Lee Kuan Yew urges Muslims to 'be less strict'

http://www.mysinchew.com/node/51920

By Philip Lim

SINGAPORE, Sunday 23 January 2011 (AFP) -- Singapore's founding father Lee Kuan Yew has urged local Muslims to "be less strict on Islamic observances" to aid integration and the city-state's nation-building process.

Singapore has a predominantly Chinese population, with minority races including Muslim Malays and Indians, and Lee has always stressed the importance of racial harmony.

"I would say today, we can integrate all religions and races except Islam," he said in "Lee Kuan Yew: Hard Truths to Keep Singapore Going," a new book containing his typically frank views on the city-state and its future.

"I think we were progressing very nicely until the surge of Islam came and if you asked me for my observations, the other communities have easier integration -- friends, intermarriages and so on..." he stated.

"I think the Muslims socially do not cause any trouble, but they are distinct and separate," Lee added, calling on the community to "be less strict on Islamic observances."

During the book's launch on Friday, the self-described "pragmatist" warned Singaporeans against complacency, saying the largely ethnic Chinese republic was still a nation in the making.

Describing Singapore in the book as an "80-storey building on marshy land," Lee said it must contend with hostility from larger Muslim neighbours.

"We've got friendly neighbours? Grow up... There is this drive to put us down because we are interlopers," he said, citing alleged Malaysian and Indonesian efforts to undermine Singapore's crucial port business.

Singapore was ejected from the Malaysian federation in 1965 in large part due to Kuala Lumpur's preferential policies for ethnic Malays, and has since built up Southeast Asia's most modern military to deter foreign aggression.

Turning to local politics, Lee said the ruling People's Action Party (PAP), which has been in power since 1959 when Singapore gained political autonomy from colonial ruler Britain, will someday lose its grip on power.

"There will come a time when eventually the public will say, look, let's try the other side, either because the PAP has declined in quality or the opposition has put up a team which is equal to the PAP... That day will come."

"In the next 10 years to 20 years, I don't think it'll happen. Beyond that, I cannot tell."

Lee said that despite a survey showing the contrary, he believed Singaporeans were not yet ready for a non-ethnic-Chinese prime minister.

"A poll says 90 percent of Chinese Singaporeans say they will elect a non-Chinese as PM. Yes, this is the ideal. You believe these polls? Utter rubbish. They say what is politically correct," he stated.

He also defended the policy of promoting marriage between highly-educated Singaporeans, a policy seen by critics as a form of social engineering, and dismissed the notion of love at first sight.

"People get educated, the bright ones rise, they marry equally well-educated spouses. The result is their children are likely to be smarter than the children of those who are gardeners," he said.

"It's a fact of life. You get a good mare, you don't want a dud stallion to breed with your good mare. You get a poor foal."

People who are "attracted by physical characteristics" may regret it, he said.

Lee also revealed that he had donated to charity all his earnings of S$13 million ($10 million) since stepping down as prime minister in 1990 after 31 years in power.

Singapore's cabinet ministers are the highest paid in the world as part of a strategy to prevent corruption and attract talent from the private sector.

Lee, who holds the special title Minister Mentor, now serves as an adviser to his son Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who came to power in 2004.

Amid all the hard-edged talk, Lee showed his tender side when asked about his late wife Kwa Geok Choo, who died aged 89 in October last year.

"It means more solitude. No one to talk to when the day's work is done," Lee said in the book, the result of exclusive interviews with journalists from the country's leading daily, The Straits Times.

Pseudo-individualism

"The wise man does at once what the fool does finally."

-Niccolo Machiavelli

One thing I really do not understand about Singaporean youth is that they value something overly highly-- individualism. I do, too, sometimes. But it has gotten to a point where the pioneers of new ideas have moved on, while blind followers are still caught up in trying so hard to be different that they end up being all the same. Simply put it, it's pseudo-individuality.

I could be guilty of it too, maybe we all are, in one way or another, or at least at one point in our lives. I have a very good example that illustrates my point-- Indie music.

Indie; or 'independent' music, refers to musicians who are void of being 'tainted' or influenced by any particular record label/company. In that sense, Indie musicians apparently produce music considered to be less commercial and not as mainstream as many artistes under record companies are. True that, and although I must confess I am definitely not a connoisseur when it comes to music, I do realise that many Singaporean youth are beginning to listen more to Indie music just because.

Why, I ask. Is there something wrong with commercial music; Coldplay, Keane, even ,well, Britney Spears (for the love of god I do not like her, this is' just for the sake of using an example of a typical pop-princess type of thing)? Is it that important that one listens to something that not everybody else is listening to on the radio? Does it make you more special that you are listening to Indie music? Je ne comprends pas! I do not understand this, at all.

But well, before I have Indie music fans shoot me down for criticising their music choices and tastes, let me first disclaim that I have no qualms or jurisdiction over what songs anybody wants to listen to. Sure there are people who really love Indie music because, well, I don't know, but surely there are undoubtedly many out there who are Indie fans just for the sake of being Indie fans, no? Disagree?

This blog post is, however, not one that seeks to rant on issues that revolve around music. More importantly, I want to draw references to the politically apathetic youth in Singapore. Just as many are drawn to Indie music for whatever reason, I have no idea why the Singaporean youth are so bent on putting down the PAP. They complain that they are oppressive, put down democracy, and do not allow freedom of speech. Basically everyone claims that they are a watchdog government that is almost omni-present and that you can never escape from the clutches of the government!

While I can't deny that Singapore is not exactly being run under the basis of true-blue American freedom-fighting-esque democracy, we are in essence and in theory, a Republic. In addition to this, we can only decide on our leaders for the GRCs in various constituencies and henceforth indirectly decide the ruling party, and from there a Prime Minister is being elected into office by the ruling party. Our Westminster system is not one that really allows for us to have direct contact and communication with the leader of our nation, unlike say the States where their Presidential System allows for a more direct contact with the President in terms of voices being heard. Presidential candidates put in effort to garner support from the peoples because of the very fact that their competition is strong. There isn't any walkover, there isn't any sure-win, people are undecided on who they should vote for because they genuinely support ideals that the candidates push through, i.e. ending the Iraq war, or continuing stem cell research, legalising homosexual marriages etc.

I implore you, then, to think: is our opposition strong enough, even, to rally against the PAP? Sure there are exceptions; there is WP's Low Thia Kiang who's managed to win over Hougang, and SDP's Chiam See Tong (whom I deeply respect; but whose health is obviously ailing) who are undeniably talented and intelligent individuals. But pray tell me, is the PAP not doing a good job in their respective GRCs? Do we not get the lift-upgrading, or the 'study/chess corners', or the well-built & clean bus stops and shelters that we need? We do. Is Singapore society so largely unfair and divided in wealth that we see homeless people everywhere on the streets? No. Do we not get our right to education (even if we do, some people take it for granted)? Absolutely not.

Moreover, it is not only the Singapore government that practices strict censorship laws in terms of media outlets and press freedom. MDA does have strict laws but they have definitely tried to go around it by imposing the M18/NC16 rule. As for press freedom, I do know that Singapore is used in many academic examples as being one of the strictest in the world but there are other countries who are becoming increasingly oppressive. Think about it-- at least we don't have something like the Great firewall of China. Yes, there are several websites that are banned in Singapore but hey at least you are able to access your facebook, Twitter, and Youtube account.

So what's with these youth trying to advocate democracy just for the sake of it? Well, I am definitely not undermining the value of democracy, it is also an ideology that I agree with. But ask yourself a few questions:

1. How should democracy be achieved in a system like Singapore's? Is there a way that we can speak up to our Prime Minister and vote for a PM directly? No. Our political system does not allow this. And our system is definitely not warped or unfair, the United Kingdom practices the Westminster system as well.

2. If you are truly an advocate for democracy and you are extremely pent up and frustrated about the lack of a voice here in Singapore, why aren't you doing anything about it? Do you really want to make a difference so much that you complain that the PAP is not doing its job proper? Why not do something about it rather than whine all day?

I'm definitely not trying to promote the PAP, yes I do know that every party has its flaws but I believe largely that the ruling party is doing a good job in the country. I may not agree on its policies sometimes (that being rising COE prices that are insanely exorbitant) but what I do not agree more on is how the youth today are constantly putting down the PAP when they are doing nothing about it. Is it because everyone is doing so? Has the PAP left you jaded and skeptical and resentful over their oppressiveness? I doubt so, but if they are, why don't you make a difference today?

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