They crammed into an art cafe in Singapore and pulled no punches, deriding authoritarian officials who ruled with an "iron fist" and complaining that government ministers with million-dollar salaries were out of touch.
One woman, a middle-aged professional, got nods of agreement when she said modern Singapore's founding father, Lee Kuan Yew, had done great things but that new ways were needed from current leaders still practising a "do-as-I-say style of parenting".
Singapore remains regimented but the unusually frank criticism at the recent gathering, part of a government-run national "conversation" about the city state's future, reflects the reality that this is no longer the era of Lee Kuan Yew.
LKY, as he is widely known, built the tiny Southeast Asian island into one of the world's wealthiest nations with a strong, pervasive role by the state and no patience for dissent. Full story...
Related posts:
One woman, a middle-aged professional, got nods of agreement when she said modern Singapore's founding father, Lee Kuan Yew, had done great things but that new ways were needed from current leaders still practising a "do-as-I-say style of parenting".
Singapore remains regimented but the unusually frank criticism at the recent gathering, part of a government-run national "conversation" about the city state's future, reflects the reality that this is no longer the era of Lee Kuan Yew.
LKY, as he is widely known, built the tiny Southeast Asian island into one of the world's wealthiest nations with a strong, pervasive role by the state and no patience for dissent. Full story...
Related posts:
- An interview with Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew in 1967...
- Singapore uses 'modern fairytales' to warn women of declining fertility...
- Singapore seethes over population plan...
- Bus strike exposes social divide in Singapore...
- The hurt of militarized authoritarianism in Singapore, Afghanistan and the world...
No comments:
Post a Comment