Reflections

The following sections are included:

• Contents
• Foreword
• Preface
• Introduction: The Charisma of Being Modern Singapore's Founding Father

Lee Kuan Yew's success in transforming Singapore from a plural immigrant society into a multicultural nation rested on the core values that shaped him and the power systems that he chose to serve his political cause.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew made the Public Service an efficient and honest institution, globally respected and second to none, which could work with the political leadership to ensure Singapore's survival, sovereignty and independence.

Singapore's first prime minister is hard to sum up. Whilst he was tough and a perfectionist, he was respected as the last of the era of the great post-war leaders. The younger generation of Singaporeans should try to understand his pivotal role in the making of Singapore.

Lee Kuan Yew's indomitable spirit and pragmatism in ensuring Singapore's survival was driven equally by an idealism and vision of an independent island that would be an oasis in an arid Southeast Asia.

The late former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew may not have started warmly with Indonesia and ASEAN, but he eventually became a staunch supporter of Singapore's large neighbour based on the trust developed with Suharto, which anchored the growth of ASEAN. How will the successor generation pursue his legacy?

Former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew's renowned intellectual, moral and political strengths played a major role in Singapore's rise from Third World to First in one generation. Fair-minded Singaporeans are unlikely to forget his achievements.

The thinking of Singapore's first prime minister has profoundly shaped the country's foreign policy. It is an embodiment of his worldview.

Lee Kuan Yew's mark on Singapore's foreign policy is that of applying counterintuitive strategies to improve the island state's international standing. In retrospect, this has ensured Singapore's long term viability as a sovereign nation-state.

The close bilateral ties between Singapore and the United States centred on friendship between Mr Lee Kuan Yew and successive American leaders. He established institutions to pursue strategic interests of both countries in a pragmatic partnership.

Lee Kuan Yew's conversations with US leaders are not as widely known as his speeches. A report by a US ambassador to Singapore on Lee's October 1967 visit to the United States reveals the extent of Lee's successful diplomacy towards the US.

As the rare statesman who has engaged all five generations of Chinese leadership, Lee Kuan Yew had a deep and profound understanding of China. Policymakers and scholars would do no worse than to overlook Lee's insights on the rising power.

Although it had long disappointed Lee Kuan Yew, India's contemporary rise in Asia and the world has much to do with the adoption of economic and strategic pragmatism that the founder of modern Singapore never tired of recommending for Delhi.

Singapore's governance model is widely touted to be world-class. Much of it is due to the brand of its political leadership which is studied by many countries around the world, not least China.

Lee Kuan Yew has been a towering inspiration for China's modernisation. His emphasis on stability in governance resonated well in China.

The excellent relations between Indonesia and Singapore from the 1970s were fostered by the mutual trust that developed between President Suharto and Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.

The late Mr Lee Kuan Yew's legacy on Singapore–Malaysia relations will continue to have an impact on the diplomatic ties of these two countries. In particular, his insights on the shared geography, history, culture, and the regional and geopolitical contexts for both Singapore and Malaysia will endure for many years to come.

A key legacy of Lee Kuan Yew has been to enshrine good governance (effective government) as an important ingredient of economic development and prosperity. Aspiring countries will, however, face challenges in adopting the Singapore development model.

Singapore's transformation from Third World to First stands out as a model to African countries. Still there is a danger that African leaders take the wrong lessons from Singapore's success.

The significance of law embodied the politics of Lee Kuan Yew. Trained as a lawyer, Lee's politics, in fact, was not based on law, but founded on it. He did not believe that laws had inherent autonomous values, but saw them as tools that could be used to secure the state. In so doing, he created a legal culture in which the public has come to expect government to act in accordance with law.

While the physical transformation of Singapore from Third World to First is well-known, Lee Kuan Yew's lasting achievement was building a Singaporean nation out of its diverse people. What next post-LKY?

Of the immense and multi-faceted legacies of founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew one which has not been sufficiently recognised is his introduction of Malay as the national language. What is its future role as Singapore forges to build a cohesive nation-state post-LKY?

With the passing of Singapore's founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, what will the future hold for Singapore? How will this tiny island nation fare over the next five decades?

One of Lee Kuan Yew's many legacies is the birth of Nanyang Technological University. In this essay published by the campus newspaper, Nanyang Chronicle, two of NTU's former presidents recall the first prime minister's impact on them.

As Singaporeans reel from the loss of their first prime minister and founding father of independent Singapore, some reflect on what Mr Lee Kuan Yew means to Singapore's youth of today.

Singapore's economic success and multiracial harmony has largely been attributed to the leadership of founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew. However, with current complexities confronting Singapore's governance, would his passing necessarily mark a change in Singapore's future trajectory? What is the role of young Singaporeans?

Lee Kuan Yew's legacy to Singapore is immense and manifold spanning several decades. What do young Singaporeans who have not lived through his leadership think of his ideas?

The following sections are included:

• Contributors
• About the Editors
• About RSIS