Kwa Geok Choo

Simon Tan

Published May 13, 2021

Whatever your political affiliation, I really find the love story between Lee Kuan Yew and Kwa Geok Choo to be truly romantic - the life-long kind of love that's so rare these days. He would not have been who he ended up being, if not for her unwavering, caring love and support. And he was never the same after her passing.

Here are excerpts from his eulogy for her, which I've merged with a little bit from an article on how LKY was like in the time after. Full sources cited below.

____

"My wife and I have been together since 1947 for more than three quarters of our lives. My grief at her passing cannot be expressed in words. But today (Wednesday), when recounting our lives together, I would like to celebrate her life ...

As a young man with an interrupted education at Raffles College, and no steady job or profession, her parents did not look upon me as a desirable son-in-law. But she had faith in me. We had committed ourselves to each other... We gradually influenced each other's ways and habits as we adjusted to and accommodated each other.

“People Weren’t as Bothered” — Seniors Recall Separation From Malaysia

by Sean Lim

August 9, 2022



Rice Media

It was Monday, 9 August 1965 when Separation was announced. In Singapore, pockets of residents went about very ordinary affairs across the island. Couples were on dates watching Clarence The Cross-Eyed Lion at Lido Theatre. At the same time, over at Gay World Stadium, spectators gathered to witness the final match of the Singapore amateur open boxing championships.

Why Lee Kuan Yew (SG History Personalised I)

 The video above covers the history of Singapore from the founding by Raffles. 

From 11:39 in the video, the narrative is typical of a Western-influenced perspective of Lee Kuan Yew, the Dictator.

Which is "forgiven" because LKY was on the whole "benevolent" and he succeeded in making Singapore a success. And success can forgive many things. And forget some things.

Lee Kuan Yew - a short video biography

Comment on the video:

This is good. I would have veered into hagiography. This is more balanced. Some thoughts: 

Born in tears

[This was originally posted on Facebook on National Day, 2010.]

While other countries had to fight and struggle for their independence, Singapore had independence thrust unwanted upon her. Well sure, we wanted independence, but as part of a greater federation of states, for economic viability as well as strategic strength.

Dr Mahathir, historically (or hysterically) - a satire (spoof? sarcasm?)

[History is written by the victor. And sometimes written with irony. Or Sarcasm. I can't tell the difference. Or is it satire? Help!]

From Critical Spectator Facebook post of 22 June 2022.]

When historians look back at the first 60 years of Singapore's independent existence, ranking the most influential figures who have contributed to the country's prosperity and security, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad will surely rank up there next to his contemporary, the founding father, Lee Kuan Yew.
This is a man who, even at a very ripe age of 97, continues to work for the city-state, instead of enjoying his well-earned retirement.
Recently he raised many eyebrows again, saying a few days ago that Malaysia should reclaim Indonesian Riau islands and the island of Singapore - ancestral Malay lands. But this is just his typical modus operandi, that we have to look through to properly understand his goals.

I believe it is far more important to judge people by what they do than by what they say, as it is what reveals their true motivations and points us to their greatest achievements.

Rajaratnam's Vision for Singapore as a Global City

Singapore Perspective 2022 video: 

How did Singapore, the "Accidental Country" become the Nation that it is today?

COMMENT: How the 1967 Six-Day War influenced Singapore’s early nation-building

Vernon Lee

5 June 2017


Fifty years ago today, on 5 June 1967, a war began to rage in the Middle East that would go on to have a seismic impact on global politics to this day. Almost 8,000 kilometres away, the prime minister of a newly independent nation in Asia was keenly monitoring the progress of the Six-Day War, fought between Israel and five Arab countries.

12 Iconic Singapore Markets & Hawker Centres That Are No Longer Around

24 Mar 2022

Sheri Goh

Singapore markets & hawker centres of the past

If you ask any Singaporean which markets and hawker centres are the best, they’ll likely recommend Newton Food Centre, Chomp Chomp and Old Airport Road, or Maxwell Food Centre if they work in the CBD.

We take a nostalgic trip to Singapore markets and hawker centres that are no longer around – way before you belanjah-ed your friends to a meal of char kway teow or chicken rice at the air-conditioned food courts that have found their way into every mall. 

The Ukraine Situation - sort of like Konfrontasi.

When Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak (and also Brunei, but they later withdrew) wanted to join the Federation of Malaya in the early 1960s, Indonesia was against the proposal. And when the Federation added these 3 states in 1963, Indonesia initiated Konfrontasi. 

Have you ever asked, "why Konfrontasi?" WTF does Singapore joining the Federation of Malaya got to do with Indonesia, right? 

Because Sukarno (then president of Indonesia) had a vision of a Greater Indonesia, one similar to the old empire (Majapahit, I think). Similarly, Putin has ambition (or vision, or delusion) of the old Soviet Union where Ukraine is "My Kraine".

So now Ukraine (like Singapore in early 1960s) wants to join NATO (analogous to Federation of Malaya), possibly eventually, joining the EU, but that's another story. Russia (analogous to Indonesia during Konfrontasi) wants Ukraine for herself, and objects. And the threatened invasion is similar to Konfrontasi, except Russia has quite a bit more capacity to prosecute a war than Indonesia in the 1960s. So if Russia objects militarily, it would be a lot more than a few saboteurs sent to Ukraine.

Why Konfrontasi?

[Edited, 1/4/2022]

If you search "Why did Konfrontasi happened?" you will get some "official" answers.

If you are like me, you would be dissatisfied with the answers. 

Officially, this is Singapore's sanitised history:

Konfrontasi (or Confrontation, 1963–1966) was Indonesia’s response to the formation of the Federation of Malaysia, arising from the British decolonisation process in Southeast Asia. Konfrontasi involved armed incursions, bomb attacks and other subversive acts aimed at destabilising the states that were to be included in the Federation, namely, Singapore, Malaya, Sarawak, Brunei and North Borneo (now known as Sabah).
When the concept of Malaysia was first mooted publicly by Malayan Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman in May 1961, the Indonesian government initially did not raise any objections. It began to express opposition to the Malaysia proposal shortly after the Brunei Revolt of December 1962.

You may be satisfied with the above. Or you might dig deeper. Like what were the basis of Indonesian objection or opposition to the formation of the Federation? Further along, you read:

Indonesia criticised the Malaysia plan as a British “neo-colonialist project” and a threat to their country’s security. 

Which is diplomat-speak for "because I don't like!"