🇸🇬 Singapore: The House that Lee Built | People and Power
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.พ. 2018
- When the former British colony of Singapore became an independent nation in 1965, there were doubts about its survival.
The tiny island state has no hinterland and few natural resources and few at the time thought it a candidate for any kind of success on the world stage.
But today, it's one of Asia's richest cities, a truly modern metropolis that's frequently been described as an economic miracle. It's safe, courteous, orderly, and business friendly, its people are educated and cared for to an extent many of its neighbours can only dream of emulating.
The principal architect of this remarkable achievement was Singapore's founding father Lee Kuan Yew, who served three decades as prime minister and even longer as leader of the ruling People's Action Party (PAP).
On his death in 2015, over a million Singaporean residents turned out to honour his memory, his infamously tough pragmatism and his many accomplishments - not the least of was the creation of an effective and largely incorrupt government and civil service, which proved a huge magnet to foreign investors .
But for many this respect was also undermined by disappointment that development was bought at the price of civil rights.
Throughout his time in power LKY - as he was known - was often accused of stifling freedom of speech and suppressing political opposition. It is no accident, say critics, that he won election after election up until he stepped down as prime minister in 1990 (he continued as an MP to be an influential figure behind the scenes), because under his tenure his authoritarian government maintained such tight political control over every aspect of the city state that it became almost impossible for parties other than the PAP to gain a foothold.
Now, almost three years after his death, there are signs of some very modest relaxation in that control, but it's by no means as much as some would like. Singaporeans still do not enjoy many of the liberties citizens in most first-world nations take for granted and it's ranked 151st out of 180 countries on the Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index.
So inevitably, with economic pressures increasing amid a growing appetite for greater democracy, Lee Kuan Yews's complex legacy is coming under more scrutiny.
As this film from Lynn Lee and James Leong explains, that scrutiny has been given an extra edge over the past few months because of a bitter (and embarrassingly public) family dispute among his offspring, about what should be done about the house in which Lee spent most of his life.
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I'm a British person living in Singapore for 7 years. What living here for the last 7 years has taught me is that democracy is overrated. What this piece misses is that the population here have overwhelming trust in the government. Something that may have been forced to begin with is now reinforced with real trust in what the government has delivered. No place is perfect, but Singapore comes very close in my opinion.
Through forward planning and great policy implementation, coupled with a capable and compliant population, Singapore will continue to achieve great things and I hope to contribute what little I can towards my new home. Thank you LKY and thank you Singapore.
Avarmauk, I think your use of the word Compliant population is pejorative.
You mean the Singapore population cannot be supportive of the government ethos of Forward Planning, Clean government, Meritocracy and Government Budgetary Prudence? Wouldn't it be infantile to oppose a government that has been progressively, comparatively successful for 56 years?
What is happening in Singapore is what has happened in other so called "successful" dictatorship during their time, like in Indonesia during the new order regime, or for an example to an extent, China currently. If you ask the people during those times or now in those countries, most common people would say that they have a "good" government and a "good" leader. Most people just want to live their lives peacefully, dictatorship or freedom of speech makes very little difference to the average people.
What they have in SG correspond to Plato's Philosopher King, which rarely ever happen in history and in turn, that's why democracy was developed instead. Almost like it's ingrained in political leaders' biology, they nearly always resort to wealth hoarding and nepotism the minute they amass enough power; very few choose the benevolent dictatorship path it's an exception rather than the rule. Democracy for me is at least a safer choice if the worst happen, speaking as someone who has lived under democracy, coup government, and Singapore itself. SG or PRC cases are usually cited by despots to support their claim to power, to promise development beyond democracy, yet I dare say 90% of them never come to any fruition.
@@ravenusaugustus7129 ideology, ideology and more ideology. Go and tell this to a homeless man or family, to families struggling with cost of living because their wages haven't gone up, to families living in substandard poor quality housing infested by mold, to women's groups supporting women who have been raped or assaulted because it is no longer safe for the female gender. All these people will ask you why democracy cannot resolve these issues. This picture I am painting is many parts of Britain, that says it is the mother of Parliament. Democracy is not the be all and end all. As an African some may feel I should support democracy, but not before development and industrialisation first. These are what will give dignity to the African and not democracy, you can't eat it when you are hungry it can't pay your rent or mortgage or school fees for your children. Today China is winning over do many Africans because of development such as infrastructure which brings jobs, while the west keeps chanting democracy democracy. The west have lost ground to China and now tell Africans China is a threat, but we see the west as more of the bully than China is. While they come with the democracy message, China is coming with the tools of development. A hungry person will take food first before listening to the sermon on democracy.
@@ravenusaugustus7129 Democracy... where the college Professor and an idiot has the same power to elect a government.
Great thing, this democracy.
As I get older, I am getting more appreciative of the country I live in. Look at the rest of many countries around the world and you will start to appreciate what was done for our country. It’s never going to be perfect but it’s so much better than the most.
which country is that ?
@@ericsandrade a lot, when democracy goes wrong, you know who they are ..
What country is that, what question is that,are you stupid, it's Singapore
The US is a mess. No discipline. No respect for others. Not civil.
I am a Singaporean living in Europe for 40 years . Singapore is the safest and cleanest countries in the world . don't think that you can say what you want and do what you want here in Europe. People's always think grass is greener on the other side.
Very well said. I don't think they realize what they have at the moment and it's very disappointing. I wish my country had a leader like yours
I live in Australia and the same is true.
I live in Sweden 32 years and I am very proud I am a Singaporean
Safest and cleanest? I think the title also belongs to South Korea, Taiwan and Japan
@@diamondluck3851 Taiwan??? Go check out theirs homicide cases... And how their criminals gangs bribe their government....
Having live in Singapore for like 9 yrs, I come to realize that most of the opposition parties and public figures dont actually know what they are doing and believe. Some, like Roy Ngerng, simply is blinded by promises brought about by Western style free speech and democracy, which as we have known and experienced, could result on harsh debates, mistrusts, disfunctional politics etc without even certifying their cause to the issue, becoming more and more unsubstantial thus discourage nuance and compromise. Just recently, the largest opposition party had created a scandal related to racial politics in which one of the MP was found to be lying. This is just a no no for a country such as Singapore. So i dont think that LKY was wrong on his decision as the result is just very clear for Singapore. He knows what he thought and what he did, whereas the opposition lacks any implementation of their ideas and their doings.
P.S : qatari funded aljazeera dare to talk about democracy is an example of epic irony of a shonen manga LOL
Good point , that.
islam is talking about human right and democracy? lol
Yet it's the only official media channel I can find on ytb covering this story. Talking about irony.
Yes, we don't appreciate what we have until the day we lose it. Law and order. Peace and prosperity. Cleanliness and safety.
Dear Roy. We Singaporeans generally don't challenge the government not because we are afraid but because we don't protest for the sake of protesting. Furthermore, the government though not perfect is still doing a fairly good job.
Z
Dear Shun , thats because their policies has little impact on you. If you have been hit hard by their policies, you will not say that.
@@asky368ify Then who got impact? Poor income? Low middle income? Middle income?
@@NyaNya4ever Dont ask dumb and obvious question. Go find it out yourself if you dont know, I dont like to talk to dumb idiot.
@@asky368ify what dumb and obvious question? So far i dont feel this so call any effects of the policies as a middle income.
Lee Kuan yew is the greatest statesman of all time, so much wisdom and foresight, he is so we'll educated and smart most people he talks to can barely even comprehend his intelligence.
i respect LKY, the intelligence and power about him, not showoff. The so called oppposition people don't look powerful. LKY had that aura.
*most people he talks to can barely even comprehend his intelligence.*
Yes, I couldn't comprehend it either. He is SO special. SO very smart. Unbelievably perceptive and forward-thinking. I'm going to light a candle and pray at his altar tonight.
@@alfredharrington6086 good
Really? Then why after almost 6 decades Singaporeans still do not have First World standard of living. LKY made a monumental mistake of focusing on the wrong economic KPI. He focused on GDP (instead of productivity) growth. 0not sustained productivity growth will lead to real wage growth and a higher standard of living. Under LJY and his party there were many years productivity growth was negative. Let that sink in.
@alfredharrington6086 better than grooming gangs and acid attacks
"I spend my whole life building it, i have no doubt it not only will survive but also will prosper continually as long as i am in-charged" . "This in not a game of card, this is your life and my life, if you don't have the iron wills, give it up and stop whining. "
ok
OK Boomer
@protectorateX ok boomer
your misquoting him. the context is correct though
Unfortunately, now new generation of ungrateful brats and strawberry generation
Sometimes, you just don't appreciate what you've got until it's gone. It's ridiculous that each time prosperity comes, people just want to sit down and entitle themselves.
Really? Name an international brand Singapore created?
Marx Seet have you not heard of TWG tea?? Or Tiger Beer?
@@marxseet Since when was creating a brand synonymous with "prosperity"?
Also, even more hilarious that they went from 3rd world to 1st world with apparently NO international brand according to you. Which makes it even more remarkable.
Oh and by the way, the tech company Razer is also from Singapore.
A country smaller than most cities worldwide. And still managed to find its own success.
@@marxseet You have to ask such mentally dense question just goes to show how dim you are.
@@marxseet Ever heard of Singapore Airlines
In the end...he did good. The young generations tend to be ignorant and they do not understand what it is be like to be poor just as Kuan Yew said. This is an everlasting cycle.
they still don't know, at the time, they're fighting on all fronts, and the worst is your own citizens is trying to sow division when your future is not even have a smidge of stability.
Funny that a news agency from Qatar, an absolute monarchy, makes a special segment on the short-comings of democracy in a country that has succeeded without abundant oil and other hydrocarbon resources. It was an interesting piece, I would like to see one on the al Thani family and their efforts at democratizing and secularizing Qatar. If any.
They hv efforts to give their citizen free healthcare, free education, no income tax etc..
Qatari dont need no democracy..
@@fudgerace4356 Yes, free everything until the oil runs dry
@@starsoffyre oil makes them instant rich, but what makes them stay rich and get even richer is bcz the gov system itself...
In democrazy, majority of the GDP owned by the private sector but its the other way around for the monarch...
Dubai is one of the example..
Less than 5% of their economy r from oil and its decreasing, but still they can afford to provide free healthcare and education for their citizen...
Btw for Qatar its more like natural gas rather than oil...
@@fudgerace4356
That's because the private sector is responsible for most of the revenue generated and people employed resulting in (income, property, etc.) tax revenue for the government.
@@starsoffyre let's hope it will not running out for the decades
Imagine you donated some money to another person and that person said "so little". How would you feel. We should always appreciate what the government had done for us, especially LKY. Singapore is so successful today, it was all due to what had been done in the past till now and this proved the approach taken is correct. Could you imagine what would happen to Singapore if we had done otherwise. Just look around your surrounding vs outside Singapore. Learn to appreciate and be grateful.
The fact that you think the government doing things for people is like charity shows you have no idea what is the relationship between a government and its people. The government is hired by people to do things for them, and is paid to do so. People criticizing the government is like a boss asking his employee to do more. which is pretty standard.
Yeah. I totally agree with you. I mean the government is not shooting ppl and raping them. What they are doing is ensuring prosperity for all the ppl and it is not easy task it requires lots of disciplining. I am an Indian and when I look at India India has loads of political freedom their is abuse of political freedom by a lot's of leaders. Guaranty us prosperity we don't care for political freedom now we have right to divide us into different groups and fight for nothing it is actually depressing.
@@Shaaa_Muay
Exactly, pay no mind to these pro Goverment bots. They are Basically the Wumaos in the Singaporean context.
@@waaroo420
Yeah Right, SELF appointed representative of Singaporeans. 😂 Anybody voted for you to speak on Singaporeans behalf because I thought I saw “US” in your sentences…
This is the most painfully naive narrative I’ve heard
The miracle of Singapore was not only because of Lee Kuan Yew. Most important was Goh Keng Swee who was the true architect of our economy, defence, and education system.
True.
But LKY is on the frontline to take all the bullets and let his men run all their things smoothly.
He trusted his men to get the jobs done and his men trusted him.
Anyone can hold a very high post.... But who is the leader ? 😊😀😂
@@Freeman-xm7ug exactly
LKY never deny that
I think what we should say is, the team working behind LKY are not yes men as some people will like to paint them to be.
Why is trusting a government we chose wrong? They have proven to be not corrupted, working hard for the people, and very importantly brought Singapore to what we are now. Having stayed in Singapore for some years doesnt make you a Singaporean!
'this is my life, this is my country, this is my people. You will trample over us over my dead body..'' I live by that .. if i hear anyone putting singapore or singaporeans down I tell them off...!
jessie, you messaged like you are SPARTAN leh. Are you Spartan or Spartun ?
A wise General will WIN battles for his nation.
A dumbo will die for their nations.
This was kind of a hit piece but the comments fill me with joy.
They don't just buy the propaganda sold by the news.
Watching this in 2019, democracy is laughable citing Poland, Brexit, and US Govt. Singapore succeeds because its not Democratic, the fact the govt can foresee these weaknesses is to be credited
@@verit3839 Singapore is small, like a city, easy to govern and easy to make changes if something fails or doesnt work out, nothing to be compared to surrounding countries.
@Martin Lee stop your BS. you think you are more insightful than LKY? Western democracy does not work for everyone. Idealogy is stupid thing to follow. Be pragmatic and follow what works the best.
Democracy is the best, we see that in the US and with Brexit. Authoritarianism should be fought no matter how complacent you get.
@@Murasame when you declare a idealogy is the best, it is already flawed. Nothing is best. It is only the question of suitability. Thank God you are not Singaporean
@@benbentan4005 No that is nowhere near true. For example I declare a runner in a race was the best in the race, is that flawed? NO..
Well in the race for best governmental structure democracy and capitalism has won and is the current best.
Yeah thank god because they actually have so many freedoms restricted but still regardless democracy is the best path to freedom.
Singapore is the safest and the cleanest country in the world. It may not be perfect, but it is a wonderful place to live and raise your family. It is live being on vacation all the time.
It is also the "finest " country - you can be fined for many things.
lol @@frankyong2607 😂
LSW is revolting against his grandfather’s plan and vision for Singapore. He is too inclined to western ideals that LKW knew to be not applicable in Singapore.
For All of LSW education, looks like he does not know what a Heritage building is, the Preexisting laws governing Heritage Buildings etc.
Does Li Sheng Wu feel that he and the Lee family are entitled to Special Privileges, like it happens in most other countries?
It is precisely because Singapore's Rule of Law, Rule by Law is evenly applied to EVERYONE, including Lee Kuan Yew that the Oxley House dispute has arisen.
Lee Kuan Yew's personal wishes Will still have to be subject to the Singapore Government in power's decision, and not the family's decision.
This shows the transparency of the Singapore legal system which has been ranked by the US based World Justice Project Rule of Law Index, higher than USA.
Eh the country is a great place to live. Still better than places with constant political conflict.
He had no regrets. In my opinion, rightly so. And if the system had to be a benevolent dictatorship to accomplish what he did, so be it. You can have your pick of countries in the world, that are disasters. It’s easy to find fault, tough or impossible to do what he and his team accomplished. If only there were more like him.
Good report, I admire Lee Kuan Yew, I think there is always a cost for everything and in this case, the net result for Singapour, under LKY´s system is by far a net positive and all its citizens should feel proud and lucky to have such a founding father. I've lived 11 years in USA and I can say with all certainty that their citizens live under a sense of fear of their police and the law, however you want to define and analyze it, let's remember they have the Patriot Act too. There will always be contrarians, that is just human nature.
I appreciate Singapore for developing a civil safe space. I luv their focus on developing a polite society and home ownership.
Like what Mr Lee mentioned in other interview, be it opposition or not we choose someone who are capable and with the interest of Singapore in mind.
We choose who are competent and not just someone to have a different voice.
I agreed to many of the comments, we started to appreciate the country more when we see whats outside and realise we are fortunate enough to have what we are having. And Mr Lee once said envy is inevitable. We need to pick what's the better option from the alternatives.
I hope that the youngest and the not so young can bring with us the mindset of how Mr Lee bring Singapore to where we are today. Even though we did not go through what the pioneer generation had gone through but I hope the spirit stays and this is what Singapore are built on, the beliefs and the strong mentality from our founding fathers. And certainly hope that the future leaders don't lose that.
Keep the house he built in order! Let harmony ...tolerance and civility reign! No religious disharmony from any religiuos groups demanding their rights OVER others! Stay in harmony and unity
It's sad to know that the grandson didn't know the history of the event before making a statement at 9:10. LKY did not pass down Prime minister position to his son. It was passed from LKY to goh chok tok in 28 November 1990, then to his son LHL on 12 August 2004.
I'm pretty sure he knows that. He is not some uneducated average joe that is just rebelling in his family but actually was the world best speaker for debate in 2010 and is considered by many with his cousin Lee hongyi to be the next successor for Singapore's PM after lee hsien long. Of course he has his own views and is implying that indeed LKY had some influence in LHL directly or indirectly becoming Singapore's PM.
@@mateusy3896 best speaker for debate only meant he is good at making pretty statements and good at arguing his point. It is common knowledge that those that talks well can disastrous at execution.
So what? It just makes his familial pass down intention less obvious lol
@@cancanjaker1620 Wrap it up boys. Cancan Jaker said so. Sorry, who is Cancan Jaker again?
You did not know that LHL had a personal medical problem to attend to in those years when GCT was PM (and still then LKY was Senior Minister and/or Minister Mentor).
Legend! Actions speak better than words
The amount of ads though
When LKY spoke, all people listened.
Sin Huat Neo because there was no opposition party to listen to. There was no contest of ideas in Singapore. There was only one Leader, the rest have to tow the line.
@@paulsz6194 Got WP , sdp....
Medved Bondchev so why do you take on a silly avatar and hide behind a Russian name, when even the way you write gives you away as a Singaporean?? Which ones are the failed nurses and technicians??
Thats right, you only get good Government when you have good opposition.Which is why people like to migrate to countries like U.K, USA,Canada, Australia &New Zealand.
if you dont you go to jail, everything will be free inside except freedom of speech
Can't have it all people. Have to choose which ones to keep and which ones to drop. The aim is to have things balanced out.
The rest of the population glue to the TV watching and mourning !.
Fly this to #1 on trending
The follies of youth - act in haste, repent at leisure. Going against a prevailing system anywhere in the world is not going to be easy. It takes a lot of courage and fortitude and for what? After all that is said and done, you will still have to live and be safe. After having lived in Penang, Singapore, US and now in Australia, I realised you have to be content where you are. We have surveillance cameras in Civic centre. My deepest respects to LKY.
Singapore is great, PAP did a good job. We have to admit that there are no perfection but i've never seen any government that cares this much about it's people. There are rooms for improvements definitely, but i trust my government.
Vinete, so far your opinion is the most sensible. 👍
Mr LKY was one of the world greatest leaders. Miss Mr LKY.
Nope, over rated
@@deschan2246 like u can create a country that is first world in less than 1 century
@@nats3160 It's an island
Never known or met one person that's afraid of Singapore government or police unless you are corrupt or a criminal.
A lot of the comments on here are nonsense. Singapore has one of the highest standards of living in the world. Extremely low crime. Great schools - great healthcare... One of the most dynamic economies in the world. Yet some only complain. Stick with what works and stop trying to do everything "western style". Al Jazeera is laughable though in how they frame it. What freedom of press and politics are their in Qatar...?
Are bai you know or not they hold poor people cpf money !
Rosiah Jaman CPF interest is 3.5% compounded guaranteed and you can use it to buy flats pay for medical bills. What's not to love? Without this mechanisms, many people would be using those money on leisure and end up homeless on the streets. Relatively speaking, poor Singaporeans are considered rich against the backdrop of the whole human population. The difference is that poor Singaporeans have the opportunity to progress, have education and enjoy first world standard of living. While the majority of poor people in the world do not and they suffer.
Al Jazeera is founded by Qatar. Of course, they don't want Singapore to look good
@@rosiahjaman7521 Only in Singapore?
@@skychaos87 So why are old people still working to support themselves?
So proud of Sigaporians.
Seems that this reporting is done to provide negative views about PAP and LKY. I am not a PAP supporter, but PAP do deserve credits for what Singapore has achieved. Singaporeans like me wants more opposition MPs to cross check the ruling party, not oppose for the sake of opposing.
11:53 you live in Singapore and still complaining? man you need to do some traveling in the third world countries see how democracy has failed as a unfunny joke...
yeah, please go viet nam, and they know the real about democracy :D
But Singapore is not a third world country neither is it a democracy. They give you the illusion of democracy but there's no way out.
why compare abt travelling to 3rd world countries? why not compare travelling to 1st world countries instead?? afterall Singapore prides itself as 1st world isnt it? so why compare apple with orange?!
@@oblaga Singapore is a democratic state. Having one of their parties consistently delivered their promises by showing the results gave its citizens kept voting for it. It's democratic with one party delivering economic growth. Democracy is not about changing parties for every other election, it's about getting a mandate from its people to stay in power. If americans always voted for Democrats because they shows economic growth of 10% for a century, do you still say that US does not have democracy?
@@changkeejeow947 yes why compare with 3 rd world. govt says we are first world. is it? we are slowly slipping down the greasy pole ...so many foreigners frm 3 rd world countries with their bad habits, crime escalated, filth, corruption , unhappiness, joblessness, you name it....all this under the present govt. should we still be happy
The countries democracy like USA, UK, FRANCE, ITALY…the high tax countries, but the corruption was here, don't talk the transparency and the liberty expression. The poorety was 30% of the population…Why critic Singapore ??? I'm the French citizen, I can testify of this reality of FRANCE. We voted every presidential election, the one was worse than the precedent , we pay more and more to the government . The people live luxury is the politic people the people of association subventionne .
tan00002 Well said!
@@britishpatriots6479 you're really rude you British buffoon
Location , choosing friends well and not friends for life and having no permanent enemies
CORRECT, THE GRANDSON IS CORRECT IN SAYING TO THEIR CRITICS THST TODAY NOT INTEREST ED TOMORROW IS INTERESTED AGAIN,KUDOS TO LEEKUAN YEWS FAMILY GOD BLESS THE RIGHTEOUS MEN. HIS LEGACY IS FOREVER .
if we one singaporeans don't stand for one other what the point mr lee have build into a nation as one untied ppl
Look who is talking... Al Jazeera... Your own nation (Qatar) restrict media in their own country. Yet, they pay you to talk about other nations freedom of speech. Shame on you.
Cry my beloved country!
Roy has to pay for being big mouth and to be one of the national heroes of Singapore whom will provide him with at lease an HDB flat house of his own with a family and a cozy home. Whereas he chose to be living in Taiwan in which most of the young and ignorant graduates are unemployed and low paid. And now even worse during the period of Covid 19, he has chosen the river of no return. Can't blame the Singapore government, yeah! Wish you all the best, middle-aged man!
For a Malaysian who lives in SG, it is true that a lot of things there r better than most countries, I don't wanna get into their politics but I realized that a lot of the younger gens are complaining about the gov becoming more authoritarian and going to the right in the political spectrum. I believe that everyone will agree Lee KY did a great job on bringing up the nation but the newer gov is becoming very hyper-capitalistic that sadly destroys ways of life, culture & etc that my SG friends r against. They complained to me that the gov only wants to make SG look great but only on the outside. I live in SG and I honestly realized that the the workers are depressed, very stressed and oppressed by political correctness disguised by morals & keeping up with living standards with the suicide rate in SG is sadly 2.5 people per day.... I really can't complain as. Malaysia's political situation isn't at all stable but it's truly sad to see some people working hard to buid up this country be in this state.
Ho Chung Kwang I think you just worked in a high stress work environment. Stress is something a man should be able to hold. If a man cannot hold that stress and responsibility and change it as motivation to propel him forward he ain’t a man. Of course undue stressed caused she be helped but from what I see you writing sadly as a singaporean I feel sad that there are weak Singaporean’s like your colleagues that are undermining the strong foundation we have built. Strong mental fortitude is not built in a day. It takes time. Help them out.
Finally, other foreigner who said that "the workers are very stressed"
I thought I will always be alone on this.
I think it is very unfair to simply pin all that blame on the government and think they should have a solution at every corner for you.
1. "hyper-capitalistic" is only synonymous with the fact that Singapore's neighbouring countries are growing faster and opening their economies to foreign investments. This is a real consideration that Singaporeans are not facing. There are NO rare minerals or natural resources that Singapore can export to other countries in exchange for economic wealth that fund and underpin the majority of welfare states around the world. Their only resource are HUMANS. And that is reflected by the time, effort and quality of your work into creating economic value in a service-based economy that your government has cleverly chosen. You have chosen to blame the government for destroying your way of life, when it is globalisation that provided for you, and in the same wavelength, globalisation can easily that all that away from you. Sitting on your laurels is not something that a nation as small as Singapore can achieve.
2. For all the crybabies in Singapore who have been complaining about the government trying to make the country look good on the front. Go find me a single country who has a government trying to make their nation look bad? Moreover, if Singapore really only looks great on the outside, why do so many people who lived in Singapore, both expat and locals, adore the nation? Saying that 1% of the country hates it, does not imply that the 99% agree with them you know? The grass is always greener on the other side. I've lived in more than 3 countries for extended periods, and everytime I realise how lucky and blessed I am to be a Singaporean. You do not know how important safe streets are until you live in Europe. You don't know how important world class education & healthcare is until you visit the public shitshows in both UK & America.
3. Political CORRECTNESS? You're talking about the PAP and Singapore here. POLITICAL CORRECTNESS? The PAP government is FAMOUS for doing what they believe in, and not what is politically correct around the world. Are you kidding me?
Living standards I can relate, but that is really up to individuals. They like to live in condo and drive big cars, then complain about stress. Or on another note, buy car or take Grab wherever they go when on an average salary. Of course they will feel depressed. As for "political correctness disguised by morals"? What do you mean by that? Do you mean racism? Chinese Malaysians have this deep seated dislike against the Malay race which most Singaporeans do not share. That does not mean we are bound by political correctness.
@Ho Chung Kwang
Singapore = First World Facade, Third World Practice.
Our founder Mr LKY has to have an iron hand. If not we will not be where we are now. Be realistic n give him the honour he so deserve.
アル・ジャジーラよ、こういう報道をずっと続けてくれ。あなたたちは、間違いなく日本人の国内的メディア偏向を更生してくれる数少ないメディアだ。応援してる。
As a foreigner who has a very close connection with Singapore since childhood. There are couple of things I would like to point out:
1. Change is inevitable. The way Mr LKY ruled Singapore was very much relevant at that time. You needed fear to get things done back then. You needed to make sure communists dont get strong in Singapore. (Not surprising that communist states dont even Freedom of Speech either, or even worse). Singapore has a far more transparent system.
2. But as i said Change is inevitable. Once you have the economic growth and prosperity. You move beyond the basic demand of livlihood only. You care about democracy. You care about freedom and so on. This is where Singapore needs to change and start implementing the changes. A strong opposition party, a strong public criticism from the Citizens --these are all essential things.
Singaporeans dont want only the basic livelihood things now. Its more than 50 years and the country is in a advanced stage of development. So the "Autocratic Prosperity" logic does not hold anymore.
well said
Very balanced and fair comment, unlike many others who just throw themselves into the comments section only stating which side they are on.
This video deserve brickbats from viewers as the perspective of ordinary Singaporeans are missing. Where is the voice of the ordinary Singaporeans?
生在福中不知福 - the young protesters influenced by western foreign ideas and ideals and have never seen n gone through real life challenges & hardship. Talk is cheap and easy.
Past is over we still her for a better future that is life
What would LKY say if he could from down below- maybe not in my wildest dream that my son, daughter and grandchildren would so publicly fight to show who love their father grand father more. What a sad thing.
Singapore is safe. Millions of cctv are looking at you 24/7.
Singapore is clean. Thousands of Indian, Bangladesh cleaners swept the street daily.
Singapore reserves is strong. You get your Cpf’s monies only when you lies in hospital bed or coffin.
Singapore is affordable. Try paying s$200,000 for a Toyota Camry and you can only use it for 10 years.
Singapore justice is fair. Try asking this question to all the detainees without trial.
Singapore had good working environment and career prospect. 5 out of my 10 friends are applying to be Uber or grabs driver now.
Singaporean is rich. On paper it is
Singapore is beautiful. That’s if you enjoy watching concrete jungles and walking on asphalt road.
Singapore has strong culture and identity. The only thing that came to mind is the SIA girls in their fitting uniform.
Singapore has strong military. Only when we combats with jungle tribe with spear.
Singapore is peaceful. After a 14 hours work shift 6 days a week, most people are too tired to create troubles.
Singapore is fun. Fun? Why am i watching TH-cam now?
I am a Singaporean. I love this country. But I don’t love this life.
Dun lie can. Everyday strait times got crime murder,molest,upskirt,rape,maid abuse,theft,con hee.
I do think there are issues here in need for improvement or change. But you see things too negative, in a way which does not reflect what most perceive here. Some of the points you make are even not true.
And this video is also of a lesser quality than what I'm used from Al Jazeera. Like, to show the surveillance cameras at speakers corner as a sign of restrictions or oppression when there are surveillance cameras +everywhere+ except at toilet cubicles, that's a bit odd. Isn't it?
I think that most Singaporeans are overall satisfied with the way Singapore was ruled, even knowing that there are a few black spots and wrinkles on the white shirts. But now with life getting rapidly expensive especially for ordinary people, I am not sure if the masses will still think the same in the near future.
Singapore's gonna fall! Democracy and human rights are omnipotent! TAIWAN No.1!!!!!!!
Peter Kroll , The point here is democracy sunk in this democratic country. Peoples here are so constrain, obedient and fear for change that it had became a normal way of life. Sad.
I agree that Singaporeans are satisfied, but I find a huge majority of them to be politically apathetic. They are not exposed to the issues that people bring up and they often just brush them aside. Using the satisfaction level as a metric for successful governance is a huge loophole as citizens are generally unconcerned with politics prefering to discuss other superficial matters.
RIP 💕❤️
Don't be too democratic Singapore. Love from Philippines.
If American President was like this man. America would be so Great.
11:59 the government is doing fine.
not challenging them = scared?
this is the kind of misleading nonsence you say that got you sued.
"This in not a game of card, this is your life and my life, if you don't have the iron wills, give it up and stop whining."
A match could started a Forrest fire,never underestimate humans mouth,as long as most people enjoyed existing life,the oppositions wanted powers for their gains,powers trips,like Chinese say a rat dropping in a rice soup will destroy a whole pot of rice soup,just like you will never found bone in egg,I am proud of Singapore,the rest of the world should learn from Singapore,safe place to live,people quality of lives are good,if that what you wanted,move to places like Africa,North America,South America,Middle East,Europe ,South Asia,Southeast Asia,Central America etc.
*Remain uninterested until you become interested* lol, there is some truth to that
I live in the UK and if I had to chose between the UK becoming more like Singapore or vice versa I would choose the former rather than the latter.
but i will choose the latter than the former! Your choice is not mine, your choice is not superior, your choice is just different
The UK could never become like Singapore. That's a fantasy of the UK Brexiteers.
The last part is very telling.
If the rule of law system is what scares them into returning home, then what did they do that makes them feel scared? No one exiled them. Surely when you decide to publicize private matters, you cant say people force you into it? Every individual has to take responsibility of what they say.
That's a stupid comment
@ying
Looks more like Rule BY Law instead of the Rule Of Law to me…
24:05 wow very scary
Not so interested. You are traitor. If you have the guts come open a new party or join the present opp .
I think my dad is Gujarati, Bactrian and Punjabi. I think my mom is Yunnan Chinese and Myanma. I think I am a Singaporeon.
Grate place for peaceful life. A Grate Salute to father of Singapore
Its quite ironic & some would say a Poetic Justice that members of Lee's own family got a taste of Grandpa Lee's own bitter medicine. Lee's PAP ruling party maintained an iron grip on this island city state & not even his own family can voiced any different views on matters that affect the running of this country. That in a nutshell is LKY's legacy. Love it or Hate it, its the reality of his legacy.
You want a liberal govt that is lawless???
Revelation 578 Having a genuine opposition party does not create lawlessness. It simply keeps the ruling party in check, because if they can’t deliver on the wishes of their constituents, then they know they will get voted out.
@@paulsz6194 In Check? Gosh Singapore must have been doing very badly and suffering greatly before the arrival of the Checkers!
@@khtay8731 That’s how it seem to work in most all other western countries . Check ?
There are always losers anywhere who try to put some meaning to their life by fighting stupid political fight against a government which has served the majority well. No one or institution is a saint. What we need is an effective government that make people’s lives better.
A real eye-opener! Amazing documentary!
they should make video like this in QATAR
The nature of people is... never satisfied...
Wow, did I not say that many years ago about studying in the US (not at Harvard, never was interested), getting my PhD and never stepped into any political arenas. Now how come nobody tell the grandson of LKY, "never say never" about getting involved in politics...LOL.
The real live game of thrones
yet is the director who's sitting on the real throne.
Singaporeans you fight for them and their rights, if you lose, they step back and leave you behind.
Like the inquisitive journalism acknowledging both parties
Love this.
I wish the Philippines had a leader like Lee Kuan Yew. Corruption in this country is destroying its potential. The Philippines has a great potential all being wasted too much on senseless politics. Lee Kuan Yew is a supporter of globalism and against protectionism something which the Philippines should learn.
Become a king for too long, and you'll become a king. The slightest negative feedback, even important, true, and constructive, is criticism that you cannot take because you have become full of yourself.
ROChina had Sun.
PRChina had Mao.
USSR had Lenin.
Yugoslavia had Tito.
South Africa had Mandela.
DPRK had Kim Il Sung.
Germany had Bismarck.
What happens when "has" becomes "had"?
You forget
South Korea had Park Chung Hee
Indonesia had Soeharto
Thailand had King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Japan had Emperor Hirohito
All have their good, bad and ugly side.
Singapore's gonna fall! Democracy and human rights are omnipotent! TAIWAN No.1!!!!!!!
Now PRC have Xi - the new Emperor
Had is a terrible thing. That's why you need many other party as an alternative solution for it.
A good authoritarian leader can change the law to serve as long as he wants and kill all othet parties but when it is passed over to the incompetent one, we will die in his hands.
The leader is great in everything else but incompetent in choosing his successor
Rainbow Magic
Exactly. You can have a good authoritarian leader if you want. But once that person dies, the country will shift and change.
That's why democracy is necessary, stability, not, freedom.
If you have a genuinely great a person who knows about the importance of what to do to improve the economy and not killing people and can lead a country (though limiting a lot of democratic values in some cases), I think I would prefer that leader for some time and then pursue steady transition towards democracy.
Democracy is overrated. Most western democracies are ruled by a closed elite class that ignores the rest and amasses wealth only for themselves.
@@quixotiq Indeed.
I think people have to understand that Singapore is a much more complex economy to run, the presenter at the beginning said 'Singapore has very little natural resources '. Well that's incorrect, because Singapore has zero natural resources. I think it's natural to look at other flawed democracies or dictatorships and say 'well I don't want that for my country'. However, Singapore's government or Mr. LKY at least, had built something out of nothing by being a hard man and having a leash on the media to make sure the people don't start fighting each other. If your from Singapore and you want to tear down the current system, tread carefully and with great caution!. You need to only look at the USA & the UK to see what the drawbacks of a western style democracy looks like :-)
YOU THINK!
HE THINK!
WHO CONFIRM?
Don't think too much Please
@@ConradSNIPER drugs are bad for you
Im a malaysian and I don't appreciate all of my PM in Malaysia, from Tunku Abdul Rahman to Ismail Sabri. I only look up to the late Lee Kuan Yew
At least one good thing that T.A.R. did in 1965 after secret negotiations with LKY of Singapore and mutual agreement reached (however difficult) with irreconcilable differences was to separate and go on their own ways like in a legal divorce after a merger (formal political marriage) of 3 years.
you cant change the "western" from Singapore. it is all part of the banking institutions that made Singapore, the banking tax haven of the world, what it is. people focus on oil but it is banking, the reason the west goes to war.
Thomas Jefferson, one of the revolutionary forefathers of the US, once wrote
"I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies."
yet we live in a world full of banks and debt, with little to no knowledge of their inner workings.
The question the world has to ask is: How come an industry that produces nothing makes so much money that those that do produce?
Watch the documentary Zeitgeist Addendum and find out how we have been tricked into a system by the elite for the elite.
We used to have banks to protect our money from thieves but in the 21st century the banks are the thieves.
That's why I always tell my frens put ur $ into crypto.Of course not all but at least u can afford rather than in the banks.
study what a hyperinflation is and good luck trading crypto for food in such an event. in such cases real things are worth more than currencies, things like canned food and gold (real, not stock) become extremely valuable as economic networks break down and local (town) economies take the forefront.
i wouldn't be so worried if we still were the industrial USA, but now we are mainly a service economy with a lot of foreign trade (thanks to the "unfair trade deals") sustaining it.
we will probably end up like the cows eating only corn as we do produce a lot of it.
SPOT ON BRO!
THE BANKSTERS ARE THE THIEVES(LEGALISED THEFT)
He said that in response to Americans having a privately owned central bank ran by the Rothschilds. Banks are ok, but privately owned CENTRAL BANKS like the Federal Reserve are not. Do not let the name "Federal Reserve" fool you, it's as Federal as Federal Express..
It's very easy to avoid being under the mercy of banking intuitions by simply refusing to take debt from banks which use interest rates...however that's easier said than done in the 21st century where the whole system is designed in a way that forces people to take loans and mortgages.
Excellent and informative
Democracy will be the end of any country. The one thing that democracy lacks is continuity. No policy, no matter how good, will bear fruit in the short term. I'm ever so thankful that Lee Kuan Yew ruled with an iron fist. Otherwise, Singapore would not have came to be.
PAP built this country but I doubt the capabilities of pushing our country futher and maintaining it.
Singapore's gonna fall! Democracy and human rights are omnipotent! TAIWAN No.1!!!!!!!
Taiwan? Wake up please. Taiwan is good in everything else except economically, please change vegetable english to a better candidate. I would one day want to see Taiwan rise again.
Yu G tw this tw that
TAIWAN no. 1 with GRADUATE earning *US$1200 per month* , step out from your bubble and look at the real world.
Sgt. Pepper - what makes you say that? do you really want the chaos that is Taiwan - or even US and British style governments? The average Singaporean has a higher standard of living than persons in any of the above mentioned.
Classic South East Asian Chinese family feud
now there is conflict between brothers, grandsons, uncles
Singapore is perfect for Singaporeans.
I always have this inkling of feeling that Singapore is full of whiners. This videos completely reaffirmed this view for me. Everyone of these people who are dissatisfied or "scared" are a bunch of self righteous narcissistic idealist. They are like children, demanding to be heard on their ideals on how Singapore's internal relationship between its leadership and its citizens should be structured. Yet none of them have anything of substance to say on policies. How the current government's policies compare to the policies they have in mind will be what real constructive activists should be about. Instead, they focus on comparing the government of Singapore with their own idealized version of what I assume to be "an western style democracy and personal freedom". No wonder these people only have minority support. There is no doubt these are smart highly educated people, but they never realize that Singapore is not the United States and it's government does not even make an attempt to pretend to want to follow the US system in any way.
There is no inherent evil in passing power to one's son, no matter how bias you are toward the idea or how many example in history you can draw upon that shows statistically it is a bad idea. There is also no law that require any children to follow random wishes of their parents.
As for human right. Unless you believe in some kind of God and said God grant you this right. Human right is unarguably State given and is more of a privilege than a right. That is the cold hard truth. Your government can take it away as they see fit and no other government in the world is going to extend the right they Reserve for their citizen to you.
So if you want to change your country, do it in the acceptable ways that ur government allow, join the ruling party and change it from within. That is how responsible, mature and prudent people does it.
you wrote the most educated comment I have read so far!
@@enkii82 The kind of educated comments monolithic governments love reading. Human rights are a privilege? If Singapore is gonna keep comparing themselves to other first world countries, the least they could do is at least reach some of the standards that these other first world countries provide for their people.
@@RubberSock why Spore has to follow what others is doing like a herd behavior? Singapore is unique as its own, it may not work if it follows others. that's what makes Singapore it is today! If Singapore were to follow what you believe to be 'standard' (not everyone believe is the same as you), singapore would still be like panama.
sounds like a statist.
And the reason you can’t actually implement a real version of the Westminster parliamentary system is? Even if SG loosened up a little bit it would be better - someone shouldn’t be paying a fine to the PM until 2036 because they argued for higher pensions and questioned how the government was using the CPF they paid into.
This is so one-sided. Many details, which many Singaporeans know, have been left out. For eg. before PM LHL sued Roy Ngerng, he asked him, several times, to publicly retract what he said about PM stealing CPF because he has no evidence of the same, but he refused. So LHL had to sue. However in this interview, Roy Ngerng said the law suit was a distraction and he only wanted to talk about CPF, as if the govt wanted to shut him up by suing him. It's not that simple.
Even so, you can continue a law suit and win. Doesnt mean you have to accept the ruling, even as winner, and you ask the judge to let go off the penalty. You win, as prime minister and make a gesture. Not kicking him down, and leave him there for dead, forever paying the debt.
Furthermore, do you think the CPF is a fair system?
@@wernervonbraun4801 CPF is a ponzi scheme out to scam Singaporeans
@@macrick I am aware of that, nothing much different from the pension funds of western Europe.
@@wernervonbraun4801 MIGHT be useful to go Check CIA fact book on Singapore, IMF, World Bank, Credit Agency reports, among others if you want to know the real facts about Singapore's National Reserves.
would be interesting if al jazeera did a similar piece about their own country qatar! lol!
This man was some skin.
lol interviewee is all the infamous
Patrick Kam ya lor
Sadly 1 generation builds it up the next will destroy it :( Look at history of ancient empires that a king handed down his power to his heir.
or one generation overdoes it and the next generation fixes it.
It will always happen. LKY build it through the chaos. LHL has seen how chaotic it is when he is young. Now in SG, nobody knows any real hardship.
What do you need democracy for when you have a smart managers doing their best of running the country.
If you have more than one children, for sure you have more than one heads to manage.
Thanks for making the video but the cast featured is pretty one-sided - it's all the key players that are unhappy with the current Singapore's government. One more point, please consider making one featuring the politics for Malaysia's new government.
Al Jazeera, can you do a documentary about the violent tendencies of people from your region?