Saturday, March 28, 2015

LKY

A few days late, but I wanted to leave some thoughts on this.
Being so far away, and ironically being a Malaysian, I still did feel a sense of loss over the recent passing of Lee Kuan Yew. Indeed, part of me was envious that I couldn't be there to pay my respects, reading about this on my Singaporean friends' FB posts. And certainly the huge envy most Malaysians would have, thinking about what a great man and leader Mr. Lee Kuan Yew was, and how things might be/have been if only Malaysia had leaders such as him.
It's pretty damn amazing reading about Singapore's development from a small island settlement to a what it is today. And how it rapidly advanced after its separation from Malaysia, leaving us in its dust while we still, almost 60 years later, struggle with bickering, corruption, racial disharmony. Mention Malaysia here and I'm usually faced with "where is that?" or "Isn't that where they have terrorists?/Is it safe?/That's the country with the plane crashes!".
Mention Singapore, and everyone here knows about it.
Singapore truly has come a long way, and though she isn't without her issues, it's pretty evident that much of her progress can be attributed to LKY. Even if you don't agree with his ways, you can't argue with his success.
RIP, Mr. Lee. You have worked so hard- it is time to rest knowing you have raised a country well.