This is why Lee Hsien Loong is so respected!
5 Minutes with Mr. Patrick Tay, assistant secretary-general of NTUC.
February 19, 2017Wow, I was watching the live streaming of the National Day Rally 2016 from Helsinki, and my heart skipped a beat at this moment, when our prime minister basically paused awkwardly and felt ill.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctXC9JQ10ns
And the response on social media was just as resounding: most Singaporeans who are watching the rally did panic.
What was happening?
Imagine the sigh of relief when PM came back on stage!
https://www.facebook.com/ChannelNewsAsia/videos/10153858321972934/?pnref=story
So today I just want to write a brief note about why Lee Hsien Loong, the prime minister of Singapore, is so respected in and outside of his own country.
It is because as the head of the little red dot, he really does put Singapore’s interest before his own.
Tonight’s event is testimony of that– he could have chosen not to continue the speech. But knowing that this event would probably appear on the global press the next day (well, it IS a big deal that Singapore’s prime minister sort of “collapsed” briefly during its own National Day Rally), he had to and wanted to finish the speech.
And he did!
The position of prime minister of Singapore–in spite of its perceived huge pay cheque– is hardly enviable. For one, Prime Minister LHL probably has to worry about the issues of this small country all the time– will we survive another 50 years? Will we be the next targets of terrorism? etc. It doesn’t take much for Singapore to suddenly perish as a country–after all, small cities have risen and vanished in the past.
Then anti-government folks always complain about lack of freedom of expression, lack of support for local arts/sports/entrepreneurship, lack of human rights in Singapore. Oh yes, and huge income gap of course. Then it is always the prime minister’s fault and of course the 69.9% (including me since I vote for PAP) who are blamed.
I don’t think the “Singapore system” will ever change in the next 20 years, but apparently for most Singaporeans, it works fine. And to head this system as prime minister with no doubt, with compassion and with the utmost mental strength is absolutely admirable. 🙂
Oh yes and as a sidenote, haha, LHL actually is a great photographer and coder as well.
I’m proud of my prime minister! And how many citizens of the world can say that of their prime minister?
15 Comments
Reblogged this on krallstan and commented:
Man, I feel blessed to be a Singaporean!
Singapore has became more and more Westernised in a Eastern part of the world.With more than 75 per local chinese who ancestors immigrated from China. And off course,the minorities are from India,Malaysia and other part of Asia countries. Our forefathers bring with us their unique cultures and values during these nation building period.As our ancestors coming to Singapore,are mostly hardworking and strive for better living here.Gradually,when our government make our education systems dominantly in English. The younger generation tends to speak mostly in English,thought that English is their Mother tongue. Our people slowly forgotten their roots,cultures and values. With a new western model,our people strive for more business minded ,more materialise kind of living.Our local Chinese women tends to date or marry western men.Well,in the long run Singapore will became more mixed,to dilute the Chinese population. Unlike Malays and Indians who still be able to upholds their values,cultures and languages Singapore Chinese shamelessly adapted Western values,religions and forgot their own roots.Sadly speaking that this is not going to work in the long run. Our new generation tends to look for more well paid and comfy jobs.Our government should put in more effort to encourage youngsters to keep their roots,languages and values,English is just a working language and tools to communicate with each other of different races .
If you are talking about Westernization pertaining to the Chinese only, then you are spot-on. However I don’t think this is the problem caused by Singapore government. Look at all other countries that have Chinese. They assimilated into the adopting countries that they lived in. Chinese is a very pragmatic race and they do any thing to survive and be prosperous. I traveled extensively for business and I came across Chinese in South America and Europe that cannot speak their mother tongue anymore. And of course not to mentioned those “ABCs” in America. There is of course some exceptions but they are very few. In my view, the most resilient race is the Jews, However if you study deeper into what made them able to retain their roots, it is their Jewish belief which is largely shaped by their religion which is Judaism. And so this is the same for the Arabs, Malays, Indians and those races that more or less have a unified religion. What does Chinese have? Most may agreed Buddhism as the main religion but religious belief has been retarded by the communist government and a generation grew up not having any. Life under communist rules are also not easy and many actually took the risk to leave China and they ended up in Singapore, in Europe, in America and basically everywhere that can provide them opportunities to live and prosper. While the first generation might keep to their roots but the subsequent generation will change to adopt in order to do better than their fore-fathers.
So the point is that Singapore is not a Chinese society from the beginning. Do not forget that Singapore started as a Malay fishing village. Even though Chinese immigrants arrived in swarms later to cause the change in demographic, the government is wise not to adopt Chinese-based governance so as not to upset the other races and more importantly, the region. So it seems that the “Westernized” way is most neutral so we have it. The only thing that I do not totally agree with you is that the denotation of a Westernized religion. I will assume that you are referring to Christianity. However if you care to study deeper into most “Western” religions (and I do not mean just Christianity) the place of origin is not from the West.
As long as there are Chinese that is not raised in China, you will see the same and not just in Singapore. It has to do with the attitude and value of the Chinese who are pragmatic and hardworking in order to succeed in life. Being hardworking of course is nothing wrong but you will come to a point that something need to give especially if you want to be successful. One can of course be successful even without forsaking their Chineseness but that remains far and few. I do not agree that losing Chinesenss is the same as losing one’s roots. Like I said before the roots are defined by ones’ values and beliefs. While most other races based it on a large part in religious beliefs, the Chinese is just different.
一竹竿打翻全船的人
A short note…thank you PM LHL. Yes all of us are Mortal beings…that is why at this juncture i want to appreciate PM Lee n our SG Ministers for your relentless work. Even at my Fil’s wake MP for Tampines came to pay his respects. All of you have families and yah people will say ‘you’ve a bigger pay pkt. How many of us will do or sacrifice what the MPs /PM do and for the Nation…sometimes for a thankless lot of people too. Only at Our Late LKY funeral then citizens appreciate him. Let us not be so self-centred citizens of SG.
What i like abt our Ministers…what they say they will do….they DO IT! you refute that? Just look at where SG was 15-20 yrs ago. Majulah SG!! And wishing you a long life PM LHL. * p/s many a times its the wife behind a successful man …thank you Mrs Lee Ho Ching ❤👏👏
What a BS….👎
Mr Lee, may God’s abundant blessings be with you always. You like your father have given your entire life to Singapore despite the fact in health you are not as good as your father. You have aged but that did not deter your maximum contribution to the little dot that your dad has built up. We, Singaporeans will pray that you will be pink of health until old age eventhough if you have step down from your physical n mental draining job as our Prime Minister! God Bless You Always!
I wish my Mr LSL is my country’s PM. Man of principle throughout and PM Najib and his cabinet should emulate this kind of of a true leader.
You and millions have the same wish as well
You and millions have the same wish… God help us all.
Sorry it should Mr LHL and not LSL. Please forgive my error.
I am very proud of my Prime Minister too.
We have great leaders.
We are blessed !
Madjura singapura.
MAJULAH SINGAPURA
Mari kita rakyat Singapura
Sama-sama menuju bahagia
Cita-cita kita yang mulia
Berjaya Singapura
Marilah kita bersatu
Dengan semangat yang baru
Semua kita berseru
Majulah Singapura
Majulah Singapura
Marilah kita bersatu
Dengan semangat yang baru
Semua kita berseru
Majulah Singapura
Majulah Singapura
Lee Hsien Loong is well respected beyond the shore????
at least not in China.
read about this: http://global.dwnews.com/news/2016-11-14/59781975.html
reader commented: 注定跳梁小丑一支.