First printed in 2011, and reprinted in 2023, “Hard Truths to Keep Singapore Going” is a question and answer style book based on interviews conducted with Lee Kuan Yew. The discussions were held over many sessions (edited by Kwang, Ibrahim, Hoong, Lim, Low, Lin and Chan). The interesting part about this book is that it is not a polished book, it is the direct words and perspectives of LKY – unfiltered by political correctness and/or publisher refinements. The editors offer introductions to the sections but the majority of the book (458 pages) are Q&A format. These notes focus on LKY’s views on leadership and talent, governance, and ends with some lesser known perspectives.
[Editors] “Without a strong economy, there can be no strong defense. Without a strong defense, there will be no Singapore. It will become a satellite, cowed and intimidated by its neighbours. To maintain a strong economy and a strong defense all on a narrow base of a small island with over four million people, the government must be led by the ablest, most dedicated and toughest. The task will become more complex as a more educated and confident electorate believe that Singapore has created a sturdy base and need not be as vulnerable as before” (p. 11-12)
[Editors] “A Denmark or Sweden could make do with a mediocre government but for Singapore mediocrity meant the slippery slope to failure and irrelevance. For Lee, having exceptional talent in charge is critical. With men of integrity and ability helming key institutions and government, the place would go down. “Once you have weaker people on top, the whole system slowly goes down. It’s inevitable.” (p. 19)
[Editors] “At some points in the interview, Lee mused aloud whether new crisis, such as the ongoing financial downturn, would help to forge that sense of reality, of Singapore’s unique circumstances. But in that same breath, he accepted that the government had to act and was actually cushioning the impact of the crisis rather well. This was the government’s Catch-22. It was intent on serving Singapore’s interest, but its sustained success made it more likely that citizens would take for granted these special conditions which enabled the government to function effectively.” (p. 22)
“We have a population of just over three million. Every year, we have about a hundred people of quality, with leadership qualities. Of them, you’ll end up with 20, 30. We scour every profession, every business, but to succeed in politics, you’ve got to come in when you’re still in your 30s or early 40s, when you’re not too set in your ways or you cannot emphasize with people…” (p. 109)
“Over the years we found that whatever the field, whether it’s General Electric, IBM, Microsoft, the leader is somebody who’s got several basic qualities: high IQ, yes, necessary, but that’s only one fragment. EQ (emotional quotient), leadership stamina, determination, resourcefulness, and a host of other features, which eventually manifest themselves in your success in your profession or your business.” (p. 110)
“… we latch on to a growth area like life sciences, but are we going to be leaders in life sciences discoveries? No. What we provide companies is the security for the discoveries, copyright protection, an attractive living environment for their researchers and scientists, and the facilities for research and to trial new products on our population, because our hospitals maintain good records and we have different races and genetic pools.” (p. 149)
“What have we got to offer? Not cheaper labor or land, but higher quality infrastructure to justify the higher cost. The Vietnamese are very smart. We can see it from the students that we give scholarships to. They catch up and they are one third of our salaries, one quarter the price of our land. So we got to offer what we have that they cannot offer: stability, security, connectivity, good healthcare, schooling for children because the top people want their children with them and they want good schools. We have already made progress in these areas and the Singapore American School (SAS) here is the best American school in the region.” (p. 160-161)
“We have created a property-owning democracy, that’s why we have stability in Singapore. You want people to defend this country, you must give them a stake. They are not going to defend this country for Far East Properties or Hong Leong or whoever. You own this home. You will fight for your family and yourself.” (p. 201)
“They want us to send a medical team to support the Australians and the Dutch in a dangerous area called Uruzgan. I said look, it’s part of the insurance premium we are paying, we got to pay. You want the Americans to stay here, you want a strategic framework agreement with them, known to our neighbours, you want the logistics base to stay here, you got to pay this price. Go.” (p. 327).
Some of the controversial perspectives that LKY held:
“I would say today, we can integrate all religions and races except Islam.” (p. 228)
“Supposing an African black were to marry your daughter, what is your reaction? You will cheer or you will tell your daughter, look, think again, right? I have no qualms in telling you that I’ll tell her “you’re mad”.” (p. 309)
