MM Lee brags about his “achievements” on the Charlie Rose Show
October 24th, 2009 | 
Author: From our Correspondent
In a national talk show with U.S. commentator Charlie Rose on the Charlie Rose Show on 22 October 2009, Singapore Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew continues to brag about his numerous “contributions” to Singapore.
This is the third time MM Lee has appeared on the show. His two previous appearances were in 2000 and 2004.
MM Lee claimed that his government managed to resolve the housing crisis in the 1960s and built flats for almost every Singaporean. He took the opportunity to remind the audience that Singapore now has one of the highest home ownership in the world (thanks to the PAP).
When the topic shifted to China, MM Lee was again quick to proclaim his “role” in China’s development. He related how impressed former Chinese paramount leader Deng Xiaoping was with Singapore during a trip in 1978 which prompted him to “duplicate” Singapore’s success back home in China.
Till today, China has already sent 40,000 officials to Singapore to study its system of governance.
Rose pointed out that democracy was sacrificed for economic success to which MM Lee rebutted that the success of Singapore was due to the people giving him the “authority” to rule.
The trip to the United States is MM Lee’s fourth overseas trip this year after earlier visits to Japan, China, Malaysia, United Kingdom and Russia.
At 86 years of age, he is still not showing any signs of frailty and has been working hard to ensure that he is not faded out of public view.
It is not known if MM Lee’s frequent trips are funded by himself or by taxpayers’ monies.
Certainly few can deny MM Lee’s leadership in shaping the success of modern day Singapore, but he would not be able to achieve much without the help of capable colleagues and a hardworking, thrifty and honest people.
Though Singapore’s dramatic transformation from third to first world in a single generation is a rare achievement, it is not the only country to achieve this feat.
Japan took only 30 years to rebuild itself from the ruins of world war two to become an economic powerhouse.
Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea have attained similar levels of prosperity too together with Singapore.
Even Australia, once described by MM Lee as the “white thrash” of Asia has a standard of living higher than Singapore’s.
Yet, we seldom see the leaders of these countries traveling around the world to promote themselves or to lecture others on their shortcomings.
A little humility goes a long way especially since Singapore is only a small nation. We have still a lot to learn from others. Besides it is big question mark if Singapore’s system is able to survive MM Lee long after he is gone (for good).
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Sometimes I do pity and sympathise with MM Lee for having to do all the things that PM Lee should have been doing.
The old fart is well, farting again. Showing no sign of frailty? Look carefully. He could be gone sooner than you think.
Cockroach capitalism will thrive as long as there is crumbs left behind but in the world of globalisation, the crumbs are accessible to all the hungry including the more aggressive and stronger species, the cockroach will surely dies – it only a matter of when.
The evidences are there to see – Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia all confidently face the post-2008/2009 financial crisis, we faced the threatening prospect of our economy needing URGENT RESTRUCTURING to see if we too can survive.
I guess we will have to tolerate his megalomaniac nonsense for a while more.
He needs to blow his high-falutin** achievements before he goes.
This is probably his last hurrah.
** My apologies if I use te wrong word here. Just couldn’t resist it.
After this US trip, MM could now go back to China to tell the Chinese that he knows a lot about those Americans. This is exactly how diplomatic relationship was conducted in ancient time.
maybe we should go out to the international media too – to let them know what we think of lky and pap, and the atrocities they have committed.
I for one am grateful to MM. All said and done, I am indebted to his service to the country. No one is perfect and MM certainly is not.
I watched it on http://www.charlierose.com/. The world especially the Americans and now the Chinese also really repect you. What you say is held in high esteem. I guess they could see.
If only we in the Malay world has someone like you. I must give it to you lah Mr LKY!
Ian said: “No one is perfect and MM certainly is not.”
It is obvious you have no brain and can’t think properly. Yes I agree no one is perfect. But merciless persecution of political opponents? So you think the Myanmar rulers are also “not perfect”?
Ian said: I for one am grateful to MM. All said and done, I am indebted to his service to the country. No one is perfect and MM certainly is not.
I am sure you will have your chance to pay your respect to this once great leader when he goes 6 feet under.
Plans are in the making for a temple to be built and named after him, the Kuan Yew Temple. You can then pay your respect there and worship him as god for the rest of your life.
Hi TR, I agree with the suggestion that we proactively reach out to the international media and tell them what we think of LKY and PAP. Do you think you can use TR as a platform to do that? By posting comments here, I have a feeling that we are just complaining among ourselves. Correct me if I’m wrong.
most of the comments from above just sound like sour grapes from obviously non Singaporeans…every singaporean know we are who we are today because of MM….and this is more important than any small flaw that the above article and some comments are trying to imply…
@ jedimaster on Sat, 24th Oct 2009 12:20 pm
.,… “this is more important than any small flaw that the above article and some comments are trying to imply…”
You talk about flaw but uncertain if any flaw exists. So we must all wonder if it is your grammer or your cognitivce dissonance at work corrupting your judgment of your irreconciliable truth.
But regardless, I see 10 posts above of different issues raised. If they all talk about same (yet uncertain to you) “flaw”, your English comprehension might be kindergarten class or at least different from the rest of the bloggers above.
And you could even discover mysteriously without explanation or evidence of truth that the bloggers above are “obviously” non-Singaporeans. Were you “informed” of their nationality by your stupidity or imagination or both?
Maybe you are a PR here trying to score points of irrelevance to truth of facts of both economic and documented political history?
#XiSd Tay on Sat, 24th Oct 2009 12:13 pm
“Plans are in the making for a temple to be built and named after him, the Kuan Yew Temple. You can then pay your respect there and worship him as god for the rest of your life.”
Better start a donation drive to build the temple as soon as possible. The Old Goat looks like a terminal case.
By the way, there is one more devotee here called ‘jedimaster’ who has expressed his admiration for the Despised One and may make his pilgrimage to the K Y Temple to offer his prayers.
We must not disappoint him.
We have to accept that the Old Arrogant Asssshole has his admirers too.
This might sound like sour grapes, but really Singapore is just a large city happened to become a country, right? To put things into perspective, say 50 large cities with GDP over $100billion, Singapore is around 35-36 ranking? behind Minneapolis, Phoenix… I think the gentleman thinks too much of himself, and way overpaid for a city mayor equivalent.
Our country has made it once again to the top! Here’s the link-
http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/107980/countries-with-the-biggest-gaps-between-rich-and-poor
Sometimes it just need a BIG K.O. for everyone to awaken. Madoff, Allen Stanford, and our very own Sunshine Empire. If a firm can swindled away billions and still publishes financial reports, imagine what someone can do without the need to disclose its financials. Blind faith is dangerous, be it in religion or politics.
If you are a law breaker, do not go to Singapore, if you are a law binding citizen, Singapore is the safest place on Earth. If I am correct,97% Singapoeans own their own home, very, very few country come close and no developed country come close. The crime rate in Singapore is almost nonexistant, but again, do not go there if you want to to break the law, you will be punished serverely. I believe people who break the law should not go free, so I am an admirer of MM.
The Sooner The Better said: Better start a donation drive to build the temple as soon as possible. The Old Goat looks like a terminal case.
I don’t think that will be necessary. Rumour has it that it will be sponsored by CPF Board or GiC or Temasek Holdings.
ocean said: Hi TR, I agree with the suggestion that we proactively reach out to the international media and tell them what we think of LKY and PAP. Do you think you can use TR as a platform to do that? By posting comments here, I have a feeling that we are just complaining among ourselves. Correct me if I’m wrong.
TR is doing its part to get itself listed in major search engines and so I assumed posting here will make it to the internet.
Many articles on TR is already being listed and cache by alta vista and google and I further understand that TR’s present host have been knd enough to do a submission of the site to hundreds of engines for free.
//Ben Gee
The majority of the people lived in highrise blocks on 99-year leases from the government. As such, the people living in public housing are just tenants – the ownership is a myth.
LKY’s style of heavy-handed paternalism is out of date in modern singapore yet he persists in his way.
no doubt, his way can reap results fast and do well for the country if done correctly but if done wrongly,the result will be disastrous as there is no counter-balance to pull singapore back from the abyss.
though US seems indecisive, but as winston churchill says:Democracy is the worst form of government except for all those others that have been tried.
You can always trust the Americans. In the end they will do the right thing, after they have eliminated all the other possibilities
Yes, many are greatful to PAP for building giant fund vacuum (CFP) which will continue to vacuum Singaporean’s funds as long as CFP stays
Does the property owned by one in western countries has expire period like 99 years ??????? If not, MM should stop talking rubbish!!!!
….so I am an admirer of MM.
I see, so you enjoy sucking pap bananas?
Ditto to xisd tay. Hope TR admin has submitted this site to Google, Yahoo, Bing for index crawling. They have a submission of website URLs to be index.
Hopefully, TR can make it to Google News. That will be excellent in reaching out to more audiences and greater exposure of the current administration.
Where on earth that the ruling party has already won the right to rule the countries before election ???? Is this a great achievement for a democratic country ?
City, you will be glad to know that the article on Lee Kuan Yew has made it to today’s google news and readership has reached almost 2500 in less than a day!
http://www.temasekreview.com/2009/10/25/lee-kuan-yew-the-singapore-strong-man/
In fact, if you visit google news, most of them are dominated by TR’s postings.
YES!! I saw it (http://news.google.com.sg/nwshp?hl=en&tab=wn)!! Hurray
Keep up the good work
Hope TR can continue to spread far and wide and more people can know the truth about the real Singapore.
Side track: recently I play host to a HK friend, on her 1st trip to Singapore. She commented that HK has become very pack nowadays due to an influx of PRC. She, however, does not feel the strong presence of PRC here too, till I pointed out to her.
A lot of HKers seem to think PAP is doing a good job (if you visit their political forum)!! Hope TR can grow strength to strength and let everyone know how a “good job” the current administration is doing!
What do you mean when you say MM Lee is lecturing the world?
I am quite taken aback by some of the negative comments reflected here. Each view I suppose is dependant on the audience reacting to the article and the interview. And each group will draw from its own value systems and cultral ballast. So I expect many of the comments here are not from the average Singaporean man in the street. The simple fact of the matter here is that the vast majority of Singaporeans are happy with the way things are. Sure there are complaints but isn’t all of life a compromise ? Otherwise the country will fall apart. The parallels drawn on Burma and other autocratic systems cannot but bring disbelief in my reaction. As if one can compare the quality of life there and Singapore. How about the comparison to arguably the most democratic system in the world India ……. is the life of the avearge Indian at the same level as the average Sibgaporean. Yes there are differences in scale and Singapore is but a small “pimple” or less in the world map. But do you think the American leadrship and many well regarded individuals in the world would provide the platform for the “promotion” of a despotic and autocratic leader ? Or would the world press and even Mr Rose accord and audience a REPEATED audeince if there is no merit in the event. I am really dumbfounded by the narrow world view of some if the negative comments posted here. Research a oittle more, come visit Singapore and other places in the world. Walk a little in our shoes before taking such a bias and hurtful stance. And yes there will be Singaporeans or other stake holders that are not as positive as me. But that is human nature is it not. Is the population prevented from migration, sure some leave but in what numbers. If things are as bad as some say. The country wold be an empty shell within a few years of Mr Lee taking office. But it has not. We are into more then 44 years of nationhood and doing well. And since this is an American based site. May I add that some of the greatest lights in American leadership and in fact almost all that have been in leadership (Popularly elected leadership in your democratic country) during the lifetime of Mr Lee are overwhelmingly positive on Mr Lee’s place in the scheme of things. Go figure ……
Lawrence
As a follow up. Sorry I made the assumption this was a US based site. Was surfing and came across this in between several US sites and news stories. Anyway on rereading my own comments. All comments apply except for my wrong assumption. Fact is well regarded leadership the world over and even critical media have provided the platform for MM and also even in the most negative of environments have paid grudging respect. And that says a lot.
Lawrence
@Lawrence on Thu, 29th Oct 2009 11:46 am
If you been around, you would know the truth that western societies are VERY TOLERANT of contrary strident views simply because they are very VIBRANT SOCIETIES – the opposite of here where dissenting views are RUTHLESSLY AND BRUTALLY SUPPRESSED.
You need to understand the reality of this imprisonment of thoughts this way – THE MAN IMPRISONED looking out the world through the bars holding him/her in his/her incarceration INSIDE has DIFFERENT VIEWS AND THOUGHTS from THAT IN THE MIND of the one OUTSIDE “looking in” the anguished mind of the prisoner staring from inside through the same bar.
So it is different culture and different tolerance level.
Dear Anonymous
I am finding the opinion components of the TR site an interesting revelation. Your point is well taken and understood. Am not in full agreement especially from he perspective that each passing day and in fact from the avent of the “information age” and the degree to which Singaporeans travel and we are probably the most globally mobile population in thw world (as a percentage of population). There can be very limited ability to control ones world view or to truely “Imprison” the man or even his tought. I suppose we defer on the degree to which this possible effect is in play. Anyway good exchange.
I am a little less amoured to the tone and even lack of civility in some of the posts with terms like “Old Arrogant Asshole” and “Sucking PAP Banana” being used. Unless the users and Bloggers on the TR site can have constructuve and respectful exchanges all this passion and emotion will be counter productive. I am all for alternate voices but to be heard and taken seriously it has to be done with civility and responsibility.
Not sure if TR will be a regular site for me to drop into as much of the opinion content seems to be fairly hardcore oppositionist and not very open to alternate views hahaha ironic as that may sound. But the way I see it engagement in anyform is better then being not engaged at all.
@Lawrence
it’s always easier to “pcik-up” the “rubbish”-like you mentioned-and not the true SUNSTANCE?
Just gently ponder if a few of the bloggers exprressed thmeselves in UNCILVIL maner? probably that’s the way
they try to make themselves heard.Not everyone here is a scholar like most in MSM!But,i must assure you they don’t beat a round the bush or speak in hypocritic high-society eloquence.
So, i sincerely hope that you reserve judgement and continue to surf TR for some truths and sincere revelations!
TR,I BELIEVE,is trying to accomodate the good ,the bad and the ugly without prejudice. I strongly think that this is good as it honestly reflect SINGAPOREANS in their outmost sincerity.
So,welcome once again and be part of the family of common society!
@ Lawrence on Thu, 29th Oct 2009 2:47 pm
Glad that you agree with my thoughts although we differ in some measure of “intensity” of thought imprisonment in this information age.
I do agree with you that some of the postings have a bit of a “character” or, may I say, a little bit of “temperature” in them in response other “outrageous” trolls. Ha Ha Ha
And yes, enjoy this exchange with you!
@Lawrence@Anonymous
I do agree that it is important to be civil in words
but civility is even more meaningful if expressed in actions?
Hello Lawrence,
Tell me which would you prefer:
To be called “Old Arrogant Asshole” and “Sucking PAP Banana”, OR
To be sued until bankrupt and jailed for half your life or more without trial??????