Just another TV celebrity

With a compliant press and TV setup, it's easy to understand why among the many hats he wears, Mr Lee Kuan Yew chooses to burnish his image as a TV celebrity. On his recent visit to the United States, he has been interviewed again by Charlie Rose after many years. The interview has been reproduced in print locally -- all designed to tell Singaporeans that LKY is on the ball about future economic growth prospects for China, India and the United States.

In truth, much if not all the platitudinous blathering recorded in the TV interview could be compiled into a book entitled: "World view for Dummies." He clearly knows what he is talking about... but it is not classified information. He has to know -- that's his job, for which he is highly paid. You can arrive at the same conclusions with diligent research.

But perhaps it is normal for many Singaporeans to leave the thinking to those in charge of our destinies.

Now, a week before he went to the U.S., Mr Lee was exhorting Singaporeans not to relax but to work as hard as their forefathers -- and in an interesting sidelight, he told us how he and Mrs Lee decided against letting  his young children grow up in Sri Temasek in the Istana compound. The butler did it, he picked up a ball for the kids. It occurs to me that it would have been simple for the parents to tell the butler (and other servants there) NOT to pick up after the children. And they could have lived comfortably in Sri Temasek.
Did he have some secret agenda? That's our LKY.

For instance, When the Men in White book was launched, I have a mental picture of LKY gnashing his teeth in private before he let out that he disagreed with the published version of that PAP meeting to choose a leader. His outburst, fuelled by conceit, as I undertand it: "How dare these authors (former reporters) rate Ong Eng Guan as my equal?" The authors recorded that Mr Ong garnered the same number of votes as LKY until Toh Chin Chye cast his deciding vote.  "I was clearly the leader," LKY wanted the world to know.

The furtive secret agendas were always there to be unearthered with diligent research. Even before he launched his "black operations" broadside against the Singapore Herald, he must have felt aggrieved that Francis Wong, as Sunday Mail editor had gotten away with the publication of a signed article under the headline: "A plague on both your houses!" Those familiar with LKY's vengeful nature have asked me: "What of this vendetta against Francis Wong?"

Judge for yourself after you have read more of my disclosures of the circumstances that led to the paper's death.