first place. Clearly somewhere along the way to the present, you split from MM Lee, and thus the so-called past flaws became relevant. This reminds me of a wise man telling me this: when two persons wish to get married, no obstacle is a problem, but when they wish to get a divorce, even a partner’s snoring is intolerable.
Finally, I have been brought up to value gratitude. Like you, I appreciate what MM Lee and his team did for Singapore. Unlike you, I am still grateful today. And for that, should I disagree with MM Lee, I will tell him so, objectively and privately; I will certainly not bring up his so-called past flaws, even if true, to taunt him let alone doing it in public.
March 1, 2009 1:15 AM
Singapore Recalcitrant said...
I think you are getting too personal and have descended to a level allowing yourself to steer dangerously close to personal denigration.
I am not against anyone blindly idolising MM Lee and in a democracy there must be respect for the wishes of the people who are not so enchanted.
It you are unable to remain unemotional in your comments, I strongly advise you to refrain from making them.
March 1, 2009 4:46 AM
Poh Seng said...
I normally do not read blogs, let alone particpate. Yours is probably the 4th or 5th blog I have read in past years. Your blog was sent to me by a friend, and after reading, I felt you were unfair to MM Lee, and therefore, while MM Lee may be too busy to respond, I am not. I shall be asking my friends to read our exchanges. Have a good day.
March 2, 2009 9:21 PM
Post Script (4 Apr 13):
1. One week or so after my last posting on 2 Mar 2009, the above set of exchanges was taken off. But I managed to keep a copy of it and reproduce hereof.
2. It was one or two years later, I found out that the Singapore Recalcitrant is Mr. Yoong Siew Wah. Mr. Yoong was the Director of the Internal Security Department (ISD) in 1971- 1974, reporting directly to the then Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew.
3. In the 4th paragraph of the referred blog, Mr. Yoong wrote: “It is not a secret that the Lee family derives its fortunes mainly from the Lee & Lee law firm, which grew from a modest beginning in the fifties of the last century to its present mammoth organisation. The Lee law firm has a near monpoly of the conveyancing business of Housing & Development HDB) apartments. It is a bizarre phenomenon that HDB apartments purchasers and sellers gravitate towards Lee & Lee law firm for their conveyancing needs, as it seems the law firm has an uncanny knack of accomplishing its assignments with incredible speed and ease. It is not surprising if the enormity of the fortunes from this source of income runs into the billion figure over all these years.” Within a few days of this post, Mr. Yoong posted an apology to Lee & Lee law firm. (This apology posting was also taken off.) His explanation, to the best of my memory, was that his lawyer-friends told him that the conveyance business was not a profitable business and therefore most law firms shunted it. Now, I leave the readers this simple question: What could possibly be the motivation for Mr. Yoong, who is obviously not a stupid person or a frivolous one after all he was in an authoritative position of making decisions that affected lives of Singapore citizens, to write so irresponsibly to imply improprieties on the part of the Lee family and/or Lee and Lee law firm without checking out? (Remember when he was Director of ISD, he was also in charge of issuing the Suitability Certificate. At that time, a person had to apply for a Suitability Certificate to be allowed to attend the local universities.)
Poh Seng
4 Apr 2013
