Photo by Desmond Lim. Source: The Straits Times
I’ve struggled with writing this post for the past week. Not because I didn’t know how to write it but because I didn’t know what to say without sounding trite. Quite frankly, I did not expect to be so profoundly affected by the passing of Singapore’s founding father, Lee Kuan Yew-- but I am.
Being in Washington D.C., I am close to 10,000 miles away from home and this obvious disconnect has led me to mourning his passing in my own little way. They say that there are 5 stages of grief and I circled through these 5 stages over the past 7 days. No drama, no tears. Just a quiet, grateful respect that could only befit someone of Lee Kuan Yew’s stature.
Denial
LKY passed away at 0318hrs and it was a strange feeling to have most Singaporeans sound asleep as you receive the news in the middle of the day because of the US-Singapore time difference. With nobody to talk to about it until a few hours later when Singaporeans started waking up to a new Singapore, I sat alone in my room.
Putting on Kit Chan’s “There’s no Place I’d Rather Be,” I sat on my couch. I just sat there. While I was immensely saddened, this was not the same sadness as the passing of a close friend or family member. In fact, I was a rojak of emotions and I wanted time alone to think. There were two words I guess I kept circling back to while thinking.
Thank you.
Anger
This stage took over quite quickly. I started to get annoyed. Article after article from media outlets proved an unhealthy reckoning of Singapore’s political system and its distaste for our laws. Calling our nation authoritarian or saying that LKY was a cult leader for re-legitimizing tyranny, these reputable media outlets continued to spew a set template of articles riddled with allegorical inaccuracies. Their obvious need for labels that only they could relate to led them to believe that Singapore was essentially “Pyongyang with broadband” or that LKY was a cult leader for re-legitimizing tyranny. While their facts remained (mostly) indisputable and these labels were hardly the point of their relatively fair and balanced article, many reporters chose facts that painted a very different Singapore. A Singapore that would fit their cast and ideology. Why label something we're not?
With each new article, I felt that these media outlets were quite possibly goading us into believing that we had to lift our veil of ignorance or something. Yet, they failed to see that we are not stupid. Singaporeans understand that there are flaws in our system and we are slowly trying to rectify it but we are also level-headed. Singaporeans also understand the fragility of a political tapestry and value harmony above all. So fine, we’re slowly tweaking our Singapore political system which is neither authoritarian nor is it a benevolent dictatorship. It’s quite simply, just a uniquely Singaporean political system. There we go, there’s a label for you.
So to the young one who released a video saying that you’re happy LKY is dead and essentially calling him a dictator of machiavellian proportions, I say to you...you are a smart boy. It’s plain to see. But you remain unwise. Sure, get angry with the system. Get very angry about it. But do not use the labels that others (who have never even set foot in Singapore) have used on us to castigate your Singapore. Get angry on your own terms, not theirs. Also, it’ll be nice to show some respect.
Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance
The last three stages kind of melted into one another as I went about my regular school schedule, mourning with my nation from afar. My feelings were in suspension as I went for lectures and recitation sections with my classmates who would never know the Singapore I did. The Singapore with LKY. In my head, I started making selfish bargains. If only August, if only December, if only never.
But we are all mortal and death comes to all. The children that I will (hopefully) have will never know a Singapore with him and I accept that. Most (not all. Some of the most amazing articles came from foreign media too) of the articles published spoke of our economy and the stuff that Singapore has but these are mere assets. I think we’ve forgotten that Singapore is the people. At the risk of sounding super Ayn Rand, you and I are Singapore.
We are Singapore.
I cry because I have seen the outpouring of goodness from Singaporeans helping each other heal and am touched at the unity and strength we possess. Who would have imagined that young and old would line up for 6-11 hours to pay their last respects? Who would have imagined that people would spend money on food and drink for people in the lines? Or even holding an umbrella out for the people working at the funeral procession. Let us remember this moment because this is who we have grown to be. A people who will come together in something or someone that they believe in strongly enough. This is the Singapore that LKY (and other forefathers) built.
So, Singapore. What’s it going to be? Do we build a Singapore on the predication of foreign terms and ideals? Are we going to let certain citizen journalists spread disharmony through the lure of clickbait and irresponsible reporting? Or do we create meaningful discourse and tweak our system to match the ever changing and complex network that is politics? Given the unity displayed over the past week, I truly hope we can attain a rational level of discourse to continue building the Singapore that Mr. Lee helped direct.
So to Mr. Lee: Goodnight and good morning sir.
-Lois
Being in Washington D.C., I am close to 10,000 miles away from home and this obvious disconnect has led me to mourning his passing in my own little way. They say that there are 5 stages of grief and I circled through these 5 stages over the past 7 days. No drama, no tears. Just a quiet, grateful respect that could only befit someone of Lee Kuan Yew’s stature.
Denial
LKY passed away at 0318hrs and it was a strange feeling to have most Singaporeans sound asleep as you receive the news in the middle of the day because of the US-Singapore time difference. With nobody to talk to about it until a few hours later when Singaporeans started waking up to a new Singapore, I sat alone in my room.
Putting on Kit Chan’s “There’s no Place I’d Rather Be,” I sat on my couch. I just sat there. While I was immensely saddened, this was not the same sadness as the passing of a close friend or family member. In fact, I was a rojak of emotions and I wanted time alone to think. There were two words I guess I kept circling back to while thinking.
Thank you.
Anger
This stage took over quite quickly. I started to get annoyed. Article after article from media outlets proved an unhealthy reckoning of Singapore’s political system and its distaste for our laws. Calling our nation authoritarian or saying that LKY was a cult leader for re-legitimizing tyranny, these reputable media outlets continued to spew a set template of articles riddled with allegorical inaccuracies. Their obvious need for labels that only they could relate to led them to believe that Singapore was essentially “Pyongyang with broadband” or that LKY was a cult leader for re-legitimizing tyranny. While their facts remained (mostly) indisputable and these labels were hardly the point of their relatively fair and balanced article, many reporters chose facts that painted a very different Singapore. A Singapore that would fit their cast and ideology. Why label something we're not?
With each new article, I felt that these media outlets were quite possibly goading us into believing that we had to lift our veil of ignorance or something. Yet, they failed to see that we are not stupid. Singaporeans understand that there are flaws in our system and we are slowly trying to rectify it but we are also level-headed. Singaporeans also understand the fragility of a political tapestry and value harmony above all. So fine, we’re slowly tweaking our Singapore political system which is neither authoritarian nor is it a benevolent dictatorship. It’s quite simply, just a uniquely Singaporean political system. There we go, there’s a label for you.
So to the young one who released a video saying that you’re happy LKY is dead and essentially calling him a dictator of machiavellian proportions, I say to you...you are a smart boy. It’s plain to see. But you remain unwise. Sure, get angry with the system. Get very angry about it. But do not use the labels that others (who have never even set foot in Singapore) have used on us to castigate your Singapore. Get angry on your own terms, not theirs. Also, it’ll be nice to show some respect.
Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance
The last three stages kind of melted into one another as I went about my regular school schedule, mourning with my nation from afar. My feelings were in suspension as I went for lectures and recitation sections with my classmates who would never know the Singapore I did. The Singapore with LKY. In my head, I started making selfish bargains. If only August, if only December, if only never.
But we are all mortal and death comes to all. The children that I will (hopefully) have will never know a Singapore with him and I accept that. Most (not all. Some of the most amazing articles came from foreign media too) of the articles published spoke of our economy and the stuff that Singapore has but these are mere assets. I think we’ve forgotten that Singapore is the people. At the risk of sounding super Ayn Rand, you and I are Singapore.
We are Singapore.
I cry because I have seen the outpouring of goodness from Singaporeans helping each other heal and am touched at the unity and strength we possess. Who would have imagined that young and old would line up for 6-11 hours to pay their last respects? Who would have imagined that people would spend money on food and drink for people in the lines? Or even holding an umbrella out for the people working at the funeral procession. Let us remember this moment because this is who we have grown to be. A people who will come together in something or someone that they believe in strongly enough. This is the Singapore that LKY (and other forefathers) built.
So, Singapore. What’s it going to be? Do we build a Singapore on the predication of foreign terms and ideals? Are we going to let certain citizen journalists spread disharmony through the lure of clickbait and irresponsible reporting? Or do we create meaningful discourse and tweak our system to match the ever changing and complex network that is politics? Given the unity displayed over the past week, I truly hope we can attain a rational level of discourse to continue building the Singapore that Mr. Lee helped direct.
So to Mr. Lee: Goodnight and good morning sir.
-Lois