I am always fascinated by Singapore whenever I land there. The atmosphere is so different. One man gave so many others opportunities, world class education, business hub, clean environment, efficient governance, corruption being almost an unheard of thing, and the list goes on. But Singaporeans had been spoilt and their attitude, arrogance and behaviour when out of their island is somewhat otherwise. Their younger generation do not realise nor appreciate much of what one man had contributed, but to complain, complain and complain. The island is so small, yet it is so big in the international arena.
When I heard that LKY was reading Literature and Poetry books in his spare time, I wanted this very intelligent man to be exposed to other books, ideas and why not some esoteric stuff that I wrote in my book ‘Esoteric Views on Health”. I know he has the best doctors to look after him, but he needed to open up to some esoteric view points. Question is, how to get the book to him? It is a 2 Million Dollar question.
I then enlisted the help of one of his top Air Force Commanders, whom I know very well. I asked him to somehow give LKY my book. He looked at me as if I was out of my mind. Everyone knows that it is almost impossible to meet with LKY, and to give him a book? Although LKY was then the Minister Mentor ( he was no longer the Prime Minster (PM), having retired from the post) and my friend will be among the top brass briefing both the PM (Lee Hsien Loong, the son) and LKY in top-level meetings, which is always very tensed to all the top brass. They had to get all the facts at their fingertips and answer to the point, and LKY has the uncanny ability to ask the most difficult question. My friend said that this will be ‘Mission Impossible”. I told him to take his time and to sieze the best opportunity when it arises. By the way, you can’t ever think of bribing a Singaporean. I repeated my request and told him that LKY, in all his wide reading and experience, will find the things I discuss to be very helpful. We sent a long time discussing this mission. I then gave a shock to my friend- asked him to also give this book to the PM, LKY’s son! He nearly fell out of the chair! Am I being too much? Heck no! How can you give LKY without giving to his son as well? And I told my friend, by ethics and Asian values- he must give each copy personally to the men! Double Mission Impossible!! My friend had been to many top- rated Flying Missions but he rated this as the most unnerving! Finally he took my books- one for LKY and one for the present PM of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong, with a worried look on his face. We then bade farewell for the time being and he said he will update me on this Mission.
Almost 6 months passed by and he gleefully reported that he managed to pass my book to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The toughest mission remained – to give a copy to LKY. Then another few months passed by and he contacted me- ‘Mission: Accomplished!”. When I met this friend, we celebrated the occasion with coffee in our local coffeeshop. We were so happy and he was so reliefed. Although I did not get any feedbacks of what both men thought of my book, nevertheless I knew deep in my heart Mr LKY, an avid reader still very sharp in his mind, would have read it. Later I told my friend, “Hei, I have written another book- this time it is a Sci- Fiction called Escape to the Fifth Dimension.” This time I wrote under the name of Dean Yang. He nearly fainted. But I reassured him there will be no more such Mission anymore. Once is enough, and then months later…. I bid you farewell Mr Lee Kuan Yew.
In his Condolence Book, my sister wrote – “ Harimau mati tinggalkan belang; Manusia mati tinggalkan nama” [When a Tiger dies, only stripes are left behind; when a human dies, he leaves his name] OR NI TOR FOR
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