if-you-deprive-yourself-of-outsourcing-and-your-competitors-do-not-youre-putting-yourself-out-of-business
i-have-been-accused-many-things-in-my-life-but-not-even-my-worst-enemy-has-ever-accused-me-being-afraid-to-speak-my-mind-lee-kuan-yew
Life is better than death. But death comes eventually to everyone. It is something which many in their prime may prefer not to think about. But at 89, I see no point in avoiding the question. What concerns me is: How do I go? Will the end comes swiftly, with a stroke in one of the coronary arteries? Or will it be a stroke in the mind that lays me out in bed for months, semi-comatose? Of the two, I prefer the quick one.
Lee Kuan Yew
life-is-better-than-death-but-death-comes-eventually-to-everyone-it-is-something-which-many-in-their-prime-may-prefer-not-to-think-about-but-at-89-i-lee-kuan-yew
You're talking about Rwanda or Bangladesh, or Cambodia, or the Philippines. They've got democracy, according to Freedom House. But have you got a civilised life to lead? People want economic development first and foremost. The leaders may talk something else. You take a poll of any people. What is it they want? The right to write an editorial as you like? They want homes, medicine, jobs, schools.
Lee Kuan Yew
youre-talking-about-rwanda-bangladesh-cambodia-philippines-theyve-got-democracy-according-to-freedom-house-but-have-you-got-civilised-life-to-lee-kuan-yew
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To straddle the middle ground and win elections, we have to be in charge of the political agenda. This can only be done by not being beaten in the argument with our critics. They complain that I come down too hard on their arguments. But wrong ideas have to be challenged before they influence public opinion and make for problems. Those who try to be clever at the expense of the government should not complain if my replies are as sharp as their criticisms.
Lee Kuan Yew
to-straddle-middle-ground-win-elections-we-have-to-be-in-charge-political-agenda-this-can-only-be-done-by-not-being-beaten-in-argument-with-our-lee-kuan-yew
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I don't think I made a conscious decision as a career choice. From my school days I had decided, persuaded by my parents, to prepare myself for the law. Then the Japanese occupation came and we went through three and a half years of what I would call the university of life, it was hard, it was harsh.
Lee Kuan Yew
i-dont-think-i-made-conscious-decision-as-career-choice-from-my-school-days-i-had-decided-persuaded-by-my-parents-to-prepare-myself-for-law-then-lee-kuan-yew
nine-holes-golf-will-take-you-onehalf-two-hours-i-run-in-20-minutes-i-feel-better-off-so-cost-benefit-made-me-drop-golf-lee-kuan-yew
without-elected-president-if-there-is-freak-result-within-two-three-years-army-would-have-to-come-in-stop-it-lee-kuan-yew
I can only express the hope that faith in the judicial system will never be diminished, and I am sure it will not, so long as we allow a review of the judicial processes that takes place here in some other tribunal where obviously undue influence cannot be brought to bear. As long as governments are wise enough to leave alone the rights of appeal to some superior body outside Singapore, then there must be a higher degree of confidence in the integrity of our judicial process. This is most important.
Lee Kuan Yew
i-can-only-express-hope-that-faith-in-judicial-system-will-never-be-diminished-i-am-sure-it-will-not-long-as-we-allow-review-judicial-processes-lee-kuan-yew
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if-i-have-to-shoot-200000-students-to-save-china-from-another-100-years-disorder-be-it-lee-kuan-yew
I started off believing all men were equal. I now know that's the most unlikely thing ever to have been, because millions of years have passed over evolution, people have scattered across the face of this earth, been isolated from each other, developed independently, had different intermixtures between races, peoples, climates, soils... I didn't start off with that knowledge. But by observation, reading, watching, arguing, asking, that is the conclusion I've come to.
Lee Kuan Yew
i-started-off-believing-all-men-were-equal-i-now-know-thats-most-unlikely-thing-ever-to-have-been-because-millions-years-have-passed-over-evolution-lee-kuan-yew
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if-aljunied-decides-to-go-that-way-well-aljunied-has-five-years-to-live-repent-lee-kuan-yew
We have over a hundred political detainees, men against whom we are unable to prove anything in a court of law. Nearly 50 of them are men who gave us a great deal of anxiety during the years of Confrontation because they were Malay extremists. Your life and this dinner would not be what it is if my colleagues and I had decided to play it according to the rules of the game.
Lee Kuan Yew
we-have-over-hundred-political-detainees-men-against-whom-we-are-unable-to-prove-anything-in-court-law-nearly-50-them-are-men-who-gave-us-great-lee-kuan-yew
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usually-i-read-biographies-interesting-people-i-am-not-attracted-to-novels-makebelieve-recreations-what-people-think-life-should-be-lee-kuan-yew
But we either believe in democracy or we not. If we do, then, we must say categorically, without qualification, that no restraint from the any democratic processes, other than by the ordinary law of the land, should be allowed... If you believe in democracy, you must believe in it unconditionally. If you believe that men should be free, then, they should have the right of free association, of free speech, of free publication. Then, no law should permit those democratic processes to be set at nought.
Lee Kuan Yew
but-we-either-believe-in-democracy-we-not-if-we-do-then-we-must-say-categorically-without-qualification-that-no-restraint-from-any-democratic-lee-kuan-yew
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At the end of the day, what I cherish most are the human relationships. With the unfailing support of my wife and partner I have lived my life to the fullest. It is the friendships I made and the close family ties I nurtured that have provided me with that sense of satisfaction at a life well lived, and have made me what I am.
Lee Kuan Yew
at-end-day-what-i-cherish-most-are-human-relationships-with-unfailing-support-my-wife-partner-i-have-lived-my-life-to-fullest-it-is-lee-kuan-yew
It's irrelevant to me what young Singaporeans think of me. What they think of me after I'm dead and gone in one generation will be determined by researchers who do PhDs on me, right? So there will be a lot of revisionism. As people revised Stalin, Brezhnev and one day now Yeltsin, and later on Putin. I've lived long enough to know that you may be idealised in life and reviled after you're dead.
Lee Kuan Yew
its-irrelevant-to-me-what-young-singaporeans-think-me-what-they-think-me-after-im-dead-gone-in-one-generation-will-be-determined-by-researchers-who-lee-kuan-yew
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The Bell curve is a fact of life. The blacks on average score 85 per cent on IQ and it is accurate, nothing to do with culture. The whites score on average 100. Asians score more ... the Bell curve authors put it at least 10 points higher. These are realities that, if you do not accept, will lead to frustration because you will be spending money on wrong assumptions and the results cannot follow.
Lee Kuan Yew
the-bell-curve-is-fact-life-the-blacks-on-average-score-85-per-cent-on-iq-it-is-accurate-nothing-to-do-with-culture-the-whites-score-on-average-100-lee-kuan-yew
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The ideas of individual supremacy and the right of free expression, when carried to excess, have not worked. They have made it difficult to keep America society cohesive. Asia can see it is not working.. In America itself, there is widespread crime and violence, old people feel forgotten, families are falling apart. And the media attacks the integrity and character of your leaders with impunity, drags down all those in authority and blames everyone but itself.
Lee Kuan Yew
the-ideas-individual-supremacy-right-free-expression-when-carried-to-excess-have-not-worked-they-have-made-it-difficult-to-keep-america-society-lee-kuan-yew
ideas quotesindividual quotessupremacy quotesfree quotesexpression quotescarried quotesexcess quotesworked quotesmade quotesdifficult quotesamerica quotessociety quotescohesive quotesasia quotesworking quoteswidespread quotescrime quotesviolence quotespeople quotesfeel quotesforgotten quotesfamilies quotesfalling quotesmedia quotesattacks quotesintegrity quotescharacter quotesleaders quotesimpunity quotesdrags quotesauthority quotesblames quotes
the-same-law-applies-to-me-nobody-has-sued-me-for-libel-because-i-do-not-defame-my-enemies-lee-kuan-yew
if-singapore-is-nanny-state-then-i-am-proud-to-have-fostered-one-lee-kuan-yew
Three women were brought to the Singapore General Hospital, each in the same condition and needing a blood transfusion. The first, a Southeast Asian was given the transfusion but died a few hours later. The second, a South Asian was also given a transfusion but died a few days later. The third, an East Asian, was given a transfusion and survived. That is the X factor in development.
Lee Kuan Yew
three-women-were-brought-to-singapore-general-hospital-each-in-same-condition-needing-blood-transfusion-the-first-southeast-asian-was-given-lee-kuan-yew
women quotesbrought quotessingapore quotesgeneral quoteshospital quotescondition quotesneeding quotesblood quotestransfusion quotessoutheast quotesasian quotestransfusion quotesdied quoteshours quotessouth quotesdays quoteseast quotesasian quotessurvived quotesx quotesfactor quotesdevelopment quotes
at-end-day-what-have-i-got-a-successful-singapore-what-have-i-given-up-my-life-lee-kuan-yew
You know, the cure for all this talk is really a good dose of incompetent government. You get that alternative and you'll never put Singapore together again: Humpty Dumpty cannot be put together again and your asset values will disappear, your apartment will be worth a fraction of what it is, your jobs will be in peril, your security will be at risk and our women will become maids in other people's countries, foreign workers.
Lee Kuan Yew
you-know-cure-for-all-this-talk-is-really-good-dose-incompetent-government-you-get-that-alternative-youll-never-put-singapore-together-again-lee-kuan-yew
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whoever-governs-singapore-must-have-that-iron-in-him-or-give-it-up-this-is-not-game-cards-lee-kuan-yew
I have said this on many a previous occasion: that had the mix in Singapore been different, had it been 75% Indians, 15% Malays and the rest Chinese, it would not have worked. Because they believe in the politics of contention, of opposition. But because the culture was such that the populace sought a practical way out of their difficulties, therefore it has worked.
Lee Kuan Yew
i-have-said-this-on-many-previous-occasion-that-had-mix-in-singapore-been-different-had-it-been-75-indians-15-malays-rest-chinese-it-would-not-lee-kuan-yew
the-human-being-needs-challenge-my-advice-to-every-person-in-singapore-elsewhere-keep-yourself-interested-have-challenge-lee-kuan-yew
i-am-realist-the-magnitude-what-one-terms-license-civil-liberties-personal-freedom-has-got-to-be-adjusted-to-circumstances-lee-kuan-yew
I am often accused of interfering in the private lives of citizens. Yes, if I did not, had I not done that, we wouldn't be here today. And I say without the slightest remorse, that we wouldn't be here, we would not have made economic progress, if we had not intervened on very personal matters - who your neighbour is, how you live, the noise you make, how you spit, or what language you use. We decide what is right. Never mind what the people think.
Lee Kuan Yew
i-am-often-accused-interfering-in-private-lives-citizens-yes-if-i-did-not-had-i-not-done-that-we-wouldnt-be-here-today-and-i-say-without-slightest-lee-kuan-yew
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i-am-often-accused-interfering-in-private-lives-citizens-yes-if-i-did-not-had-i-not-done-that-we-wouldnt-be-here-today-lee-kuan-yew
My colleagues and I are of that generation of young men who went through the Second World War and the Japanese Occupation and emerged determined that no one""neither Japanese nor British""had the right to push and kick us around. We determined that we could govern ourselves and bring up our children in a country where we can be proud to be self-respecting people.
Lee Kuan Yew
my-colleagues-i-are-that-generation-young-men-who-went-through-second-world-war-japanese-occupation-emerged-determined-that-no-oneneither-lee-kuan-yew
colleagues quotesgeneration quotesyoung quotesmen quotesworld quoteswar quotesjapanese quotesoccupation quotesemerged quotesdetermined quotesoneneither quotesbritishhad quotespush quoteskick quotes quotesgovern quotesbring quoteschildren quotescountry quotesproud quotesselfrespecting quotespeople quotes
even-from-my-sick-bed-even-if-you-are-going-to-lower-me-into-grave-i-feel-something-is-going-wrong-i-will-get-up-lee-kuan-yew
Mine is a very matter-of-fact approach to the problem. If you can select a population and they're educated and they're properly brought up, then you don't have to use too much of the stick because they would already have been trained. It's like with dogs. You train it in a proper way from small. It will know that it's got to leave, go outside to pee and to defecate. No, we are not that kind of society. We had to train adult dogs who even today deliberately urinate in the lifts.
Lee Kuan Yew
mine-is-matterfact-approach-to-problem-if-you-can-select-population-theyre-educated-theyre-properly-brought-up-then-you-dont-have-to-use-too-lee-kuan-yew
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It is essential to rear a generation at the very top of society that has all the qualities needed to lead and give the people the inspiration and the drive to make it succeed. In short, the elite.. Every society tries to produce this type. The British have special schools for them: the gifted and talented are sent to Eton and Harrow.
Lee Kuan Yew
it-is-essential-to-rear-generation-at-top-society-that-has-all-qualities-needed-to-lead-give-people-inspiration-drive-to-make-it-succeed-in-lee-kuan-yew
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i-wish-i-can-meet-my-wife-in-hereafter-but-i-dont-think-i-will-i-just-cease-to-exist-just-as-she-has-ceased-to-exist-lee-kuan-yew
rest-on-laurels-i-wish-i-could-do-that-no-you-rest-when-youre-dead-lee-kuan-yew
i-have-decided-that-we-shall-make-build-never-give-way-lee-kuan-yew
as-you-solve-one-set-problems-new-ones-appear-that-is-part-nature-life-lee-kuan-yew
If it is not totalitarian to arrest a man and detain him, when you cannot charge him with any offence against any written law "" if that is not what we have always cried out against in Fascist states "" then what is it?... If we are to survive as a free democracy, then we must be prepared, in principle, to concede to our enemies "" even those who do not subscribe to our views "" as much constitutional rights as you concede yourself.
Lee Kuan Yew
if-it-is-not-totalitarian-to-arrest-man-detain-him-when-you-cannot-charge-him-with-any-offence-against-any-written-law-if-that-is-not-what-we-have-lee-kuan-yew
totalitarian quotesarrest quotesman quotesdetain quotescharge quotesoffence quoteswritten quoteslaw quotescried quotesfascist quotesstates quotessurvive quotesfree quotesdemocracy quotesprepared quotesprinciple quotesconcede quotesenemies quotessubscribe quotesviews quotesconstitutional quotesrights quotes
If, for instance, you put in a Malay officer who's very religious and who has family ties in Malaysia in charge of a machine gun unit, that's a very tricky business. We've got to know his background... I'm saying these things because they are real, and if I don't think that, and I think even if today the Prime Minister doesn't think carefully about this, I and my family could have a tragedy.
Lee Kuan Yew
if-for-instance-you-put-in-malay-officer-whos-religious-who-has-family-ties-in-malaysia-in-charge-machine-gun-unit-thats-tricky-business-weve-lee-kuan-yew
im-not-intellectually-convinced-that-oneman-onevote-is-best-we-practise-it-because-thats-what-british-bequeathed-us-lee-kuan-yew
you-take-poll-any-people-what-is-it-they-want-the-right-to-write-editorial-as-you-like-they-want-homes-medicine-jobs-schools-lee-kuan-yew
For the young, let me tell you the sky has turned brighter. There's a glorious rainbow that beckons those with the spirit of adventure. And there are rich findings at the end of the rainbow. To the young and to the not-so-old, I say, look at that horizon, follow that rainbow, go ride it.
Lee Kuan Yew
for-young-let-me-tell-you-sky-has-turned-brighter-theres-glorious-rainbow-that-beckons-those-with-spirit-adventure-and-there-are-rich-findings-at-lee-kuan-yew
if-you-want-to-reach-your-goals-dreams-you-cannot-do-it-without-discipline-lee-kuan-yew
I have never been over-concerned or obsessed with opinion polls or popularity polls. I think a leader who is, is a weak leader. If you are concerned with whether your rating will go up or down, then you are not a leader. You are just catching the wind... you will go where the wind is blowing. And that's not what I am in this for.
Lee Kuan Yew
i-have-never-been-overconcerned-obsessed-with-opinion-polls-popularity-polls-i-think-leader-who-is-is-weak-leader-if-you-are-concerned-with-lee-kuan-yew
They say people can think for themselves? Do you honestly believe that the chap who can't pass primary six knows the consequence of his choice when he answers a question viscerally, on language, culture and religion? But we knew the consequences. We would starve, we would have race riots. We would disintegrate.
Lee Kuan Yew
they-say-people-can-think-for-themselves-do-you-honestly-believe-that-chap-who-cant-pass-primary-six-knows-consequence-his-choice-when-he-answers-lee-kuan-yew
I'm not interested in changing either my suit or my car or whatever with every change in fashion. That's irrelevant. I don't judge myself or my friends by their fashions. Of course, I don't approve of people who are sloppy and unnecessarily shabby or dishevelled... But I'm not impressed by a US$5,000 or US$10,000 Armani suit.
Lee Kuan Yew
im-not-interested-in-changing-either-my-suit-my-car-whatever-with-every-change-in-fashion-thats-irrelevant-i-dont-judge-myself-my-friends-by-their-lee-kuan-yew
india-is-scared-competition-because-chinese-goods-will-go-into-india-compete-lee-kuan-yew
the-exuberance-democracy-leads-to-undisciplined-disorderly-conditions-which-are-inimical-to-development
the-problem-is-to-keep-monkey-mind-from-running-off-into-all-kinds-thoughts
if-you-are-going-to-lower-me-into-grave-i-feel-something-is-wrong-i-will-get-up
freedom-news-media-must-be-subordinated-to-overriding-needs-singapore-to-primacy-purpose-elected-government
you-need-certain-standard-literacy-moral-ethical-values-to-be-able-to-run-one-man-one-vote-system
