The Singapore Story - Memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew

In many ways, every Malaysian should read this book, especially the last third of the book, where Mr. Lee explained about the fight for independence of Singapore via merger and the formation of Malaysia (1963), and on the careful plans of independence from the Federation (1965). This is a blockbuster book of modern Singapore/Malaysia history.

Mr. Lee has in the preface state that this book is not official history, but tells the story of the Singapore he group up (British, WW2 with Japanese brutality, communist insurrection, Indonesia confrontation, communal riots and intimidation during Malaysia). With his wife Ms. Kwa, also a lawyer going through and reviewing this book, I feel that this is nothing short of an accurate journey down history. 

An interesting read for me, was the struggle with the communist in the early to mid 1950s. It was definitely a blessing that Mr. Lee won the many internal and external battles against the communist underground, which was on paper, more superior and have majority of the local Chinese support. It was too easy to use Chinese education and culture as pretext to influence the population. I was surprised to read about Tan Lark Sye (陈六使), being linked to the communist and was being stripped his citizenship. He was top of Mr. Lee's wanted list in 1963, when the it was not politically suicidal to take him out. Tan remained stateless till his last days in the 70s. 

Today, Tan Lark Sye is a major benefactor of chinese education in Singapore and Malaysia. He is often spoken in the same breath as people like Tan Kah Kee and Lee Kong Chian, early pioneers and contributors of chinese education during the pre-war years. 

The 2 years in Malaysia between 1963-65 were tough. Mr. Lee knew that by working with the 2 Borneo states closely, he could actually mount a challenge against the alliance. Another way was to replace MCA's role in the alliance. Needless to say, MCA was fearful and was always the first to attack the PAP. The final nail on the coffin was his notion of Malaysian Malaysia in early 1965. 

Mr. Lee was gracious in acknowledging his team - Goh Keng Swee (originally from Melaka), Toh Chin Chye (Taiping), Raja (Seremban), Othman Wok, etc. all signed the declaration of independence in August 1965. The negotiation for independence of Singapore (some say ejection from the Federation of Malaysia) was done in total secrecy between the the Tunku, Tun Razak, and Dr. Ismail under the nose of the British. The British would never allow Singapore to secede, as this crippled the concept of Malaysia. It also provided encouragement for Sukarno to continue his Konfrantasi, who dubbed Malaysia as a neo-colonial project. The Tunku said that he could work with Mr. Lee if they don't share the same parliament. In other words, being sovereign countries, Malaysia and Singapore will be good neighbours and help each other. The separation in 1965 definitely shook the region. 

In hindsight, where we are in 2023, this looked like the correct arrangement. 

It was an exhilarating read. It was something that history text books did not touch. It gave me different perspectives. There is no doubt that history is written by the victor, but you still have to take your hats off on how Mr. Lee pulled the strings and had the foresight to lead Singapore out of the Federation. Mr. Lee then wrote the 2nd volume to tell the story of a new Singapore: https://weesertan.blogspot.com/2023/03/from-third-world-to-first-singapore.html  

From Third World to First - The Singapore Story (1965-2000)

When my mother-in-law passed me this book (750-pages) 3 weekends ago, I had some doubts if I could finish it. But this book proved to be a magnet. Anyone interested in South East Asia’s modern history will learn much from this book.

"This is not a how-to book, whether to build an economy, an army, or a nation. It is an account of the problems my colleagues and I faced, and how we set about solving them." 

At 35, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew was prime minister of self-governing Singapore from 1959. In 1963, Singapore had formed the Malaysian Federation with Malaya, Sarawak and Sabah.

Mr. Lee never expected to take charge of an independent Singapore at the age of 42, in 1965. Practically no one thought Singapore could survive. No natural resources, no jobs, no army/self-defence, the early days were a mess, with a lot of firefighting.

Those were also the days of Sukarno’s Konfratasi, covert attacks on Malaysia and Singapore. The British naval base in Singapore was a deterrent. On 18 November 1967, the British devaluated the pound sterling from US$2.80 to USD$2.40, and Singapore’s reserve, which were still kept in London in sterling lost 14.3%. Politics in the UK also meant that forces to the east of Suez will withdraw by the end of 1971. Singapore would lose about 20% of GDP and 30,000 jobs with the end of British military spending, and the future would be uncertain. Mr. Lee tried to prolong the British presence in Singapore. The Vietnam war was on-going, and the MCP (Malayan Communist Party) was a real threat. Alas, he was able to negotiate some agreements with Australia, NZ and Malaysia to form a pact, and by 1968, he took a 3-month sabbatical at Harvard, after running office for 9 years.

Mr. Lee is staunchly anti-communist, though he worked with them in the 50s. Forming the Malaysian Federation was to prevent the formation of a communist regime in the former colonies. His encounter and negotiation with the Plen could be made into a James Bond movie. He first met the Plen when he was an assemblymen 1958, where the PAP worked with the MCP. Their final meeting (in Singapore) was in May 1961. Mr. Lee then gave the Plen a public notice for him to leave Singapore before Malaysia Day, September 1963. Both would meet at Diayutai (VIP statehouse), Beijing in August 1995. The Plen wanted to return to Singapore, but Mr. Lee didn’t agree, until he discloses his accounts with the ISD by demonstrating that he had cut off his links with the CPM.

The Plen said the Malaysian Special Branch had invited him to return; why could Mr. Lee not be as generous as the Malaysian government? Mr. Lee told him the obvious: The CPM could not win over its Malay mass base, unlike Singapore’s Chinese base. Mr. Lee suggested the Plen to accept the Malaysian government’s offer. The Plen was not amused.