I am a fan of Lee Kuan Yew‘s books. I strongly recommend the following 2 books : Hard Truths to Keep S’pore Going and One Man’s View of the World.
LKY writes them in short and to the point sentences which is a pleasure to read. I am always amazed that the analysis he does about various countries done more than 10 years ago is still so surprisingly pertinent today. Over his long and illustrious career, he has met up with all types of politicians and has become the go-to person to consult for global trends and in-depth understanding of complicated issues. Whenever he does a speech in the media, I would make sure to watch it or read a transcript later. He brings a refreshing perspective to any situation and enlightens everyone with his deep analysis of the subject being discussed. His strong command of the Queen’s English due to his law background is a sight to behold.
Recently, I have come across another person who speaks his mind like LKY. Bilahari Kausikan is currently a policy advisor to Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). His career path is definitely moulded from the school of LKY. Oftentimes, he had bravely spoken out on taboo subjects and is never shy to air his thoughts. Not long ago, he called out China’s attempt to divide ASEAN countries with regards to the territorial disputes in the South China Sea. He had also suggested in another recent article that perhaps the strong push by China on the sea disputes could be linked to Xi’s grand plan to overhaul the inefficient military structure within China. By focusing the country on a patriotic mission, he could execute his strategy to clean up the bloated infrastructure and get rid of 300,000 soldiers at the same time.
It has been more than a year since LKY’s passing at 91. His words of wisdom remain with us through these books. It should be compulsory reading for all students to learn about the short history of our country.
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/comment–bilahari-kausikan–singapore-s-undiplomatic-diplomat-031321174.html
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