Lee Kuan Yew (1923-2015) - Documentary

[Applause] Lee Kuan Yew braced himself early on in life to face history's tumult was tides full on from the hardships of war with a fledgling nation in tow he leapfrogged decades pushing past histories disruptive currents [Music] [Applause] [Music] we survived it's under turn this is your life and mine I spent a whole life I'm building this and brought Singapore to where it is today without living time no time deter [Music] [Music] for the young Lee Kuan Yew the Japanese occupation was the single most important event to shape his political ideology the deprivation cruelty and humiliation that the war wreaked on people revealed to Lee that to control one's destiny one had to gain power [Music] li was named Kuan Yew which literally means light and brightness but which also means bringing great glory to one's ancestors we changed the complexion of Singapore on September 16th 1923 Lee was born to an English educated parents li chen kun and rajim neo and was given the English Monica Harry by his paternal grandfather Lee continued the family tradition of being educated in English he read law at the University of Cambridge after excelling as a student at raffles College [Music] his experience of being treated as a colonial subject when he was in England in the late 1940s field his interest in politics and sharpened his anti colonial sentiments [Music] Lee later said I saw the British people as they were they treated you as Colonials and I resented that I saw no reason why they should be governing me they're not superior I decided when I got back I was going to put an end to this [Music] we were born in a time of tumultuous change where the world that we knew it was crumbling was collapsing when I was a little boy the British Empire was supposed to last a thousand years and so everybody thought even when the Japanese went to war against China we thought well that's far away and we never believed the Japanese would attack Malay Malaya and Singapore and capture us and we literally saw a whole society disintegrate it collapsed overnight and we were serfs to be trampled on to to do their bidding and that did something to a whole generation said no why this is my life my country I have something to say Li's political life began right after he returned to Singapore in 1950 [Music] acting as legal advisor and negotiator he represented the postal workers who are fighting for better pay and working conditions he was soon appointed by many more trade unions some of which were controlled by Pro communists together with these Pro communists Lee and other anti colonialists formed the People's Action Party in 1954 it was a marriage of convenience to overthrow the British [Music] to win power Li needed the support of the masses that meant reaching out to the Chinese educated Singapore's majority woman paladin title of we Li had taken eight months of Mandarin classes in 1950 he renewed his Mandarin learning five years later at the age of 32 within a short time it mastered the language sufficiently to address public audiences human languages languages Chaka Fattah Cecilia Nina in learning or checkmark or even ROG Gong for him Hong Kong will yes I'm sure [Music] in the mid-1950s riots broke out that fueled tensions between the local government and the communist sympathisers in the Chinese community a few pro-communist members of the pap were arrested [Music] leading the pap li fought for their release and ran a campaign against corruption in the 1959 elections for the Legislative Assembly the party won by a landslide we achieved what he had set out to do Singapore was self-governing and he was Prime Minister [Music] it acquired power but others with a different political agenda contested it leading Singapore meant breaking ranks with some of his anti colonial allies the pro communists lee said of them they were not crooks or opportunists but formidable opponents men of great resolve prepared to pay the price for the Communist cause you know we faced the ultimate that we decided to fight the Communists that is painful death you know if they ever win they'll pull my finger nails one by one we've got enough gumption in us having decided to take our lives in our own hands and fight for what we believe in is right I say well like the year regardez Lee and his colleagues knew they were in for a hard fight with the pro communists he'd seen up close how the pro-communist left-wing leaders like Lim chang-jung could mobilize the masses through a riots and strikes to paralyze a government in the battle it was Lee's leadership that counted most we have so much at stake we have gone so far to secure the country I say rally around and keep these evil forces you see they are so ashamed of themselves they have switched the light off look at that they are cowards that's what they are cowards they switch the lights off good Allah are these men who are going to lead you to peace and prosperity or to ruination and position [Applause] the battle lines were drawn sharply over the proposal for merger with Malaysia the non communists were for it and the pro communists were against it they were compelling economic reasons for merger but Lee was also clear about its political necessity to him merger was absolutely necessary to prevent Singapore and Malaya being slowly engulfed and eroded away by the Communists we believed building a common identity between individuals and either side of the causeway would propel them across racial and religious Shores and into a common land make people feel that they are wanted not stepchildren or others but one in the family and are very important never there [Music] mr. Lee was welcomed most warmly in traditional Malay style when he went around eight islands Lee campaigned relentlessly and tirelessly for merger speaking over the radio and in nearly every corner of Singapore [Music] after an intense public contest with his political opponents Lee won most Singaporeans voted for the union with Malaysia city hall is again the heart of the city-state crowds gather around the Padang to await the arrival of the prime minister mr. Lee Kuan Yew whose day this is on September 16 1963 which happened to be his 40th birthday lady declared Singapore's entry into the Federation of Malaysia in the history of a nation there are moments when great decision has to be made today at such a moment in our lives we the people of Singapore I have made our but it wasn't always easy for the two sides to work together serious differences emerged Lee wanted the Malaysian Malaysia when Malays and non Malays were equal he would not condone the policy that supported Malay supremacy [Music] different is mounted from conflicts between personalities and disagreements about a common market to the PAP s participation in Malaysia's general election Malaysian politicians considered it a breach of understanding for the PAP to take part in mainland politics [Music] things came to a head over constitutional rights Lee addressed the Malaysian Parliament in May 1965 in both English and Malay laying out his case against communal politics [Music] the colossi ad Roman data possible desire lung cancer that steal by the militia so fire melt really slow and vehicle openly Roma Majnu Jakob waha Sonia yah - yah - yah yah which I owe you Marcy salut past year they see they're worried about a minute I see so are we we want to raise the standard of living and we the data a new generation will grow up that were no longer respond to the special age at the us they'll be tuning into the party they were them they'll be thinking like us working like us clean like are prepared to live with us like Parisians then we with and histories and our scene but it was not to be racial riots sparked off a year earlier by what Lee called Malaya ultras had already created the deep divide on August 9th 1965 Singapore separated from Malaysia every time we look back on this moment when we signed this agreement which severed Singapore from Malaysia it will be a moment of anguish I mean for me it is a moment of anguish because all my life you see the whole of my adult life [Music] for August 9 1965 Singapore became an independent state but not by choice the islands 2 million people faced an uncertain fate in the future uncertainty that weighed heavily on one man well you might every stop for a while my memory is that left with no hinterland and hardly a domestic market to speak off Singapore's only option was for its leaders to fight hard for its survival I have [Music] a few million people's lives to account for and Singapore we'll simmer [Music] as daunting as the task must have seemed li set-asides on building a country of the future and never fear from that vision we will set the example this country belongs to all of us we made this country from nothing from mud flats here we make the model multiracial society this is not a country that belongs to any single community it belongs to all of us this was our mud flat swamp today this is a modern city ten years from now this will be a metropolis never fear [Music] but it wasn't easy Lee and his team soon had another crisis to deal with in 1968 out of the blue Britain announced its intention to withdraw its troops from Singapore [Music] léa now had to confront the prospect of a country without its own security forces and thousands of workers were trench from the British bases joining the already large numbers of unemployed [Music] please good ties with British leaders led them to extend their departure to the end of 1971 with these military bases contributing 20% of the economy and providing jobs for 70,000 people this softened the blow to Singapore's economy led by Lee the team soldiered on to hold singapore together and make it work the British naval bases were used to boost the economy and efforts were made to attract investors to set up industries and former British Army Land to survive what was then a hostile neighborhood Lee used a two-pronged approach to grow the economy first to leapfrog the region and link up with the developed world for both capital and market initiatives and second to transform Singapore into a first world oasis in the third world region with first world standards of service in infrastructure Lee saw Singapore as the hub for businesses wanting a foothold in the region did he ever imagine Singapore with one day enjoy the world's highest per capita income and become a leading business center in Asia perhaps success he attributed to the confidence of foreign investors drawn to the nation's amicable industrial relations the national Trades Union Congress NTUC was formed in 1961 when the PAP split [Music] led by Dave and nya a founding member of the PAP the NTUC led Singapore's labor movement away from militant trade unionism to one marked by cooperation in fact Singapore was the first in the world to have a tripartite arrangement where workers employers and the government came together to discuss general wage levels cooperation that contributed significantly to harmonious labor relations and ultimately Singapore's rapid development in the 1970s and 80s in government I've never forgotten that it is in the interest of workers and their unions that you must strive for growth and development in other words growth is meaningless unless it is shared by the workers and short shared not only indirectly in wage increases but indirectly in better homes by the schools by the hospital's better playing fields a healthy environment for their families and for their children to grow up [Music] singapore's metamorphosis from mudflat to metropolis was not just physical equally remarkable was the transformation of the psyche of an entire population within the span of a few decades Singaporeans came to be seen as a people who could get things done Lee Kuan Yew played a big part in that change from the word go he set the pace for excellence he once told senior civil servants I want to make sure every button works and if it doesn't when I happen to be around then somebody is going to be in for a rough time because I do not want sloppiness [Music] sprucing up a young nation however was not so straightforward besides the challenge of ensuring sufficient security for the country's borders Lee and his team had a more fundamental problem to tackle they had a housing crisis on their hands [Music] the 50-story pinnacle on Cantonment road is an icon in Singapore's half a century old public housing landscape it is built on the site of one of the earliest public housing projects in the country housing in the 50s was a far cry from what it is today [Music] these were Singapore's living conditions when it achieved self-government in 1959 there was a housing crisis to meet the nation's acute housing shortage the pap setup in 1960 the Housing Development Board simply known today by its acronym HDB its aim to build 10,000 homes a year its predecessor the Singapore Improvement Trust was highly skeptical the new board with me two temperatures target after all the SI t built only 20,000 flats and its 30-year history [Music] the stakes were high and the difficulty is daunting the PAP which just came into power needed to deliver results fast and gain the trust and confidence of Singaporeans the HDB's performs was crucial to the PAP s reelection in 1963 it was more than a question of providing affordable homes for the people the social motive to do this was equally compelling public housing helped tighten the weave of Singapore's social fabric unless we have a rooted population unless the people had something to defend so if you ask people to defend all the big houses were the bosses live they live in hovels I don't think that's terrible so we decided from the very beginning everybody must have a home every family would have something to defend and that homeless must be horrible but they'll have repaid by installments over 20 25 years even 30 years and then whom we developed over the years into their most valuable asset [Music] because of Lee's vision more than 80% of Singaporeans now live in subsidized public flats that they can call their own Singaporeans now had a personal stake in their country that went beyond feelings of patriotism they had a physical space they could call home and a vested interest to defend it [Music] national service to defend the country and the church borders were safe from external aggression took on a different dimension [Music] after independence Singapore was left with just two battalions of the Singapore Infantry Regiment there was an urgent need to build a substantial Defence Force and so national service was introduced in 1967 with the Universal conscription making it compulsory for every male Singapore citizen to serve in the Armed Forces for about two years [Music] national service helps to promote racial harmony - in multiracial Singapore English as the common language used by all races Lee saw early on that English would be a unifier that would give Singapore an edge in the international arena but he also believed that knowing one's mother tongue would build a sense of belonging to one's roots and increased self-confidence and self-respect and so he championed bilingualism but bilingualism Lee said in retrospect was his most difficult policy to implement he later admitted he was wrong to assume that one could be equally fluent in two languages had I known all the difficulties bilingualism in 1965 as I know now today would I have done differently yes in its implementation not in his policy I do not regret the stress and heavy burdens I put because the other way would have been a destruction of our whole the chance of building up some form of culture which is worth preserving Lena's team handled issues involving race and religion with sensitivity knowing how combustible such matters could be the formative years of the PAP the battles against communism and extremism and the racial riots he lived through meant lead never underestimated the explosive nature of race relations when it was time to remove the small dilapidated mosques built on state land he did so with caution his plan was to replace the sewers with bigger and better mosques in every housing estate through voluntary contributions from the Malay Muslim community this mosque into arpaio was the first of many to be built across the island today mosques and Singapore are not only places of worship but also centers for community bonding social events and education they also took special interest in ensuring that Singapore's different communities would all have a share in its prosperity he believed better education was one of the keys to uplifting the Malay community cabinet Minister K Shanmugam says it would have been easy for politicians in Singapore to appeal to the sentiments of the majority Chinese community to gain political power but part of the success of Singapore he feels is that it had leaders like Lee who shunned racial politics after he became independent his appointment she always reiterated was never due to the minorities in Singapore what happened to us when we were a minority in Malaysia always make sure that the Malays that most Indians have their space can live the way their way of life and have full and equal opportunities and are not discriminated against at the same time help them to upgrade improve move for Singapore's widely known in the world for being a clean city both in its environment and governance it is the least corrupt country in Asia and according to the World Bank one of the most preferred places in the world to do business but it was not always graft free corruption was widely prevalent when Singapore was still a British colony in the 1959 election the PAP then the opposition campaigned against the government's corrupt practices oh we will the PAP is anti-corruption position resonated well with the voters [Music] [Applause] when the PAP governments took office Lee and his team turned up in all white as a promise to the people that the leaders will not stand for corruption and will be whiter than white [Music] an attendant under convention over the years the leadership's zero tolerance for corruption earned Singapore a reputation for having a clean and effective government no small claim considering how some countries continue to struggle to keep on the straight and narrow establishing the rule of law public security and safety were fundamental to the success of the PAP securities taken as a given in today Singapore Lee applied the effort to stay clean to the islands physical transformation as well from the outset he was adamant that urban development did not proceed haphazardly he had seen how a lack of planning had marred other cities and was determined that Singapore did not make the same mistake li expressed his passion for greening Singapore in practical ways he planted a tree every year a tradition he started on June 16th 1963 with the planting of a mem part sadly it kicked off an island-wide tree planting initiative and launched tree planting day a national campaign that helped Singapore earn its Garden City reputation li said in his memoirs after independence I searched for some dramatic way to distinguish Singapore from other third world countries and settled for a clean and green Singapore greening is the most cost-effective project I've launched [Music] [Applause] Li's original vision of a garden city evolved over the years into the concept of a city in a garden with some two million trees planted island-wide in June 2012 this transformation was celebrated when the breathtaking Gardens by the bay opened this is just one example of how we're transforming Singapore's living environment it may be a densely populated city maybe one of the densest in the world but we are determined that our people should be able to live comfortably pleasantly graciously and not just with good homes efficient public transport or safe streets but also to be in touch with nature to be never far from green spaces and blue waters li was not known to be sentimental about buildings or landmarks he was practical yet ambitious about transforming the nation's landscape even when it came to defying nature in years fishing in the Singapore River and fishing in the Colorado in Canada one of these most important initiatives started in 1977 it involved the Singapore River historically the lifeblood of the economy and the center of commercial activity the river had been the conduit for Singapore's ontraport raid allowing for the movement of goods from the port to the city over the years it had degenerated into a filthy congested polluted waterway the industries along its backs had been dumping sewage and garbage into its waters [Music] we proposed what to everyone was a monumental feat a cleanup the Singapore River was reborn a mammoth task that took ten years to complete today it is not only glistening again its banks are bustling with trendy restaurants clubs and offices [Music] the Singapore River now part of the marina reservoir is a constant reminder of the man who defied time and tide [Music] it's transformation mirroring the fascinating evolution of a small backwater into a thriving global metropolis its currents echo the ebb and flow of one man's life as he turned an impossible dream into reality [Music] [Applause] Lee Kuan Yew braced himself early on in life to face history's - montes tides full on from the hardships of war with a fledgling nation in turn he leapfrog decades and pushed past histories disruptive currents he survived at under Joe and brought Singapore to where it is today without letting time nor tired deter him [Music] he's a one-man world intelligence agency a man of total rectitude high intelligence and one of the great leaders that I have met he's got something to offer when he opens his mouth literally and the way he articulates that thing is is really something to be admired he's an outstanding character very difficult to put into a prefabricated category is somebody singular he's one of the leaders I admire most in the world he was one of the finest leaders of 21st 20th century how's it going you can't oh yeah well I said to me today's on you I see the top appetizer your ticket using a song using your city Irma [Music] Lee Kuan Yew is only 35 when he became prime minister in 1959 the fate of a tiny nation with a disparate multiracial multi-religious population in his hands in 1963 Singapore joined Malaysia two years later the country separated Lee was only 41 at the time before him was the daunting task of safeguarding the sovereignty of a country which few thought could survive without a hinterland Lee had to energize a stagnant economy deal with the communist threat and communal tensions and develop a defense force to ensure Singapore's independence there was no precedent to follow no manual on small state survival [Music] Lee relied on a small driven team in his cabinet to help him build a nation grow the economy fashioned the coherent foreign policy and ensure Singapore's survival amongst them to worki S Rajaratnam for foreign policy and go Kings way who was Singapore's first finance and defense minister [Music] Lee and his colleagues were keenly aware of Singapore's vulnerabilities sighs being foremost having seen firsthand how might is right in international affairs li knew Singapore had to seek the maximum number of friends while maintaining its freedom to be sovereign and independent [Music] big powers and smaller like were important immediately after Singapore joined the United Nations me dispatch rudder up them in as Deputy Prime Minister torch in chai to Africa Asia and Europe for two months to secure international recognition for independent Singapore you it was also meant to develop a caucus that would speak out against those who threatened Singapore security in 1965 when we became independent mr. Lee Kuan Yew went around the world to tell people Singapore is now independent we are a new country but his major interests is to win international support and to recognize our sovereignty and also to bring in the foreign investors because he had to find jobs for Singaporeans live-and-let-live and let's be friends and let's walk forever Lee travelled he spoke with conviction he had honed a talent for persuasion his fears penetrating and forthright I always remember one sitting in a restaurant not far from here when he had been in England and had appeared a good deal on our television and I remember hearing a two of our neighbors say on a nearby table gosh that chap he ought to be Prime Minister of Britain in the early days of his leadership it was important for me to have the British other side they had the military wherewithal that could guarantee Singapore's sovereignty especially in the turbulent post-conference assi years as Britain started withdrawing east of the Suez in 1967 Lee and go recognised the urgent need for Singapore to develop its own defence force it also had to deal with the economic impact of the withdrawal li was not afraid to be explicit about what Singapore needed from powers like the British he traveled to Britain to canvass British leaders and parliamentarians we don't have that continuing security then as I wrote would mr. Denis Healey recently all the significant aid in the world will be of little value what we want a security and confidence [Music] no doubt the trust that the British leaders had in thee helped to secure Singapore stability through recognition of Singapore's independence after separation and also in negotiations over its future lene successfully secured a postponement of British troop withdrawal till the end of 1971 and a soft loan of 50 million pounds to help cushion the blow to the economy he also brought Singapore into the five power defence arrangements which provided a framework for Britain Australia New Zealand Malaysia and Singapore to consult each other should there be a threat of an external attack against Malaysia and Singapore it was a way to keep Britain engaged in the region it's good ties with British leaders also helps them to pour secured air rights to London this allowed singapore airlines with no domestic routes to go international and become a global player as Singapore developed and progressed Lee continued to win over British leaders not only because of Singapore's success but due to his precise analysis of world events [Music] the late British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was unabashed in her admiration of Lee she wrote of a good friend in office I read and analyzed every speech of Harry's he had a way of penetrating the fog of propaganda and expressing with unique clarity the issues of our times and the way to tackle them he was never wrong [Music] whenever she was traveling anywhere in Asia she would always try to find a reason to divert her plane to Singapore sometimes even only for a few hours because she really enjoyed talking to Lee Kuan Yew felt she learned a great deal from him beyond ensuring survival after the withdrawal of the British Singapore needed to secure its relationship with its immediate neighbors though Lee was adept at brokering good ties for Singapore it wasn't always easy the relationship with Malaysia for example was a complicated one the bitterness from past events like racial politics merger and separation continued to weigh on relations [Music] even though bilateral issues would ruffle feathers over the years we managed to maintain a good relationship with Malaysia's first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman in his memoirs Lee wrote that he got all over Tunku who saw him as young a little too smart for his liking and always too full of ideas but otherwise all right it was also a great advantage that Lee and his wife could speak fluids Malay he wrote I was completely at home talking to his wife Chu also spoke good Malay this proved to him that we were Malay ins at heart and not Chinese chauvinists [Music] despite the good relations between the two leaders water a very fundamental resource remained a sensitive issue between the two countries Lee wanted to ensure that the two water agreements signed for the tahor government were honored so the separation agreement which recognized Singapore as a sovereign state included a guarantee by Malaysia that it would abide by the terms of the two water agreements the guarantee was also enacted into the Malaysian Constitution by an Act of Parliament as a firm believer in the rule of law as the peaceful arbiter of disputes we made sure that the Singapore government registered the separation agreement with the United Nations Lee once said if a dispute cannot be resolved by negotiations it is better to refer it to a third party dispute settlement mechanism than to allow it to fester and sour bilateral relations water would continue to get in the way of bilateral relations despite the legal agreements Malaysian politicians would occasionally make veiled threats about the provision of water to Singapore Lee was adamant that Singapore should strive to be self-sufficient a visionary he dared to dream that a solution could be found inspiring as civil servants to think outside the box for clean water alternatives a few days after independence the Prime Minister of Malaysia told the British High Commissioner if Singapore doesn't do what I want I'd switch off the water supply of course it was meant to be passed on to me and their duty was so I knew that unless I could become less dependent at that time I did not believe I could be totally independent but less dependent on Malaysian supplies I would always be a satellite so the quest began for water independence and we sat out systematically from day one until 65 let's get every drop of water in Singapore made portable decades later new water the name given to treated wastewater was born Singapore's lead has showed the way to ensure Singaporeans have confidence in the treated water together with desalination increasing supply from cleaning up the Singapore River and improving catchment and reservoirs Singapore could reduce its dependence and Malaysia once a water scarce nation it has become today a leader in Water Technologies a vision made possible only with the gumption and foresight of someone die clean the KTM railway was another thorny issue in the relationship the station in Singapore and the land on which the tracks ran were held by the Malaysian owned KTM enhanced by Malaysia Lee conveyed how he had felt responsible negotiating the exchange of this land with Malaysia before handing over the reins to the new prime minister Gocha Tong in 1990 Lee negotiated a deal with Dimes I noted who was Malaysia's finance minister the agreement was signed a day before Lee stepped down as Prime Minister I only want a 50/50 you know what a Monday wasn't 70/30 so when I took on you look realize compromising 60/40 you want to do a deal that's it you know I mean oh I think I'll be able to come into the model there and say as long as you know you think about the money when I said I go along with you you know that's okay I said I'd do my best it took 20 years and another generation of leaders for the DIA to be implemented yes been saying many ways that he would like to see a better relationship between Singapore and embrace' that that I know I know I'm from what his discussions were and the questions he asked he does here he continued to focus on achieving what he termed a win-win relationship with the Republic's closest neighbor while staying focused on building a stable environment in the region Indonesia looms large in Southeast Asia as its most populous diverse and geographically its biggest nation Lee understood that stability in the region was very much dependent on Indonesia president Sukarno launched Konfrontasi in 1963 an armed campaign against the formation of Malaysia that lasted till 1966 in 1965 a bomb set off in Singapore's McDonald House by two Indonesian saboteurs killed three and injured 33 Singapore court tried and executed the two Indonesian Marines despite appeals from their government this severely tested relations sparking protests in Indonesia but the executions reinforced what Lee firmly believed that the rule of law must be maintained and that Singapore as a small state would not bow to pressure by bigger powers [Music] still they II believed in building strong ties with Indonesia in his first state present in ten years of 1973 he scattered flowers over the graves of the two Marines [Music] well I think it had a tremendous psychological impact and it was I think a very wise move on the Singaporean side to include this laying of the flowers in the program of the visit at that time and this I think was very well accepted I believe that our discussion this afternoon has brought us closer and enabled us to have a better understanding of our respective thinking on the common problems that face us in Southeast Asia we focused on building strong ties with President Suharto and over the years the two leaders developed a close and special relationship this allowed them to lead ASEAN the Association of Southeast Asian Nations into a strong regional grouping ensuring the stability of the region after Suharto's fall from power in 1998 Lee wrote soeharto had concentrated his energies on stability and the economy his policies created the conditions for strong economic growth from the 1970s to the 1990s in all ASEAN countries they were golden years for Southeast Asia [Music] ashion was established in 1967 it was the initiative of the foreign ministers of Indonesia Malaysia the Philippines Singapore and Thailand [Music] the grouping an emblem of unity in the region helped normalize ties and build confidence between Singapore Malaysia Indonesia and the Philippines post separation and posed confront a sea beyond that it was a chance to gain strength through solidarity Lee anticipated a power vacuum that would come with the British withdrawal and the possibility of the u.s. leaving the region ASEAN would fill this gap it had been leaves belief at the United States participation in the Vietnam War helped by time and stability for Southeast Asia for Lee even though the Americans failed in Vietnam their intervention gave Southeast Asian countries the opportunity to develop their economies even as they struggled with a real and present communist threat our Sun had been formed against the backdrop of both the Cold War and the Vietnam War it was soon called upon to show what it could do to engender regional solidarity in 1975 the Vietnamese communist movement had beaten the Americans they were mounting concerns that it would next turn its attention to converting Southeast Asia to communism the Vietnamese occupied Cambodia in 1978 Thailand a front-line state was a likely next target LeSueur Viet Nam's actions as defiance of international law and against the fundamental principle of sovereignty he was adamant that aggression should not pay if Vietnam got away with invading Cambodia the rest of Southeast Asia could fall victim to any country bent and occupying it Lee embarked on a two-prong strategy to stop Vietnam the first was the diplomatic brute lobbying support in ASEAN and the UN against Vietnam the other to rally ASEAN to provide arms training and funds to support the non communist resistance movement in Cambodia through a covert operation [Music] Lee worked with Rajaratnam his foreign minister to gain consensus among ASEAN members [Music] Rajaratnam whom he called a born crusader convened a special meeting of ASEAN ministers in Bangkok which issued a joint statement deploring the invasion and calling for the withdrawal of all foreign forces in Cambodia any teacher who led the covert operations to support the non-communist resistance movement remembers the key role singapore played in keeping all partners on board her all Regan and his advisors were very uncomfortable about setting up a non-communist resistance to fight alongside the Khmer Rouge which was backed by China and it took all his charm and wit to persuade the Americans to come on board eventually Singapore Malaysia Thailand and the u.s. landed together to support the resistance forces where singable was concerned we gave arms and we also helped the non-communist resistance to set up a broadcasting capability along the Thai border with help of a British consultant Air Marshal said Savard Sela Thai foreign minister at the time recalls Lee's key role in preventing Viet Nam's Dominion from being a fete accompli I remember that their prime minister chris i have related to me that prematurely Ganju was the first person to write him a letter telling that austrian truth stand steadfast together that time even american have vietnamese syndrome they just left you know the Vietnam and try not to come back again so everyone like right away I was afraid he went to mention we had a missed inmate composure they would say that were invasion of foreign from that point ASEAN took a united stand supported the Cambodian coalition that by Prince Norodom Sihanouk and pressured the Vietnamese to withdraw this finally happened in 1989 Lee later wrote we had spent much time and resources to thwart the Vietnamese in Cambodia because it was in our interest that progression be seen not to pay a Singapore worked hard to establish regional security through ASEAN it also maintained a special relationship with Brunei a similarly small country in Southeast Asia as small States they share many common concerns particularly on sovereignty and independence the late sultan omar ali had a close friendship with lee which enabled strong ties between the two countries league said in a speech in Brunei in 2009 he trusted me because I never took advantage of his friendship to ask for favors on one occasion he asked his sons to sit in when I met him and he told them that I was a friend who could be relied upon he wanted the friendship between us to continue with his sons it has today the Armed Forces of the two countries trade together regularly in 2007 both countries celebrated the 40th anniversary of their currency interchangeability agreement which allows their currencies to be accepted in each other's countries Lee had advised and helped Brunei to join ourself in 1984 Brunei became its sixth member today the 10 member ASEAN organization plays a key role in the breed and security because of its many multilateral engagements and dialogue partners including the US China Russia Japan and India [Music] beyond the immediate neighborhood of Southeast Asia Lee keenly followed developments in the rest of Asia especially the Japanese economic miracle of the 1980s despite his own personal experience of the suffering inflicted by the Japanese during the war Lee still felt that there was much to learn from them he saw that industry discipline and cohesion helped hold Japan out of the poverty of the post-war era and turned the country into an economic giant realizing the important role Japan could play in the development of Asia Lee took pains to foster ties with its leaders and sought their investments to help Singapore grow former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Herodotus oniy credits Lee for getting Japan to be more engaged in Southeast Asia Sony homeless it's only today Johnny hunt able to Chi are there any so you think Allah should cook take this honey because he can use his chakra sweet little kitty you knew you'd come up there I say I'm not optimal take care products for you oh honey tinkling sub for me Lee remained interested in Japan and visited the country regularly li saw that beyond Japan China would be the next patient power house [Music] he visited China for the first time in May 1976 and was one of the last few leaders to meet Mao Zedong before the Chinese leader died at the time despite political chaos after the decade-long Cultural Revolution Lee could see the critical role that China would play in the future but he saw the possible complications of Singapore's relationship with China early on [Music] China had promoted the Communist revolution rigidly and backed the Malayan Communist Party which refused to recognize Singapore's independence it had also reached out to overseas Chinese to spread its propaganda in Southeast Asia through radio broadcasts Lee was concerned that Singapore with a 75% ethnic Chinese population should not be viewed as an extension of China or a Chinese vassal state this changed after thanks shopping then the Vice Premier of China visited Singapore in 1978 Deng had expected to tour an economically backward City and was shocked Singapore's development Lee was keen to cultivate good relations but there was a sensitive issue he needed to discuss with the Chinese Theatre during his visit Lee recalled that his memoirs how he hesitated to tell the seasons weather-beaten revolutionary what he should do but he did for the good of the region Lee told thing but Southeast Asian governments regarded China's radio appeals to the region's ethnic Chinese as dangerous subversion he asked that the broadcast be stopped at the time Deng simply said that he needed time to think about what Lee had said the broadcast stopped one of the outcomes of things historic visit to Singapore is that every year China sends several hundred government officials to study the Singapore experience this has enabled ties to be established early on between different generations of leaders on both sides the interest leaders knew that the mr. Lee was basically a completionist and had Western concepts of running a country-western consular management and leadership you know so they fold that very useful for China so mr. Lee started the studio industrial project and basically was meant to be a vehicle to foster relations between new Chinese leaders and the huge Singapore leaders in 1994 the two countries agreed to jointly develop the Soochow industrial park a Township modeled after Singapore's growth experience Lee was instrumental in the project's eventual success so haunting the figure coming here to school yet I see you hated each other fish honey anything the shutter curtain audiences yeah Kengo kuma booyah equation cha cha require beating boom ha ha ha mwah you control the hello me Lee visited the project annually in the initial years to personally observe its development and help smoothen the bumps which plagued the project early on it is now a symbol of successful cooperation between both sides and has laid the foundation for other projects like the changjun eco city beyond bilateral ties the Chinese leaders were also interested in these deep understanding of China's ties with Taiwan they knew that lien was close to Chiang ching-kuo the late president of Taiwan then shopping was also then very actively involved and insofar as the Chinese in Beijing thought that mr. Lee and changing were really understood each other very well then the admiration of mr. Lee and I gave them a chance to to see what they can learn from mr. Lee about Taiwan and what mr. Lee can bring to Taiwan about what they wanted and so on la vida de Alcala de almeida Kwan's de sangre de Teatro de ohoven and II know you Cecil para que de trabajo y ou Liana hope in Fattah cumin mom and Roberto jangle tre who accompanied the children so study ing LaCava type oils [ __ ] that's a capital capital gang and Jenny 13:10 star in wilderness and questura other party but tinder de parada camera tag we study cement truck located in Lindon tan tired Comparative Zoology it's a clip out how many camera tilt oh god Karen Tony hi ha only they are adequately the comfort even some tyranny so amazing guy hurting like shanku canto neutrons are Xiang nian the yoga teacher nama take center button teach some for me CEO to me eat today - neow - neow nature its anger yo chill tone uncle Tegan Sega when did he go find Jing what is your Chewie went in Ranchi in April 1993 China and Taiwan held their first ever talks in Singapore this marked the first contact between senior figures from both sides since 1949 it was a major breakthrough in cross-strait relations that paved the way for future institutionalized cross trade consultations Lee said in his memoirs that the ATO's in Singapore's the venue because he had acted as a channel of messages for both sides always alert to creating opportunities for Singapore Lee started to visit India in the early days Lee had hoped that democratic India would prevail as a model for the developing world as the only world leader who had interacted with four generations of leaders from the Nehru family he was however disappointed by its development which he noted were stifled by bureaucracy and corruption his views changed later on reforms introduced by a new generation of leaders to free up the Indian economy led me to believe that India had a promising future [Music] Lee worked hard to understand the global economy it shifts and developments and forge ties with countries to ensure Singapore's future against the tide of the time he and his team championed foreign investments when many countries in the immediate post independence era was set on nationalization and protectionism LeSueur attracting investments as a way to kick-start the economy provide jobs and leapfrog the region Singapore has successfully build up a second wing now in addition to his domestic economy these are stood us in good straight good state and make us more relevant and now the more jobs for Singaporeans and I think has strengthened our economy pray dear mr. Lee was said the forefront making business overseas opening new markets he knew the importance of creating good jobs and international investors are you Lee good job higher productivity because they are exporting and your good quality what hippy Potter was convinced the investor that whatever we promised them we were honored that we are keen on their investments we engaged the big powers thereby enlarging Singapore's international space he did so to secure Singapore's future by allowing it to overcome its size and secure a global hinterland and in the 80s and 90s when the developed economy started becoming more protectionist ik Lee often advocated free trade on the international stage protectionism and retaliation will shrink trade and so reduce jobs is America willing to write off the peaceful and constructive developments of the last 40 years that she has made possible he has always been very clear there we need external space for Singapore too to be successful and he was always very concerned about protectionist sentiments especially you know during times of economic crisis and irritation financial crisis there was a certain pushback against globalization and he spent a lot of time understanding the situation and then going out to convince investors are convinced to convince policymakers of the right course of action [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] growth came as a result of Lee's unwavering commitment to free trade and to creating an efficient business and tax friendly environment in Singapore [Music] we recognized very early on that the US was the only country powerful enough to stem the tide of communism and provide the stability for the region to grow he saw the u.s. as a major source of investments in technology Lee thus started encouraging the u.s. to stay engaged in Southeast Asia long before it was fashionable to do so he took it upon himself to take a sabbatical to Harvard in 1968 to better understand America in a very unusual move and as a result I think he forged a new security relationship a new bilateral relationship with the United States which was not there before before we became independent the relationship grew stronger over the years with Lee engaging every US president since lyndon b johnson [Music] my relationship started as one of he was way up here and I was down here and I had I learned a lot from him but I think respect is is the business if he had a single single out one word for how it began with me it was that and then as I say as we as I got to know him more it grew into what I think is a real friendship George Shultz former US Secretary of State said this of lay candidate informed forceful brilliant these attributes explain why leaders throughout the world have sought out Lee Kuan Yew indeed Schultz played a vital role in getting approval for Lee to address a joint session of the US Congress in 1985 he remembered the reluctance of the Speaker of the House to invite Lee to speak Nigar the prime minister of Singapore admit the Prime Minister I said doing well tip why are you hesitating he said because I know pretty well what he's going to say I said but he's gonna say good things well he says some of the members have different views and I'm afraid that he might be too persuasive as it turned out he gave one of the best speeches that I've heard to a joint session and he did put a different and powerful perspective on the importance of open trade and he tied it into political developments as well as economic developments lead speech against a backdrop of high US unemployment and an imminent slowdown in the world economy convinced and resonated with his audience it confirmed what many leaders already knew that he had a keen grasp of issues and how they impacted on an increasingly complex world there's no second Lee Kuan Yew in the world normally one would say that the leader of the country of the size and population of Singapore would not have a global influence but his views were always in a much larger context and the technical problems of the Singaporean economy and so he always had a tremendous influence on us Lee visited the former Soviet Union in 1991 just before its collapse President Mikhail Gorbachev was at the time preoccupied with internal affairs and it kept Lee waiting hours before meeting with him I was a team and he was there very calm you know sitting up in his bed with his glasses there his eyes and he looked at me in a very common sedate caraway Joe is it don't worry is it you must feel very lucky that we are seated here watching the destruction of Empire and there was his conclusion but Lee's opinion was that a country that continued to produce world-class scientists and athletes even when it was in difficulty would not stay weak forever he was confident that in the post Cold War post-soviet era Russia would be a power to be reckoned with [Music] a visit in 2005 proved his case he wanted to see what opportunities there were for Singapore as he met young and driven Russian businessman please visit strengthened his belief that it was to Singapore's advantage to engage Russia early another relationship that would be beneficial to Singapore's future Ahana Li was lauded for his oratory but for many it was his thoroughness and getting to the root of things and his drive to gain a realistic assessment of issues impacting the world which drew audiences [Music] it was pragmatic it was a strategist he was an artist he understood power but when I say he's an artist what I mean is when he misses moves it's always we were certain economy of of effort in each booth usually have multiple effects sometimes I compared to someone playing with the same pieces a multiple chess boss so and he makes a move he has a different effect on a different response brother more he will be extremely uncommon while world leaders respected his insights they were still critics amongst them the American media and liberal establishment upheld their version of democracy as the model for all countries to follow Lee never flips from a debate and was clear that a unilateral Western liberal democracy they could not be applied universally the opening passengers because he was the personification of Singapore in the world you know what's in oh you know some people loved him some people hated him but but and when somebody wants to put a face in Singapore it was Lee Kuan Yew [Applause] we'd never apologize for being firm offer the controversies he may have been embroiled in as long as he believed they were for the good of Singapore li was not afraid to take a stand even when it proved unpopular by doing so he made it impossible for a world sometimes tentative about its own moral position to ignore him [Music] through his council charisma and character Lee gained himself the reputation of being a man bent on conquering tomorrow today [Music] in so doing is slowly but surely placed Singapore squarely on the world stage as a nation to watch [Applause] Lee Kuan Yew engaged minds and formed friendships across the globe leaving the world indelibly marked by his very special brand of leadership [Music] and a nation inspired to continue his legacy you [Applause] [Music] our forefathers came here because they were looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow some found that pot of gold many didn't they sweated their guts out and built this city out of mud flats we've inherited it with added to it and I say it is worth defending bleep on you raised himself early online to face histories to Malta was tides for long [Music] from the hardships of war with a fledgling nation in tow he leapfrog decades pushing past histories disruptive currents he survived its undertow [Music] [Applause] and brought Singapore to where it is today without letting time nor Thai deter him [Music] [Music] CLE Kuan Yew was the eldest son of traj Amiot and legion cook an excellent student who earned himself a place in Cambridge to read law he proved to be the sibling that his sister and three brothers could look up to as the eldest brother he took care of the family during the Japanese occupation and already showed entrepreneurial and survival instincts his younger sibling shared how this benefited the family she knew that the but none of money we call it at that time when the war was over will be of very little value and he purposely bought many things so that when the war was over he'll dispose of them and convert them to Swiss currency and during the period he bought the bility but we had a lot of fun while Lee was Western educated and English was the primary language he spoke at home he subscribed to confusion values in particular the importance of family community and country and once duty to others he's really a wonderful brother because as an older brother he was really a responsible person very wise and always willing to give advice to us at any time we will say we like to meet him and he said sure come over [Music] a driven student himself he expected his siblings to share his work ethic and advised his youngest brother to buck up and study hard if he wanted to do medicine in England advice he took seriously [Music] we said if you want to go to England to medicine you got to study very hard because it's very competitive it's not it's not competitive Singapore but it's very competitive in the UK and at the rate I was going he said you had better back up and study art I think that's all yet didn't tell me and it just clicked and I said yeah maybe I've not been been pushing myself I should really be give more effort and so on and it paid dividend growing up being was particularly about respecting another's belongings he'd be furious of his brothers borrow these things without asking one day my second brother Dennis use his pair of shoes without his permission and enjoyed using it but when he returned did he clean it or something and Big Brother was very furious with it and we all heard about it and there was no end of that story and from that day on all of us knew that we must not touch his things unless we got permission to use these things but he's not selfish in that manner you can use these things but he feels that you must ask his permission and then we Tennant as you found it such principles stood him in good stead when he entered politics and devoted his life to creating a better Singapore not just for his family and friends for his fellow citizens this devotion though robbed him of time with his family so he made special effort to make sure that there's always a dinner together and there will be news if dinner will always make sure that we get together or birthdays if he's got time with me he'll make sure that we get together for birthday dinners [Music] Lee was always protective over sister Monica who remembers their home being constantly filled with her brothers friends [Music] I have four brothers and the four brothers have got about average of 12 friends each so we come and go is like Grand Central Station and everybody comes in and out this mean door is never shut right until midnight even our main gates we never shut sharing the warm camaraderie was former cabinet minister haunts we said what is a very close friend of my brother so whenever feels like coming down from Penang he stays with us yeah it was clear that family and friends occupied an importance place in leaves life he was grateful for the support they gave him when he entered politics [Music] han was not only Li's cabinet colleague that someone we wrote in spoke about fondly [Music] Han died in 1983 and in a parliamentary debate on ministers salaries Lee spoke about how the first generation leadership including Han was driven by their passion to build a corruption free performance driven civil service something he felt you can't put a price on [Music] I gave dr. bull the best pump set we had hunts we said to have it very quiet man doesn't make great speeches but understands people and knows who can do what you can bring him back to life and reward him Singapore's first foreign minister S Rajaratnam was both friend and word spent to Lee and counted among the close friends that Lee made during the early political years oh I think he was personally to me he was a very great friend and a very warm-hearted one and he gives hard and very in nearly hopeless situations when you feel at the position God is oblique this is never my less soldier on we got to fight and I think that was a very great quality to have in a leader [Music] there was a special bond between me and his PAP comrades history had unified them against the difficult challenges that the early days of nationhood brought the battles against the communists and communists shaped a special camaraderie which they never forgot so what the founding members of the PAP I mean the first few members who took up the burka asked you like today very close to the America they are very close to those who are closer to him the resident but leaders will know that you know he cares but otherwise you know you know the cast upon it's not just once the plot is overwhelming support amongst these close friends none were closer than 1/4 the woman behind the man kwaya kuu caught Lee's attention as a teenager because she had scored higher marks than him in an exam she was a recipient of the Queen's scholarships a government scheme which enabled two promising students each year to enroll at a British University from rivalry the relationship blossomed into love during the war years [Music] he helped her get a place at Girton College in Cambridge so she could be with him while he read law at Fitzwilliam house [Music] unconventional at the time they married secretly in England without the knowledge of their parents after returning to Singapore Lee sought and obtained blessings from his wife's father and the couple was finally able to seal their union publicly so you either have the Western view you marry the woman you love or the Eastern view you love the woman you married well I tried to match both and I think it wasn't a bad choice [Music] Chu as he oddly colder was Lee's confidant someone whose judgment and views he valued [Music] li was seldom seen without her whether at home or overseas [Music] I did a partnership it was not a relationship of you know superior and inferior and in many senses he took counsel from my mother and respected her views and I think they had a very open relationship it's sometimes difficult to do I think all of us struggle to have you know relationships take a lot of work to nurture and I think I think they did it very well he took her advice and have used very seriously I mean on policy matters and government matters he decided with the ministers but she had her views of the people she had her views on how he presented himself what what how it came across and I think they made sense and he took them in and when you are married a long time in a good marriage you become become in a way more like one another in the in that case I think the personalities were very kind contrasting so I don't think even in all age they were like one another but they were very very compatible [Music] many observed the close bond between the couple through their interactions with them the LEAs exemplified the importance of family values and the lifelong bonds of marriage on 26th October 2003 mrs. Li suffered a stroke while she and Lee were in London in an interview Lee gave a glimpse of how their lives changed after the stroke and how he personally devoted himself to her well-being he read her poems by her bedside and took to meditation to relieve the stress of coping with her deteriorating health [Music] mrs. Li died in October 2010 his pain at her passing was evident to the entire nation without her I would have been a different man and a completely different life she wanted us all to me no children she was always there and I needed her just did a life full of warmth and meaning I should find solace at the age of nine years of life I lived this moment of the final party my heart was heavy with sorrow grief [Music] telomeres ego I saw the chief ideologue of the Chinese Communist Party done bgm had over the years developed a personal friendship with the leaves he arranged for a renowned photographer to take portraits of the leaves when they visited China [Music] a few years later in 2010 Li got in touch with him [Music] mrs. Lee's last wish was to have her ashes placed together with Lee's so they'd be joined in death as they'd been in life [Music] the leaves had three children two sons and a daughter all three excelled in their studies and were effectively bilingual thanks to the importance their father placed on learning both the English language and one's mother tongue they were president scholars who later distinguished themselves in their careers the eldest son Jen look became prime minister in 2004 like his parents he was educated at the University of Cambridge where he studied mathematics and computer science excelling at both lee seon-woo fondly recalls how father and son kept in touch during his Cambridge days like they used to when he was a boy he spent a lot of trouble keeping in touch with us when we were away he would write to us and my mother would write to us every week and I would write back and my mother's letter would be handwriting his letter would be dictated tight and then his type double or triple spaced and then he would go through and correct the typed version and then add stuff and maybe have another paragraph or two at the end in writing and then he'll send it to me in that form and I mean just to think of the effort which it makes and his substantial pieces maybe five six pages maybe more I still have them all stored away somewhere please youngest child Sanyang who also studied at Cambridge became the chief executive officer of Tsingtao people think of him as being very stern and very very strict I don't think we ever felt that at home I think he himself felt that he had have a very strict fatherhood you know often been quick to discipline the children and so he did not do that with us daughter Whaley became a medical doctor and the director of Singapore's National Neuroscience Institute she traveled with the leaves in the early years would remain shy of the limelight a columns written for The Straits Times opened the door into the private world of Li and his family shedding light on his dedication to the country and its citizens in one article she recalled how her father though unwell insisted on attending his constituency National Day dinner which he never missed especially since they were going to announce the establishment of a new preschool aimed at helping children develop for natural love for Mandarin she wrote my father is obsessed with a number of things he believes are fundamental to Singapore's well-being but nothing more so than education and bilingualism at the age of 90 he still has daily lessons with a string of teachers to improve his Mandarin [Music] li devoted time to his young children despite affairs of state constantly demanding his attention when I was very small he used to take us to go and look at trains and we used to go to Tanglin halt I used to be a railway station there and we would go there in the evenings and watch a train come and the rail exchange tokens with a stationmaster and then it goes on in a great thrill and outing for us for me I was very small then must have been five six years old max however important family was to him Lee was ever mindful of his responsibilities as a leader on a trip to South Africa he and mrs. Lee received news that his son lee hsien loong then the Deputy Prime Minister had cancer when you needed him he was there at a crisis he was a key person in their family so if you have a when I was ill with informal and I my own when my wife died he you depend on him for support not just what he says but just being there and knowing that things will be okay all the time the expectation goes up and up and up and I hope Lee was well known they were his exacting standards standards he said not only for others but for himself as well nothing from the home in the schools in the workshop his sheer determination to master languages beyond English testified to this eager to connect with the Chinese electorate he learned Mandarin and continued doing so well into his 90s [Music] doctor to Shanghai was one of his tutors Quinton wanyan appeared pioneer be how you intro la walking like I said - okay I had a salty swallow cultural huh hi Lu inshallah the more control Kaiser so you went to our own si si si - only if I cannot face hunger in Salinas command of the Malay language was also impressive being for anaconda he had a good grasp of Malay and spoken as a native speaker yet he took ballet lessons to get even better at it japa japa ample supply of Fuji hottie Yaya mana my brother is always believer languages first it was hockey and then he was Malay then became Mandarin so even we are on holidays in Cameron Highlands she gets out at 6:00 in the morning and has a voice training himself [Music] Lee was also disciplined about his health eating five like meals a day and exercising regularly get the people of Singapore help me teach you beyond discipline he believed in integrity he warned this team never to leave things to chance they knew where he drew the line and were clear about the sobering consequences that would follow should they ever cross a confession one advice he gave was just to me but to the ministers as well this never be held hostage to fortune in other words you got to conduct a life in such a way that your opponents cannot seize upon those skeletons in a cupboard or an of candles and so on and and just sort of a destroy you with it Lee valued a simple and frugal lifestyle values that influenced the way he lived and how he ran his government those who worked with him remember how careful he was with money [Music] in planning for Singapore's future Lee Kuan Yew was not driven by rigid ideology of dogma he was prepared to change his position when it was warranted like overturning the stopper to Family Planning Policy and allowing for casinos as part of the integrated resorts his sheer determination to push through projects and ideas he thought valuable sometimes led others to have a wrong impression ibly [Music] consumed with a zeal to keep sender for relevant he obsessed about spotting the right talent for Singapore's Future Leaders that Singapore had seen two successful generational changes of government without disruption his testament to the care and value he placed on succession planning [Music] also always on these mind was the well-being of Singaporeans so much of what he did was to help improve their lives Lee had been a member of parliament for tundra para from 1955 for over 50 years he built a strong rapport with his grassroots leaders in residence please constituents knew that they could expect a meetin on at least three occasions every year national day Chinese New Year and tree planting day even illness would not stop him from showing up their welcome was always warm appreciating how seriously each of these visits many of Singapore's all the citizens would readily acknowledge Lee as the father of the nation having seen his leadership tied them through difficult times but Lee worried that today's youth spared from the birth pangs of a new nation would see the world through the lens of Plenty and take Singapore's unique circumstances for granted it is necessary for people like you and your generation to understand that this is not a business of just putting or not voting that politics has got to do with your life your job your home your Medicare your children's future suppose it goes wrong you don't need to go to to do political science to know that something has gone wrong right we haven't thought through the problem think over it carefully then you ask me your question the next time we meet thank you [Music] the future was where Lee always set his sights he and his team worked hard to set Singapore on a trajectory of success [Applause] the obsessed about leadership succession believing that one success is measured by the success of one's replacement and now the most difficult part is how to manage this transition it's not simply just to govern govern is to govern is simple but to let the second generation govern it's very difficult it's very delicate because if it goes wrong I'm still responsible if the ball just shot into the goal and the goalkeeper my fear my reservation was by the 1988 general election it was clear he was ready to hand over the reins to a successor generation he was not hungry for power he prepared a leadership transition and when he was ready he step aside that a new prime minister takeover and made sure that Singapore would always have leadership so when he passed away there was no leadership thank you who can replace mr. Lee nobody this time you are casting your vote not in judgment over my performance because I did not make the decisions you are casting your vote to give your verdict on the performance of go cheok Tom and his younger colleagues for four years they have made all the major decisions yes I presided over the cabinet meetings but even where I disagreed with them I have not overruled [Applause] [Music] on November 28 1990 he stepped down from his post as Prime Minister though still capable of leading the country he chose to make way for a younger generation led by coach Akhtar I thought shocked on having been appointed to the office of Prime Minister to suddenly affirm there are bear true faith and allegiance to the Republic of Singapore and that our preserve protect and defend the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore go chop chop was chosen by the younger generation of ministers to be their leader I thought that it was a very good teacher because she wanted the younger melissa succeed and since I was chosen by the younger ministers become the success had promised Lee Kuan Yew and when he helped me put lettuce as much as I could pass on knowledge and maybe to influence me so then you know her when I became Prime Minister I would be able to continue with his own policies but basically is to go to exchange views and so and then repeat I'm a comfortable relationship and when I became prime minister of course he was very good he gave me all the respect which he should give the Prime Minister lien was the first of his generation of political leaders to successfully take up the challenge of leadership and the last to relinquish the burden after stepping down as prime minister he continued in cabinet for many more years first as senior minister during the Premiership of Go chok Tong then Minister mentor when his son B Chien lung took over as Prime Minister [Music] [Applause] in his new rooms Lee continued to be active in the international arena championing Singapore wherever he went even after stepping down from the cabinet in 2011 many leaders across the globe were full of admiration for the man he's a really clear thinker and I think you know the single most important attribute and something that he certainly taught me is the need to get to the right analysis Sean of dogma right leave all that aside you may be on the left you may be on the right you may have this preconception all that preconception put it all to the side then the first thing you work out is what actually would make the difference to your country and improve it and in that that's why I think hello he was a twentieth-century leader he's a very 21st century teacher he put each oh that when I need him I I have to take out my notebook and write as I wrote today what is it and he he was not offended and he even tried to speak clearly and slowly so that I can get everything this is the nature of a teacher is somebody singular a very quick mind an analytical mind a sharp judgment and on the other hand in the fields in which he has to operate he is a very pragmatic man not driven by any kela ideology more or less is he a man of reason rather than of ideology was over the future homes Lee Kuan Yew's place in history is certain he led a remarkable life appraising his circumstances with objectivity while remaining always true to his values and beliefs he said why don't want to live my life all over again I may not be as lucky a second time in so many things all I can say is I did my best what people think of it I have to leave it to them and of his accomplishments he simply said what I have to show for all my work is Singapore and Singapore is still working what will we miss of him I think so many things but the most important whether I think the key thing is that with him you you will where you will not lose you will be alright and he will come through and that sense of confidence and that trust in a person because of experience what he has gone through because of what he has done because of what he is contributed and demonstrated is not something which you can replicate he was unique he played a unique role in Singapore and I think we be very lucky to have [Music] if Singaporeans were to look back at their country's beginnings that have to concur that very little was on their side least of all luck instead straining against the odds was one man with the courage fortitude and sheer audacity to reach for the impossible you must be prepared to have bones broken and blood spilt there are sometimes no way out [Music] you rally the nation for the trees thirty years ago [Music] [Music] my colleagues younger more dreamy I'll shatter the words of our pledge we did not focus our eyes on our labels or we would have missed that rainbow in the sky we pursued that rainbow [Music] and that was how we keep the bills today Singapore of his life he said I cannot say I planned by life that's why I feel life is a great adventure exciting unpredictable and at times exhilarating Lee's political genes swept Singaporeans along the arduous but rewarding journey of hope and discovery his courageous spirit continues to inspire Singaporeans young and old to take their country towards an even more meaningful tomorrow a fledgling nation on slandering now claims its place among the world's most modern all within the lifetime of an indomitable leader for the yarn and material the sky has turned brighter there's a glorious rainbow had beckons lo to the spirit of adventure and there are rich findings at the end of the rainbow to the young and to the not-so-old I say look at that horizon follow the rainbow go ride him [Music] you

Channel: Peter Tong

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Keywords: Lee Kuan Yew (1923-2015) HD, Lee Kuan Yew (1923-2015) - Documentary

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Length: 124min 56sec (7496 seconds)

Published: Thu Dec 21 2017