Serving Singapore

The following sections are included:

• Author’s Note
• Advance Praise: Khalid Bin Ahmed Bin Mohamed Al Khalifa
• Foreword: Tommy Koh
• Foreword: Gopalan Raman
• Review: Ong Keng Yong
• Commentary: Ibrahim Ali Badawi
• Commentary: Agnes Sng
• Commentary: Wolfgang Sachsenröder
• Acknowledgements
• Contents

Monday, 14^th December, 1959 was a fine, sunny and breezy morning when I took that first step. With confidence, enthusiasm and pride, I walked-up the steps of the City Hall frontage at about 8.30 A.M. to report for duty as Executive Officer in the newly-formed Ministry of Culture, located on the 3rd floor. The minister was Sinnathamby Rajaratnam who later became the foreign minister. Thus, began my long journey and career in the civil service that spanned more than 42 years…

The memories I have of my early childhood is growing up in our small ancestral village, then named Aliyanilai (which roughly translates to “eternal settlement”), in Tanjore District of Madras Province, later called Tamil Nadu, in India. This happened quite by accident. My parents took me, then about eight months old (as I understood later from my mother), and my two elder siblings for what was intended to be a short trip. It was some time towards the end of December 1939 or early January 1940. However, not long after, sea transport between India and Singapore stopped and, therefore, we could not return to our home in Singapore. It was one of the consequences of the War. Reminiscing those years, decades later, my mother remembered that “Poland was burning” at the time we left for India. (War films and German archival footage, which I saw later in adult life, showed Adolf Hitler’s storm troopers torching buildings, many of them in the Jewish quarter, with flamethrowers shooting ferocious flames.) Thus, we were stranded in the village. Even after the Japanese surrender, and the return of the British to Singapore, there was quite a delay in the resumption of passenger ship services. Almost all available ships had been commandeered and most of them converted to troop-carriers to serve the War effort…

On arrival at the Ministry of Culture, the first person I saw was the Office Keeper, Santhanan, who was seated near the entrance and I informed him of my purpose. Many government departments then did not have staff designated as receptionists. Whoever was around was expected to chip in and do the job. He took me to an officer (an Executive Officer in charge of general administration) who then led me to the Assistant Secretary (an Administrative Service Officer) and who was the head of the personnel and finance sections and my immediate supervisor. After a short briefing, I was introduced to other heads of sections…

The problems faced in Singapore were immense: poverty, inadequate health care, serious unemployment, limited educational opportunities and many more. All these on top of serious political problems, especially the challenge from the Malayan Communist Party (MCP). Despite these concerns, there was a mood of general excitement among the populace, even if not many knew what the future had in store for them.

Business as usual for the civil service ended abruptly. Civil servants recruited under the colonial administration to serve mainly colonial interests, especially the preservation of the status quo, needed a mindset change, so as to face the new reality and implement a development-oriented programme. The expectations of the masses were high, the resources were limited and time available to deliver was short…

Many major reforms were undertaken quickly. I list below (not in any particular order of importance) a few of them to give a flavour of the measures implemented.

Under the colonial regime there was no nation, only a collection of communities. We were required to sing “God save the King” and later “God save the Queen” but there was in general no enthusiasm for the British Crown, the symbol of dominance. There was no emotional connection, unlike for our Majulah Singapura. Even to this day, I get a rush of emotion, and sometimes get choked up with tears welling in my eyes, when I rise to sing our anthem. There are many reasons for this, and I will deal with some of them later…

I mentioned in the earlier chapter the serious challenge to the PAP mounted by the Communist United Front (CUF) and it was an increasing threat. As I saw it, the PAP faced an uphill task of confronting and containing them. If Singapore merged with Malaysia, the federal government would have to deal with them and the PAP could avoid the odium and the fallout from locking up all the key figures in the CUF, who were former comrades in arms in the PAP. Furthermore, it was also not in the security interests of Malaya, if the PAP lost to the communists. Therefore, there was convergence of interests of sorts. There were some loose bazaar talks later that the PAP “tricked the Malay leaders” into it. The economic benefit was also played up and prima facie it made sense. Singapore could tap into the resources of a larger federation…

The euphoria, excitement and expectation of better opportunities began to fade soon. One of the reasons for the merger was that, in a larger geographical entity, Singapore would be able to tap into natural resources for development. On the other side of the coin, Singapore’s expertise in business, trade and banking, amongst others, would benefit other states in the new federation. In short, the selling point for going with Malaysia was “Singapore the New York of Malaysia” and “Kuala Lumpur the Washington of Malaysia”. It did not turn out quite that way. It appeared that Kuala Lumpur had planned a more subservient role for Singapore. A subservient role would have cut Singapore off from major political and economic decisions that would then have had repercussions on the internal and regional security, environment, trade and commerce and attraction of foreign investments. One could detect that there was an unspoken and unwritten expectation that the new kid in the block, Singapore, should always be deferential to the Big Brother. Inevitably, serious differences surfaced.

There is no need for me to go into the details as to why Singapore was expelled from Malaysia. They are well documented and there could not be a better account than the one given by the master himself, in “The Singapore Story” by Lee Kuan Yew. However, for those of us at the grassroots level who went through the emotions of euphoria and hope followed by despair, despondence and trauma, it was a difficult adjustment, especially because the exit was as sudden as it was unexpected. Historians might continue to examine and analyse the causes that led to our expulsion. However, one can analyse the ashes but seldom resurrect the flames.

One of the urgent tasks for the infant Republic was securing international recognition. Singapore joined the Commonwealth in August 1965, was admitted to the United Nations on 21 September of the same year and became founding member of ASEAN in 1967. However, it was also important that the international community had a good understanding of our leaders, their pragmatic policies to attract foreign investments, the disciplined and hardworking work force and above all, the clean and honest government. In short, Singapore was a good place to visit, invest and live. Attracting international conferences and similar events were important building blocks in this strategy.

The Peoples’ Action Party (PAP) was a socialist party and for a while was a member of the Socialist International. In many newly emerging countries then, socialism was the flavour of the time. However, dogmatic attachment to socialist ideology had stymied economic development in many countries, including India. By and large the mantra of socialism had not worked as expected. So, the PAP chose a different route…

During my postings abroad, I was often asked — in my interactions with host government officials, diplomats and in talks and lectures in universities and think tanks, and on other occasions — what was the “secret” of Singapore’s success. I was also asked the same question during my lectures on “Public Sector Reforms in Singapore” at the Civil Service College for senior foreign government officials attending courses under the Singapore Technical Cooperation Programme. I have talked about this in a different chapter. Generally, the Singapore ambassador’s job was a bit easier; Singapore’s reputation as a successful country and PM Lee’s international stature opened many doors, much to the envy of many other ambassadors, including those from bigger and wealthier countries. However, it also meant heavier responsibility, in that the Singapore ambassadors had to be professional and live up to expectations at all times…

In Chapter 4, I briefly mentioned how our government decided against the use of honorifics. Our leaders did not use any titles in both oral and written communications. Dress codes were simplified both to suit local climate and to be in sync with the life style of the common man. Our leaders wore open neck shirts were the usual attire except when meeting a foreign dignitary, then they would wear a suit. This is in stark contrast to the culture in other countries, including many in our region. In this chapter, I deal with the behaviour of many leaders based on my personal experiences, observations, watching documentaries and reading of relevant reports…

Our relations with Malaysia and Indonesia were, in my observation, coloured by the Malaysian and Indonesian perceptions that:

• we are a small country, merely a dot on the map compared to them;
• despite our lack of resources, which they are so abundantly blessed with, we have managed to punch above our weight and gain a better reputation in the world than them;
• we are a “Third China” in the Malay neighbourhood; and
• they have not been able to cow us into submission, especially our Chinese, as they had done to their Chinese communities.

Many visiting high dignitaries were struck by the fact that they did not see slums in Singapore, noting that we were unique in this regard. Tanin Kraivixien, prime minister of Thailand, remarked to me during his official visit that he had not seen slums and asked me whether there was any. I informed him that we had them before but not any longer. He looked astonished and remarked that it was not typical of Asia. Probably, he must have wondered to himself how we managed to solve the problem when it had not been possible in many other countries, including his own.

During his term as Finance Minister, Dr Richard Hu emphasised the stark choice for Singapore: “either innovate or evaporate”. According to the staff who worked under him, he prioritised financial prudence. His personal assistant used to double up as press secretary as well. He had minimal staff and to my understanding they were not unhappy in their jobs, very hard-pressed as they would have been…

In Global Competitiveness Rankings, Singapore was continually ranked among the top ten countries in the world. This could not have been possible without honest leadership, transparent procedures and accountability, amongst other factors. Those found guilty of transgressions must be punished according to the law without exception.

My generation started our service under difficult circumstances, but we also had the unique benefit of working with the founding fathers, especially Lee Kuan Yew (Prime Minister), Dr Goh Keng Swee (Finance Minister) and Sinnathamby Rajaratnam (Minister for Culture and Minister for Foreign Affairs). We learnt much from them. I was lucky that my duties, in various positions, brought me into contact with the pioneer leaders, especially with PM Lee. It all started in London. During his visits to London for the Commonwealth Prime Ministers’ Conference, as it was known then (later CHOGM), and on other occasions, I assisted the delegation in several areas, gaining valuable insights into the way PM Lee dealt with people and issues. I have detailed some of my observations below.

My wife, to this day, has never understood why even after eating her good food, that I should still be “skin and bones” as she often used to say, causing her embarrassment. She was concerned that people would conclude that she was not feeding me and the children well at home! The irony was that she is a good cook and her cuisines were much appreciated by many, both at home and abroad. We found that serving a variety of Singaporean dishes were a great hit with our guests during the years we served abroad in different countries. In select cases, my wife even sent food to our friends’ residences for their quiet family enjoyment. Generally, the useful contribution of foreign service wives to diplomacy has been under appreciated…

It has been acknowledged around the world that Singapore has succeeded beyond anyone’s expectations. It earned us respect and enabled us, as often said, to “punch above our weight”. It was, in short, due to the cooperative partnership between the honest, incorruptible, and courageous political leadership, and the hardworking citizenry who were all willing to make the sacrifices that were necessary. Collectively, we stood up for Singapore and are proud of it…

In the conduct of diplomacy, depth of knowledge and good information is among the indispensable tools needed by diplomats. The foreign ministry never rests. There is always something happening somewhere in the world which could impact Singapore in some form or other. Therefore, our diplomats and other staff in the Foreign Ministry always had to be alert, to deal with developing events, both expected and unexpected, as they happen. In my experience, the foreign ministry is the best place to be for anyone who has a lively interest in current affairs, a flair for international relations, and a desire to excel in the rough and tumble of international diplomacy. I would not have exchanged my experience there for any other…

Why this chapter? I have two reasons.

The success of Singapore in overcoming enormous problems despite the dire predictions of impending doom when it was cast aside from Malaysia, earned Singapore great respect abroad, and Singapore was consistently rated highly in the narratives and commentaries of important global institutions. In an article on Singapore in October 1992, “Management Today” on page 112 concluded that “Singapore is a successful human response to national disadvantage”. At the 37^th “Singapore Lecture”, the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, said “Singapore is a metaphor for dreams coming true”. There were many leaders who wanted their countries to be “the Singapore” in their region. Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, told us, in a meeting at his office in the West Bank, that he wanted to develop Palestine to be “the Singapore of the Middle East”. There were many more accolades but the best of all is the “China Reform Friendship Medal” bestowed posthumously on Lee Kuan Yew by President Xi Jinpeng in 2018 in recognition of Lee Kuan Yew’s and, by extension, Singapore’s contribution to China’s economic modernisation and development. In my view, the reason for China’s meteoric rise was that, although it had a closed system, it had, at the same time, an open mind, which empowered the nation to learn from and adopt the best practices and policies of other countries, regardless of whether they were big or small. The Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping famously said: it does not matter whether the cat is black or white so long it catches mice! After his visit to Singapore (referred to in an earlier chapter), China sent a continuous stream of their officials, over many years, to Singapore to study our public administration and governance. President Xi Jinpeng also acknowledged this during his first term as President. Within a few decades, China has amply demonstrated to the world that it is a force to be reckoned with in the global economic and political landscape…

I was invited by the American International School (AIS) in Cairo to deliver a keynote address to the Model United Nations Conference organised by AIS with support from local authorities. AIS left it to me to decide the title of my keynote address and I decided that I should speak on “The Challenge of Change”. The very lively audience repeatedly engaged me to predict the future. My response was:

• “Uncertainty is the only certainty…” —John Allen Paulos; and
• “change is the only constant” —Heraclitus.