Devotion Maketh LKY

I had never thought I would tear while reflecting on the demise of Mr. Lee Kuan Yew (Mr. Lee), but I did, right in the office today.

When asked what he did that meant the most to me, I choked when I replied, "Social mobility". He made it possible for any Singaporean to work his way out of poverty towards a decent standard of living through education and hard work. And I am one of the many miracles he had created. Brought up in a single-parent family, my childhood days of worrying for the next meal is now a distant memory because of the equal opportunities to good education and fair employment in this country. And for these I have Mr. Lee to be grateful to. Indeed, regardless of race, language or religion, as long as one puts his mind to work hard, he will be able to provide for his family and do well in his chosen path. Though it's arguable that the lesser privileged may be less mobile as compared to decades ago, let's not forget that there are countries where one is born into a life he has absolutely no control over, no matter how hard he works.

When asked for the leadership qualities that Mr. Lee embodied, I have an acronym to sum them all - VCCD. An extraordinary Visionary needs no further explanation. He was able to rise above the details, above the masses to see possibilities and opportunities that no one else could. It was his vision that brought the nation to where we are today. Having the Courage to overcome all odds to bring his vision to fruition was another hallmark of his leadership. At this point, with the recent left-leaning initiatives and measures, I can't help but ponder if those were the result of this C or the lack of. A voracious ability to Communicate over and over again, be it to gain buy-in or to gather new insights and feedback, yet at the same time have this lingering doubt that his views may not always be right, indeed a leader can never over-communicate. I reflected on a recent exchange when the head of my institution said the exact same words! 

Above all, Devotion maketh the man. Till death, he remained devoted to this country, this nation, his family and his wife. How many can remain so steadfast a whole lifetime? At this point, I felt really grateful towards the Lee family and especially Mrs. Lee for sharing a huge part of Mr. Lee with the nation. They must have made significant sacrifices to support Mr. Lee in this calling.

With the passing of Mr. Lee, approaching SG50 celebration and election, this may be a watershed year for politics in SG. As the Chinese saying goes 化悲偾为力量, I hope this moment of grief will bring citizens from all walks of life to put our political differences aside and work to continue the legacy that Mr. Lee so painfully built with his life.

Afternote:
After paying our respects last night, the whole family went along Clementi Road to send him off for the last time. Though we reached an hour earlier, the street was already lined with like-minded Singaporeans. While waiting patiently for the procession, it was very heartwarming to receive acts of kindness from fellow Singaporeans, e.g. sharing of live streaming, offer of food and water, gestures to share standing area knowing we have many kids in tow, etc. But at the same time, it was heart wrenching to watch from the live streaming that the heavens were also crying for this great man. 

And when the procession finally arrived, it was an overwhelming yet synchronised shouts of his name followed by thunderous applause for the entourage which followed. Despite the on-going showers which got all wet, spirits were high. I teared buckets and so did those around me. I have never felt so Singaporean and so grateful to a man whom I never had personal encounters with.

Words fail to describe my thoughts and emotions. I sincerely wish Mr. Lee well in heaven. May he always watch over Singapore from heaven above and may God bless his soul, his family, especially PM Lee and Singapore. Keeping all in thoughts and prayers.