When I asked the Philippines' top business leaders as to whom they admire the most for enlightened leadership, they all mentioned the name of 77-year-old Lee Kuan Yew, founding father of Singapore and now Senior Minister.
One executive says, "Lee is very straightforward, super honest and he always knows what he is talking about. Lee Kuan Yew is a great leader whom I admire the most."
Even the boss of a global giant in the information industry says, "There are two equalizers in life: the Internet and education. Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew is a world leader who understands this and is using the power of the Internet to position Singapore for survival and success in the Internet economy."
Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher（玛格丽特·撒切尔）says, "In office, I read and analyzed his every speech. He had a way of penetrating the fog of propaganda and expressing with unique clarity the issues of our times and the way we tackle them. He was never wrong."More than 40 years ago, Lee Kuan Yew transformed what was a poor, decaying colony into a shining, rich, and modern city, all the time surrounded by hostile powers. With his brilliant intellect and powers of perception, he is one of the world's most blunt and respected statesmen.
One of the remarkable successes of Lee Kuan Yew's management of Singapore was his making Singapore the least corrupt nation in Asia, by creating "clean, no-money elections" and recruiting the best people into government. He says, "They must be paid a wage equal with what men of their ability and integrity are earning for managing a big corporation or successful legal or other professional practice. They have to manage a Singapore economy that yielded an annual growth rate of eight to nine percent in the last two decades, giving its citizens an average income that in 1995 was the ninth highest in the world."One way Lee Kuan Yew cleaned up Singapore was by embarrassing corrupt officials. In fact, one of his cabinet ministers took his own life due to "loss of face" from corruption charges. "We had established a climate of opinion which looked upon corruption in public office as a threat to society." Lee complains that in many countries, taking bribes has become a way of life for government officials. He said, "The higher they are, the bigger their homes and more numerous their wives or secret girl-friends, all wearing clothes appropriate to the power and position of their men." Another method Lee used to stamp out corruption was inaugurated in 1960. His government made the rule that if a person accused of corruption was found to be living beyond his means or had property his income could not explain, these facts could be used as evidence that the person had accepted a bribe.
On a recent visit to Singapore, I called on the office of Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew, who, it turned out, was then in America. I had hoped that he would sign my copy of his latest book, From Third World to First, The Singapore Story: 1965—2000. His secretary explained that Lee's fee for signing his book is 10,000 Singapore dollars, and that the proceeds would be donated to charities. Even in such a minor detail as the cost of a signed book, Lee had a specific plan which reflected his practical business-like ways, his efficiency, and his public service. The book describes Lee Kuan Yew's experiences as a government official, politician, and international diplomat. In 1965, when Singapore was forced to exist as a city-state with no natural resources or army, few people gave it much chance of survival. In 1965, one Australian newspaper said, "An independent Singapore was not regarded as feasible three years ago. Nothing in the current situation suggests that it is more likely to survive today." A British paper also predicted the eventual collapse of Singapore without British aid. Today, after decades of good government and struggle, Singapore is a thriving nation.
In this latest book, Lee expresses his ideas "to be correct, not politically correct". He doesn't apologize for his aggressive responses to his political opponents and his often critical views of some Western systems. Lee also describes his diverse impressions of nations, leaders, and historic events.(Words:916)
