May 1, 2011
Of lions and men
Singapore story not due only to MM Lee, but also team of able, brave, passionate men
An NTUC May Day rally in 1965. Early leaders like Mr Devan Nair (at the microphone), determined and courageous, risked their all and helped Mr Lee Kuan Yew (behind Mr Nair) to build Singapore into what it is today. -- PHOTO: LEE KUAN YEW
We had lunch with Li Ka Shing a month ago when I accompanied my father to Hong Kong. Sir Ka Shing has many titles, including the KBE (Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire), which entitles him to be called 'Sir'. He is the richest person of East Asian descent in the world, with an estimated wealth of US$26 billion (S$32 billion).
As we sat down for lunch in his elegant office, he praised my father for his many achievements, noting they have garnered him fame and admiration worldwide. 'That,' said Mr Li, 'is what money cannot buy.'
But my father, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, never did anything for fame. He did and still does what he believes is good for Singapore. Whether it is encouraging graduate women to have more children or encouraging tree planting, if he thinks something is good for Singapore - whether it is popular or unpopular - he will try to persuade Singaporeans to adopt it.
Many historical figures say they leave history to judge them. My father accepts that scholars will eventually analyse his legacy. But as far as he is concerned, he has always tried to do what is best for Singapore, given the information available to him at that time. If the wisdom of hindsight proves his decisions wrong, he would not lose sleep over it.
Lord William Rees-Mogg, a former editor of The Times of London, once wrote an article praising my father, Dr Henry Kissinger and Mrs Margaret Thatcher on the occasion of Mrs Thatcher's 80th birthday.
'Mr Lee,' he wrote, 'almost single-handedly built up Singapore into one of the most astonishing economic success stories of our time, and he did so in the face of constant threats to his tiny state's security and, indeed, existence.'
Lord Rees-Mogg added: 'These three, born into different cultures, seem to me to have shared the basic qualities that allow great statesmen to influence the world for the good... They have shown great courage, unending determination and a clearly defined set of beliefs.'
My father has indeed gained worldwide fame, but that is irrelevant to him. And Singapore owes its success not only to him but also to a group of courageous, passionate and able men. The names that immediately come to mind are Dr Goh Keng Swee, Mr S. Rajaratnam, Mr Ong Pang Boon, Dr Toh Chin Chye, Mr Devan Nair - as well as a group of courageous Malay leaders, Mr Othman Wok and Mr Yaacob Mohamed in particular, who stood firm for a Singaporean Singapore even at the risk of their lives.
Since today is May Day, the day we celebrate labour, I want to tell the story of the late Mr Devan Nair, who stood for workers.
I have a soft spot for Devan, not least because he and 'Raja' were the only two among my father's friends whom I did not need to address as 'uncles'. He treated me as an equal.
Devan was a founding member of the People's Action Party (PAP), though he began in its pro-communist wing. He spent a total of five years in prison for his beliefs. Of the eight leftist leaders who were released from prison when the PAP formed the government in 1959, Devan was the only one who remained faithful to their pledge to support the non-communist leadership of the PAP.
When the PAP split in 1961, the trade unions also split. Devan founded the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) to organise the unions sympathetic to the PAP, while the pro-Barisan Socialis unions were organised under the umbrella of the Singapore Association of Trade Unions (Satu).
If Devan had not stood firm in 1961, there may still have been an NTUC but it would have been a weak NTUC. He rallied the small group of unions that had remained loyal, and slowly clawed back support from the others - the overwhelming majority - that had gone over to Satu. The strategy he adopted was simple:
While the Satu unions called strikes for political reasons and caused widespread disruption, the NTUC unions worked on improving working conditions. They delivered the goods and slowly workers realised this was a better alternative than endless agitation and strife. The NTUC, in effect, adopted the same strategy the PAP did in government. You show people improvements - deliver jobs, housing, schools, health services - and thus you win their support.
Devan initiated the modernisation of the trade unions in 1969 with the NTUC Modernisation Seminar. From this arose Income, the insurance cooperative, FairPrice, the supermarket chain - both of which were inspired by Dr Goh - as well as Comfort, which was first established to organise the paongchia (or pirate) taxi drivers into a cooperative.
Later, NTUC extended its sphere of social activity further - including health services, childcare, leisure and recreational facilities - but the process began with that 1969 seminar. As a result, trade unionism in Singapore is now no longer just about collective bargaining - which of course remains its core activity - but also about improving the lives of workers across the board.
Devan's biggest contribution to Singapore was to make trade unions partners with the Government and employers, in a system we call 'tripartism'. If there had been industrial strife - or if workers had felt they had got a raw deal - Singapore would not have developed so rapidly in the 1970s and 1980s. Today, NTUC is a strong organisation - and union membership has not declined, unlike in almost all other advanced economies - because it modernised itself early and became a partner in nation building.
The concept of tripartism was in fact born in discussions my father had with Devan, Dr Goh and Dr Albert Winsemius, the Dutch economist who made a significant contribution to Singapore's development.
Singapore is the first country in the world to have a tripartite arrangement, where workers (represented by the NTUC), employers and the Government come together to discuss general wage levels.
The National Wages Council - the brainchild of Dr Winsemius - issues each year general wage guidelines, depending on Singapore's economic conditions. In difficult years, workers have accepted pay cuts without going on strike. And in good years, the pay cuts are restored without employers dragging their feet.
The Singapore story was not the work of one man only. A group of determined and courageous men risked their all to build this place. MM Lee was their leader, but he would not have succeeded if his team consisted of a herd of sheep. He was a lion who was fortunate to have had lions for comrades - and the result is the Singapore we know today.
Today, on May Day, when the NTUC also celebrates the 50th anniversary of its founding, let us remember the fundamentals of Singapore's development: Nation above self; cooperation over strife; fairness and justice.
The writer is director of the National Neuroscience Institute. Send your comments to [email protected]
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