18

Remembering Lee Kuan Yew

Mr Lee believed in
ownership in work
G Muthukumarasamy

General Secretary for

Amalgamated Union of
Public Daily Rated Workers

This is a translation of
MrMuthukumarasamys eulogy,
which was delivered in Tamil.

T
The honour guard and military band marched into position at the state funeral for the late Lee Kuan Yew at the
National University of Singapore University Cultural Centre. Photo: AP

He was always
thinking of the people
Leong Chun Loong

Tanjong Pagar community leader

oday, we mourn the loss of our

countrys first Prime Minister,
Mr Lee Kuan Yew.
I have been a grassroots leader
in Tanjong Pagar constituency for
39years. I am privileged to be able
to stand here today to pay tribute to
MrLee Kuan Yew whom I consider my
leader and my friend. His departure is
not only a loss to the country, but also
a deep personal loss for me.
Having worked closely with him
for so many years, I have developed a
profound respect and admiration for
MrLee and I now wish to share with
you some stories of my encounters with
this great man.
Back in the early days, Lunar New
Year celebrations would kick off with
the lighting of firecrackers, followed
by the singing of the National Anthem.
During one celebration, the firecrackers did not go off when lit.
After a while, we got impatient and
the MC decided to move on to the National Anthem. However, just as the
National Anthem was being played, the
firecrackers went off loudly. We thought
it was quite funny, but Mr Lee was not
amused at all.
Later, he told us: If we cant even do
this right, how can we run the country?
This incident showed us how serious he was about all things concerning

Mr Lee noticed
that the
residents were
perspiring in
the sun while
we the officials
were sitting in
the shade. He
turned around
and asked us
what we were
going to do
about it.

Singapore and how he always expected

us to do our best for Singapore.
Mr Lee cared for the people. At a
Tanjong Pagar Family Day Function,
we had set up a stage for the days activities. The key officials were sitting
on the stage while the residents were
sitting in front of the stage. It was getting very hot and sunny.
Mr Lee noticed that the residents
were perspiring in the sun while we,
the officials, were sitting in the shade.
He turned around and asked us what
we were going to do about it. He was
always thinking about the people and
he expected us to put their interest
above our own.
During constituency dinners,
MrLee would usually like to sit with
grassroots leaders so that he could talk
to them. We would always arrange the
seating such that his old friends would
be seated en route to his table. That
made it easy for him to meet them
along the way.
It would take him some time to get
to his table, as he would stop to speak
to every familiar face, asking them
how they and their families were. This
is something he really enjoyed. When
MrLee heard that his old friends were
doing well and leading good lives, his
face would light up with pride.
Even though Mr Lee is no longer
with us, his legacy is something that we
Singaporeans will always remember. I
am thankful that I had the opportunity
of knowing him personally and serving
him as a grassroots leader.

hank you for the opportunity to

say a few words about our former Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr Lee Kuan Yew. There is so
much to talk about MrLee. He was
an outstanding leader and I feel very
privileged to have met him. Mr Lee has
inspired my own personal development
as a worker, a unionist and a leader.
When I was young, my father would
often tell me about Mr Lee. He saw the
hardships experienced by the Indian
community at the time and he was
determined to help and make a difference. During those days, most Indian
families had single incomes because
they did not allow their women to work.

but finished the job. When we were

done, Mr Lee asked me to call in my
supervisor. What happened next is
still in my mind like it happened yesterday. When my supervisor came
in, MrLee said, When a job is given to you, you should do it. I asked
you to service the air-conditioning.
Please service it now.
My colleagues and I were worried that we had not done the job
correctly. We watched as my supervisor serviced the air-conditioning.
When he was done, Mr Lee reiterated that he had given him the job
because he thought he could do it
not for him to turn around and
re-assign it to his team. He told my
supervisor that he did not want to
see him again.
The incident left a deep impression on me. Mr Lee believed in one
thing one must do correctly what
one is told, and everyone should do
their own work. If a third person is
asked to do the job, the impact would

When I was young, my father

would often tell me about Mr Lee.
He saw the hardships experienced
by the Indian community at the
time and was determined to ...
make a difference.
However, Mr Lee greatly encouraged
and emboldened Indian women to join
the workforce, to learn a skill and help
their families financially.
As more Indian women started to
work, their families began to earn
higher incomes. Because Mr Lee had
also made sure that public housing was
affordable, the combined incomes of the
husband and wife enabled Indian families to purchase a basic house and start
families. Today, we see many dual-income families in the Indian community.
We have to thank Mr Lee for that.
I would like to share with you a personal interaction I had with MrLee
many years ago. Many people talk
about Mr Lees dedication, self-discipline and strictness you can say that
I experienced this first-hand! When I
was an apprentice wireman at the Public Works Department, my colleagues
and I were asked by my supervisor to
go to the newly built Changi Cottage
to service the air-conditioning system.
We did not know who lived there or
used the space.
When we got there, we serviced
the air-conditioning system as per my
supervisors instructions. As we were
finishing up, Mr Lee, who was then
PM, came in to the room. When we
saw him, we got extremely nervous,

not be right. We must not pass the

job to others and walk away from
it. We must show involvement in
our work and do it properly. This is
how a leader should be. I felt I should
share this experience.
Mr Lee also gave much support
to the unions and their members.
In those days, there used to be lembaga (Adult Education Board). He
strongly encouraged union members to study at the Board. In his
May Day speeches, he would urge
union members to upgrade their
skills. Many heeded his call to do so
and became technicians and engineers. Mr Lee would also encourage
members to live and work together
harmoniously and help each other
out. He would often say, do not be
contented with what you have, and
motivated all to progress in life.
We are very fortunate to have had
a leader like him.
Mr Lees passing is a great loss
to our country. He was passionate
about and dedicated to Singapore
and Singaporeans, and this cannot
be merely expressed in words.
Nevertheless, we cannot help but
sing his praises. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to express
what is in my heart at this moment.