The Pinnacle Among Great Leaders

I always like to taruh Singapore for its idiosyncracies ... when I say its over controlled, I mean a station like BFM probably would never be allowed to broadcast in Singapore. However, Lee Kuan Yew was a great leader and visionary at that. You can be a master strategist but he can execute them well. I though he was too over powering with opposition members and foreign publications, and that was a big blot in my book.

However, he has done things only very very few could have. Some speculated that he can do so cause Singapore is so small. Think for a moment. For the size and population of Singapore from 1950 till today ... you look at Singapore today, was it ever possible to get from A to B? Given what he had on his plate, he has already exceeded the most optimistic of all predictions for their economy, living standards and competitiveness.

Many younger Singaporeans still do not realise the gravity and breadth of his efforts. Choosing instead to whine and whinge about mundane things.

One key factor in his efforts was the blueprint and DNA instilled in the leadership which permeates right down the civil service. The fact that Singapore continued on its merry way after he stepped down (yea, I know he was the Senior Minister) was testament to the solid foundations he built.

Like him or not: nation above self; pragmatism over most things.


One wonders what he would have achieved with a slightly bigger country? Don't we all... don't we all ...