“This is not a game of cards.
This is your life and mine.” He thundered at a rally – really? But then, he needed
that to raise a sense of ownership amongst the people who were reeling under
the onslaught that separation from the then Malaysia had led them into. And he
profoundly did so. Such was his fierce sense of duty to the people he served
selflessly until the last days of his life. A duty steadfastly led by a desire
to build an equal and just Singapore, a tiny island with no natural resources
or military power for that matter.
Against near impossible circumstances,
he led a fledgling fishing village from third world to first, a place where the
original flag bearers of the first world, throng to and be part of the glory
today. While his wisdom, thoughts,
knowledge on everything about Singapore is well documented, it was his sheer
determination that made things happen. He often stated that the only thing
Singapore has is people and its strong work ethic and the Singapore of today is
an absolute testimony of the same belief and ideology.
A statesman to the core, he was
always consulted by the global leaders, on any Asian matter. From Henry
Kissinger to Richard Nixon to Margaret Thatcher, all had praises for his
clarity of thought and leadership acumen.
He was a true visionary that made
Singapore, one of the best places to live in...I as a proud resident of
Singapore, who has lived the Singaporean way for the past 6 years and been to
many places across the globe, can vouch for.
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