Foreword - Singapore is LKY's business, is it Yours?

23 March 2015, 3.18am marks the death of Singapore’s founding father, Mr Lee Kuan Yew. I have always wanted to start a blog about business and discussion on Singapore was meant to be the last. However, with Mr Lee’s passing this week, penning this very 1st article on his work to kickstart this blog may be the best way to remember him.

As we are flooded with opinions and comments about what he has done right and/or wrong; whether he was a hero or a big authoritative villain in his time; I will leave all of you to your own private opinions. But I would like to pose this question, “LKY has given 50 years of his life to build Singapore to what it is today, whether be it good or bad, we are living in the legacy that he and his multiple teams have built. What have you and I, as a citizen of Singapore, done for this country?”

His policies have brought Singapore citizens some of the following:

a. Home ownership for anyone, size depending on your capability & ambition which you may end up owning if you settle your mortgage by max. 30 years. 

b. An education system which is well recognized in most parts of the world, in which if you work hard, allows you to study in any top university in the world.

c. A safe and stable country where its people can live/work in peace and harmony.

Singapore, through its maybe flawed policy, has given all Singaporeans equal chance/options of how they can choose to live their life through its fair and affordable education system. If you ask any leader, they will tell you education is the key to tackle changes. Now, being educated, what changes has it brought you? Or did it bring about unrealistic expectations? In pursue of material wealth, have we missed out what is really important in life? Where do we Singaporeans stand with reference to Maslow's theory?

LKY and his multiple teams have spend majority of their life working tirelessly to bringing inward investments for Singapore and its citizens and put us on world map so we can all have better jobs and future. However, dynamics of the world is ever changing and many industries that have previously existed in Singapore have slowly relocated or will likely face serious challenges ahead.

Are we complaining and wanting out when things are getting tough? Have we become “soft” as we did not experience the challenges Pioneer generations need to face which many of today’s generation says it’s irrelevant? Facing relevant challenges today, are we avoiding them? 

As we reap Singapore’s resources which Mr Lee and our forefathers sow, what are we giving back as an individual, being part of this community and country? As we continue to mourn his death till 29th March 2015, for a leader to declare:

is “Thank you” what he really want from us? What should we really say to him as we bid him our final goodbyes to help him rest in peace? Singapore is LKY’s Business, is it Yours? If LKY is our founding father, we Singaporeans are his living legacy. Let's show the world the spirit & ideals of LKY lives on as the world continues to interact with Singaporeans.