A massive PR boost for MM Lee: ex-UN Chief Kofi Annan joins LKY School of Public Policy
September 3rd, 2009 | 
Author: From our Correspondent
Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy has pulled off a major publicity coup by securing the academic services of the respected ex-United Nations Secretary-General Mr Kofi Annan. (read report here)
Mr Annan and the UN jointly received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001 for working for human rights and to defuse global conflicts.
The 71-year-old, who served as UN secretary-general from 1997 to 2007, will be the first Li Ka Shing professor at the school, which is an autonomous graduate school of the National University of Singapore (NUS). More details about Mr Annan’s professorship will be announced later.
The professorship was established in the name of Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka Shing, who donated $100 million to the school’s endowment fund in March 2007.
The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy was established in 2004 with the mission of educating and training the next generation of Asian policymakers and leaders.
Its objectives are to raise the standards of governance throughout the region, improve the lives of the region’s people and, in so doing, contribute to the transformation of Asia.
The Dean of the school, Mr Kishore Mahbubani was upbeat about the future prospects of the school. During a gala dinner marking the fifth anniversary of the school last night, he said:
“The success of the LKY School owes a lot to the founding fathers of Singapore whose legacy of principles, policies and institutions continues to amaze and often inspire the rest of the world.”
MM Lee Kuan Yew who was Singapore’s Prime Minister from 1965 to 1990, was widely credited with transforming Singapore from a colonial backwater at independence into a modern first world country within a single generation.
Singapore’s remarkable sucess has and continue to attract admirers from other countries, particularly China, which sends its senior civil servants and administrators to study at the LKY school about public governance and business management yearly.
Though Lee was a consummate politician and an internationally renowned statesman, he was often criticized in the western media for being an authoritarian leader who resorted to defamation lawsuits to bankrupt his political opponents.
ex-New York Times columnists and Pulitzer Prize winner William Safire once described Lee as a “tinpot dictator” in the 1990s. Surprisingly, he was never sued by the litigatious Lee who even granted him the rare honor of a personal face-to-face interview.
Lee is the irreplaceable old man of Singapore politics. At the age of 86, he is the oldest minister in the cabinet where he still retains significant influence. His speeches and activities were given prominent coverage by the state media almost every other day.
Since Singapore’s recent 44th National Day, Lee had dominated the headlines from his exhortations to Singaporeans to embrace foreigners, an unfounded outburst against the speech of an idealistic NMP Viswa for his “highfalutin ideas” to his latest denial that he would send in the army in the event of a “freak election” in response to writer Catherine Lim’s question during a dialogue session. (read article here)
Lee’s continued dominance of Singapore political scene is unhealthy for the fledging nation in the long run. Being a “big tree” which overshadows all under its shade, it will retard the emergence of potential leaders in the future as it had already happened with the ruling party encountering difficulties in recruiting capable and qualified young Singaporeans into its ranks.
Kofi Annan’s endorsement of the LKY School of Public Policy is another feather in his cap and a great boost to the elder statesman’s international reputation. He will sure be remembered in history as an enlightened leader who lifted millions of his people out of poverty, rather than a dictatorial despot who detained a political opponent without trial for 32 years.
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21 Responses to “A massive PR boost for MM Lee: ex-UN Chief Kofi Annan joins LKY School of Public Policy”
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everybody outside likes singapore !!
some singaporeans not happy with sing gov
but still love singapore !!
Is he going to get another Nobel prize for championing human rights from here? hehe. Sorry but I see some humour here.. for Kofi Anan to take this up. Or is he here to help strategise how citizens will better embrace foreigners?
//richie
If he comes here and observe how we carry out our elections and report back to UN, it spells the death of LKY’s credibility.
Don’t be too happy.
let’s not dispair.
It is good news.
If he is not in for the money, then he could be here to check things out.
Remember one of the LKY school prof also criticise the govt policies.
Then he could spread the word.
If he is in for the money, then there is nothing we can do anyway.
But let’s be optimistic. This is a guy who spoke back against BUSH.
Can’t be that bad.
Can TR send Prof Annan some local stories of human right violations for him to read before he takes up his appointment.
Sun Yat Sen once said “世界潮流浩浩荡荡，顺之者昌，逆之者亡”
Sun yat sen was called a madman, 孙大炮. he was penniless and had to depend on his elder brother who supported his activities and his family.
but in the end, he succeeded to overthrow Qing dynasty, though the final dice was not cast by him but by Qing’s Han army in Nanchang.
If sun yat sen told you he will lead the new republic china one day, you would think him crazy,不自量力. but like what sun said those who goes against the world’ trend would be doomed. Sun rode on the world’s tide and finally succeeded in demolishing the 2000+ years of imperial rule (of course yuan shikai,an ambitious general sped up the collapse but this guy is just a small actor in the revolution)
If Gandhi told you in his hut that british colonial rule will come to an end, you will question his sanity and ask what weapons he has to fight the british.but we know gandhi eventually succeeded with his fearless satyagraha—resistance to tyranny through mass civil disobedience, firmly founded upon ahimsa or total non-violence.
If Mandela told you in the jail that apartheid will end one day, you will laugh at him and ask how is he going to end apartheid when the whites are so mighty. but we know that with some help from external sanctions, mandela was released and struck a deal with the white ruler.
If you are in auschwitz concentration camp and a fellow Jew says that one day the Jews will build their own homeland and end years of discrimination, you will think that imprisonment by nazis has turned him mad. how are jews going to build a homeland when they are about to be killed? but we know,after WWII,Jews fought for a homeland and finally succeeded
If someone told 刘邦 in his early days, he is going to be the next emperor, he will laugh and said the Qin dynasty is so strong and even if Qin dynasty is overthrown,he will never get the chance to be emperor as there is a guy 项羽 around. but in the end Liu Bang through deployment of his talented subordinates and some luck finally defeated xiang Yu.
If you told Lee Kuan Yew that he will be the PM of independent singapore, he will think you must be having hallucinations,japanese are still here and even if they leave there are other powerful groups to contend with. but, we know the ending.
The minority/underdog is always the X-factor in history.
So don’t laugh when someone said that myanmar army regime will be overthrown one day, china will have true democracy and taiwan will return to china then, israel and palestine will live peacefully, north korea and south korea will reunite, iran and usa will be friendly nations, PAP will be voted out.
Hi cy,
Yuan Shikai is not a small bit player despite his dynastic pretensions.
His Beiyang army is the strongest army at that time. If Sun Yat-Sen did not reach a compromise with him, an all-out civil war would have broken out between the revolutionaries and Yuan army with disastrous consequences.
During that period, the KMT is still not founded. The western powers could easily step in and crave up China among themselves.
Yuan’s selfish motive of preserving his own forces and refusing to obey the orders from the Qing court to fight the revolutionaries is perhaps his greatest single contribution to China. Of course, that does not absolve him from his subsequent follies and his failure to ensure a smooth transition of power after his death which saw the Beiyang cliche degenerating into various power factions which split northern China into personal fiefdoms, ushering a decade of warlordism and chaos.
Thing is we never know!!
The International Bar Assoc (IBA) also came to observe, and guess what their thesis is….a bombshell for the senior Papiess.
President Obama was recently quoted that people should “learn from sgp”. Well, let him visit. His take may not be what you expect. We’ll never know.
So if they want to come, invite them! Cause we’ll never know!
Hey, what so great about this… When it comes to the crunch.. we are all just humans… For aged people, what are they long for.. still the same.. WEALTH and RECOGNITION…
Without an official position, Anan has no power.. So he settles for the second best.. Whoever pays me well and give me due recognition and respect… it applies to Anan, Clinton, Bush, Mahathir.. Money Money Money….
1. I would like to know what significant contribution the LKY School of Public Policy has achieved?
2. What role will Anan play in the school? How will its students benefit?
why worry the UN is a dead organisation………..coffee anan was a toothless tiger
LKY school of public policy is propaganda to promote his ideas of governance which conveniently overlook nepotism, cronyism, non accountability, selective transparency, lop-sided distribution of wealth, compliant media and judiciary, non tolerance of differing views and most of all, making money is above all.
Either Kofi Annan is in it for the money or he has been hoodwinked.
To Lee Con Yew’s public policy on Fri, 4th Sep 2009 10:08 am
“nepotism, cronyism, non accountability, selective transparency, lop-sided distribution of wealth, compliant media and judiciary, non tolerance of differing views and most of all, making money is above”
if this is the formula for making money or succees then there won’t be so many, many poor countries around.
one doesn’t need to be a scholar to figure out the intend of the writer. in fact even a fool knows that this is the sure receipe for death & diaster that many 3rd world countries are stuck with.
Use your brains lah. LOL.
Did he deny that he would send in the army? He avoided the question totally. Instead, his ‘denial’ revealed his sheer refusal to play fair or by merit in the real interests of the people. He believes the only interest of the people is to have the PAP as government at all costs, even if it is complacent and incompetent.
The problem with this website is that is penetrated by non-Singaporeans (overseas) and opposition members/supporters who simply want to topedo Singapore, regardless. Sinking the ship is their preoccupation (but they forget the ship is already stealth) Their true identities are hidden though not their intend.
However, most readers are discerning given that this resourcesless, red dot, is doing exceptionally well vis-a-vis other poor but large, economy of scale countries. WHY?
We can argue till the cows come home. But to many this is the best ever government (not Lim Yew Hock’s) that delivers for the general good of all Singaporeans over the past 44 years.
If one cares to read, the skeptics write conveniently disregarding of the core/basic yardsticks:
Egs:
GDP/GNP per capita
Gini Index
Key infrastructures – superb housing, transport, etc.,
Forbes recognition
Kofi Anna’s Choice (midn you, a former UN leader who can literally go to anywhere to contribute his expetise)
3G SAF (HK has none)
Best Airport
Best Seaport
Near water self-sufficiency
But many Singaporeans can otherwise they won’t elect the PAP time and again since the 50s unless they wish to live like our neighbours.
I thank GOD for brains.
FOR HIS International SUPER-SalesManShips … And …
To BE fair … he did do a pretty good job of along with Dr. Goh Keng Swee … he’s then DPM and thereafter this story kep changing in text and contents …
AnYwAy AND in AnyCase … Many OF those from Much LARGER countries ARE so LONG-SIGHTED and SEEING FURTHER in their WIDER AND BROADER AND LONGER Countries … that they CAN’T Atually See things small AND Near!!! So HOW they can even think of the different complexes BETWEEN …
BIG and smALL area …
BIG population and smALL population
BIG numbers in Ethnic and smALL ethnic believes, Et Cetera!!!
IS Kofi Annan AN Exception in these things??? And OH … HOW MUCH DID ‘they’ OFFER and ARE PAYING HIM TO JOIN …???
What SAY you!!!
//Tan Beng Lock
//Kofi Anna’s Choice (midn you, a former UN leader who can literally go to anywhere to contribute his expetise)
That is provided he is here to not to broadcast the shit during elections.
I should be worried if I were you. given the amount of crap that this govt has done in the past 1 year, he will have a lot to say.
If he were to say that Singapore is not as good as it seems.
I think the damage is incredible.
//3G SAF (HK has none)
As if SAF is that good. Most of us would prefer not to serve.
//Best Airport
//Best Seaport
That was true until the last decade with the old good pap still largely in place.
Go check the ranking for the last 9 years.
We don’t have the best airport and sea port anymore. HK is better now for a number of years.
So, we have been paying shit loads of money for a decrease in performance instead to those people who worked to get it up there.
Singapore’s name only provide money to the govt. Everybody else pays into the system.
//Tan Beng Lock
As if people overseas got so much time to read this site and know so much about Singapore to comment on it.
Wake up, man.
//GDP/GNP per capita
As if it matters that much, if you don’t have monies to feed your children and have to commit suicide.
//Tan Beng Lock
The list of things you listed shows a flaw in method.
It is like those women who go around looking for a husband who has the 5Cs as if only that matter.
the damage comes when they realise such man does not necessarily love their wivies.
//Gini Index
this is a joke. Gini index shows how incompetent this govt is.
//Key infrastructures – superb housing, transport, etc.,
Remember nicole highway that crashed?
//Kofi Anna’s Choice (midn you, a former UN leader who can literally go to anywhere to contribute his expetise)
Remember the harvard prof who quit after 6 weeks in SMU?
Remember Engle who came down to Risk seminar in singapore and only gave a speech that last 5 minutes.
These people came here for the money and what good have they done to singaporeans?
//Near water self-sufficiency
//But many Singaporeans can otherwise they won’t elect the PAP time and again since the 50s unless they wish to live like our neighbours.
//I thank GOD for brains.
If they really have, and is doing their job, we won’t be having a billion dollar machine that allow a crippled to escape.
S’poreans elect again and again is not the point.
The point is Singaporeans loved to be screwed by PAP.
That I don’t understand why.
Singaporeans must love sm.