The Singapore Story: Memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew pdf

Lee Kuan Yew (born 16 September 1923 – 23 March 2015) was a Singaporean politician and the first General Secretary and founding member of the People's Action Party. The first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, which he ruled for three consecutive decades, is famous as the founder of the country and its transporter from the Third World to the First in less than a generation. In 1990, Lee Kwan left the post of prime minister and the post of general secretary of the political party, but he remained its honorary president and an important political figure. Lee eschewed populist politics in favor of long-term practical social and economic measures. And he took the eligibility and multi-ethnicity as the main principles of his rule. Lee adopted English as the lingua franca to integrate the spectrum of Singaporean society and to facilitate trade with the West. However, he ordered bilingualism in schools so that students would not forget their native language. Lee's ruling was criticized, particularly in the West, for allegedly curtailing civil liberties by filing defamation suits against political opponents. For his part, he said that these disciplinary measures along with the rule of law are essential to political stability and economic progress. On August 12, 2004, his son, Lee Hsien Loong, became the third Prime Minister of the Government of Singapore, and he appointed himself as an adviser to the position of Minister Guru to the Government during several successive ministerial positions over 50 years. After the 2011 general elections, Lee Kuan Yew announced his departure from the government and making way for the new young blood before his death at the age of ninety-one.

The Singapore Story: Memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew pdf by Lee Kuan Yew

The Singapore Story is the first volume of the memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew, the man who planted the island state of Singapore firmly on the map of the world. It was first published in 1999.
In intimate detail, Lee recounts the battles against colonialists, communists and communalists that led to Singapores independence. With consummate political skill, he countered adversaries, sometimes enlisting their help, at others opposing them, in the single-minded pursuit of Singapores interests. We read how he led striking unionists against the colonial government, how over tea and golf he fostered ties with key players in Britain and Malaya, of secret midnight meetings in badly lit rooms, drinking warm Anchor beer with a communist underground leader, of his purposeful forging of an alliance with communists to gain the support of the Chinese-educated masses. Readers will find inspiration in his tenacity as he fought for the peoples hearts and minds against first the communists and later the communalists in parliament, on the streets and through the media.
Drawing on unpublished Cabinet papers, archives in Singapore, Britain, Australia, New Zealand and the United States, as well as personal correspondence, he gives us a vivid picture of how others viewed him: determined (Lee will bluff, bully and blackmail up to the eleventh hour), motivated (Choo knew I sweated blood to master Hokkien), ambitious (He would think himself as legitimate as I was to be the leader of Malaya), dangerous (Crush Lee! Put him inside). It is a sometimes controversial yet strangely consistent portrait of this Asian statesman.
These experiences and his dealings with the political leaders were to shape his views and policies, which have had a major impact on Singapore and the region.