Lee Hsien Loong
A great start
His rally disperses several public worries, raises optimism for future. He won't be a Lee Kuan Yew-authoritarian leader. By Seah Chiang Nee
Aug 29, 2004

LAST Sunday night was one with a difference. Many streets were near empty, cinemas and shopping malls saw reduced business as the weekend crowds stayed by their TV sets.

It was a historic moment. For the third time in 39 years of independence, a newly-installed Prime Minister was to deliver his maiden address that could change the lives of Singaporeans.

Lee Hsien Loong, 52, had replaced Goh Chok Tong at a time of great global changes. Singaporeans were anxious to find out what sort of leader they had.

For nearly 3½ hours, he spoke. All five channels broadcast live what the son of Lee Kuan Yew had to say in Malay, Mandarin and English. He stopped only for an occasional sip of water.

The citizens had wanted to see, among other things, whether Lee Kuan Yew's son would do what his father had frequently done - warn, threaten, lecture or exhort.

He did none of these.

Instead, his speech was peppered with humour and personal anecdotes and focused on several major issues. A lighter touch? The people got it.

It was a good performance that revealed a lot about the man, and here's my impression of him:

* IN character, it's evident he's no Lee Kuan Yew, except when he was talking about Taiwan and the need to "quietly stand firm" to protect Singapore's interests. Actually, there was much that separated the two.

* THERE was not a single use of statistics. Nor was there much talk of Singapore Inc or economics, a divergence from past customs.

* HE IS articulate, his father's special quality that helped carry the difficult ground on many occasions.

* THE speech showed him as a personable leader, not the harsh, unapproachable man he was made out to be. He evidently enjoyed telling jokes and anecdotes. In fact, I think he was enjoying the evening.

(After becoming PM, he paid a call on his former Malay teacher, now in his 70s. He also phoned a tearful table tennis star Li Jiawei after she lost her semi-final match in Athens to tell her "Singapore was proud of her.")

He lauded the Malays for their contribution to Singapore with other mainstream groups, especially when faced with common dangers - the women nurses fighting SARS and men-rescuers of trapped highway workers.

He paid a tribute to Singaporean youths whose confidence was undermined by the sharp economic downturn.

Many are worried about their future. Lee said he was proud of them and their achievements when compared with the world.

When he was in Seoul, he was told that South Korean kids could send SMS messages without taking their mobile phones out of their pockets. "Then when I returned I read that the fastest SMS sender in the world was a 23-year-old Singaporean girl."

He talked about achievements of non-elite students, including the group which had approached their principal with a request for a place to set up a video game room for after-school play.

They had noticed many colleagues playing at a nearby arcade where "bad hats" gathered and wanted to end the exposure.

An empty classroom was chosen, funds were raised and a roster drawn up with volunteer parents to ensure a safe environment.

Another suburban principal moved the whole school to Singapore's Outward Bound School for five days of studies-cum-fun. The schools, not the education ministry, had initiated both moves.

Two issues - Taiwan and declining procreation - stood out as Lee's most pressing problems.

The Taiwan visit, he said, was to safeguard Singapore's interests, not to irk China, change the one-China policy or encourage Taiwan independence. If Taiwan provoked a war by working towards it, Singapore would be against it.

Disappointments, there were.

Some Indians felt they were left out. Liberals were unhappy that Lee had not really opened up on politics.

He notched up two steps after telling youths they were free to speak out. Lee allowed indoor forums without requiring a police licence, provided they avoid race and religion.

At the Speakers' Corner, campaigners could display signs or plant a hundred flowers to denote a demand for personal liberty.

But sceptics remain wary just how far they can go after nearly 40 years of tight control. One website posting gave Lee high marks in most things, but only one out of 10 marks for politics.

Overall, some opposition figures were impressed. One of them, MP Steve Chia, said: "He has come across as a convincing speaker with a serious but positive attitude towards resolving the problems facing Singapore."

"Going forward, it is a tougher and bigger challenge for the opposition to win votes and the confidence of the people against an increasingly charismatic prime minister," he said.

Sinapan Samydorai, a human rights activist, said Lee "knows how to link up with the younger people" and had proposed solutions, which his own father and Goh had not offered.

He said that being Lee Kuan Yew's son may enable him to reverse policies put in place by the 80-year-old patriarch, who remains in the cabinet as an adviser.

But Workers' Party leader and veteran opposition MP Low Thia Kang was less impressed, saying he would judge on action. "I will be mindful of his words but will observe his deeds."
The Internet community gives him good marks - for a first-timer.

One said he was very impressed with his oratory. "I saw raw intelligence oozing out of Hsien Loong. Just looking at the ease with which he dealt with difficult issues - and with humour. Unbeatable," he said.

One speech doesn't a future make.

But with the help of a strong economy and pick-up of the job market, Lee's talk has helped to dissipate some of the gloom that has descended on the island. It has raised hope that life will turn better.

The impact will be felt on the bureaucracy, too, leading to a more ready acceptance of new ideas, even if they are contrary to past practice.

One sign: A few days later, a radio news channel hosted a live debate to get public views on whether Singapore should have a nudist colony on Sentosa.

Some 90% callers opposed it, but the discussion itself on a taboo subject has shown how things are changing in Singapore.

(This article was first published in The Sunday Star on Aug 29, 2004).