CNA’s spin on MM Lee’s NatGeo interview, minus the “hide” remarks
January 1st, 2010 | 
Author: Written by Our Correspondent
Stung by the massive outcry in cyberspace over MM Lee Kuan Yew’s disparaging remarks about Singaporeans, the state media moves into a damage control mode in a lame attempt to limit the fallout from the PR disaster by omitting the actual words used by Lee in the interview with National Geographic magazine in July 2009.
Though NatGeo journalist Mark Jacobson’s article which was based largely on the interview first appeared in the online version of the National Geographic magazine on 20 December 2009, it made the headlines only after The Temasek Review had highlighted Lee’s words 5 days later.
In an article titled “Social cohesion key to keeping Singapore going: MM Lee” published on CNA yesterday, Imelda Saad tried to lessen the negative publicity surrounding Lee’s message with a toned-down version:
“Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has expressed concerns over how the younger generation may be less driven compared to the growing number of foreigners in the country…..Mr Lee noted that if Singaporeans do not work hard, they may lose out.”
[Source: Channel News Asia]
Channel News Asia is owned by MediaCorp, the sole broadcasting company in Singapore. It is in turn controlled by Temasek Holdings whose CEO is Ho Ching, the daughter-in-law of Lee.
Contrast this to Mark Jacobson’s passage in his article “The Singapore Solution”:
“Over time, the MM says, Singaporeans have become “less hard-driving and hard-striving.” This is why it is a good thing, the MM says, that the nation has welcomed so many Chinese immigrants (25 percent of the population is now foreign-born).
He is aware that many Singaporeans are unhappy with the influx of immigrants, especially those educated newcomers prepared to fight for higher paying jobs. But taking a typically Darwinian stance, the MM describes the country’s new subjects as “hungry,” with parents who “pushed the children very hard.” If native Singaporeans are falling behind because “the spurs are not stuck into the hide,” that is their problem.”
[Source: National Geographic]
Nowhere did Lee express his concerns about the younger generation. In fact, he said plainly that it is their “problem” if they are falling behind the Chinese immigrants.
If Mark Jacobson had misquoted Lee in anyway, he would have been sued for defamation a long time ago. Since Lee has not taken legal action against him, we can safely assume that Lee had meant what he said and the article is a fairly accurate reflection of Lee’s thoughts about Singaporeans and the new Chinese immigrants.
Furthermore, the words “less hard-driving and hard-striving” and “the spurs are not stuck in the hide” were indeed mentioned by Lee as recorded in the full transcript of the media interview as well.
It is unbecoming of Channel News Asia to deliberately distort the words of Lee in order to lessen their impact. Perhaps Lee had wanted to send a wake-up call to young Singaporeans who are getting “complacent”?
CNA should interview Lee and asked him to clarify what he has meant exactly in the interview instead of trying ways and means to twist and turn his words in order to salvage his embattled image.
In the past, Lee’s words would have gone unnoticed if the state media did not report on it. With the continued growth of the new media and socio-political news sites with a large readership like The Temasek Review, it is foolhardy to continue to practice self-censorship to pull a wool over the eyes of the people.
Posted in Editorial
There you go, another checks and FALSE balances of the establishment. Anything unusual?
You guys should put up a transcript of the interview here as well. Even though I’ve already read it, it is most entertaining and worth sharing. The old man still has his visions, and with his visions comes arrogance and superiority in his words. Flawed are some of his arguments because of such thinking.
Let more people enjoy MM Lee’s full interview that tells you how proud a man he is, and how he see Singaporeans as. Some things he’s done, he’s done well, like I said, but I cannot see what his son’s generation has done, yet he approves of the minister’s thought.
Note: Our Ministers fail in the the creativity department, is there any ways to solve this?
The father check and son balance . So ??
Good works TR.
Its like the Mee Siam mai hum situation. The media tried to recover it by writing something else.
So, what’s changed?
They probably went to the “wrong” accounting school where all they learnt is DUD ACCOUNTING of checking the entries and closing the books with FALSE BALANCES and the auditors just wink, wink and wink on one eye and close the other.
The comedy show goes on and on.
TR is a forerunner in alerting netcitizens of things that has gone wrong in Singapore. They also provide the antidote. It is doing this most vehemently because the MSM is either slow or never report any wrong doing at all. Unfortunately this help only to alert a small number of citizens and the rest of the apathetic citizens continue to get their outdated or massaged feed from the MSM.
These apathetic citizens’ numbers are huge compared to readers of TR and they cannot be reached unless we can find a way to reach them through our daily lives. If we are sincere in wanting to see some changes, we must act before it is too late. Once Singapore is overwhelm by foreign migrants, it will be too late to act.
In this new day and age, for politicians, u screwed up, u can’t hide. Unlike the 60s, 70s, 90s……
MM should learn from genuine world leaders on how to develop a good relationship with the people who voted him in.
In his new year’s address to the people of France, President Sarkozy said and I quote, ” Respectons-nous les uns les autres, faisons l’effort de nous comprendre, évitons les mots et les attitudes qui blessent. Soyons capables de débattre sans nous déchirer, sans nous insulter, sans nous désunir”, a insisté Nicolas Sarkozy”.
Translation in English,”let’s respect each other. Make the effort to understand, avoid words and attitudes that hurt. Be able to discuss without tearing each other apart, without insulting each other, without dividing us”.
MM insults, insults and insults, each time, every time he talks about his people. He should stop talking and start listening. Hopefully, he will understand and learn the art of diplomacy instead of being an “educated” barbarian.
Oh, when will he ever learn? The mind boggles.
You will only learn if you listen. Apparently, this expired ministar only talk and talk
Folks
MM LEE must sue CNA (Channel News Asia) … for grave ‘misquoting’and re-text. Let’s see if it happen .. taking daughter-in-law to court.
LHL mentioned about raising per capital income…
This can be done in 2 ways:
1. Have higher income
2. have higher exchange rate
(2) will make us look better overseas. It may have some material effect on purchasing power. However, with ever increasing in govt chargers (you can name them), that power is eroded away.
(1) is more interesting, especially with govt reduction in direct taxes.
But the govt will not be interested in (1) or cannot produce (1). We all feel the squeeze except the expats.
The NTUC people already confirm that people is moving down the value chain to taxi driving…
When LHL talked about raising per capital income, he is talking about (2).
However, that would mean more squeezing / milking policies. They are artificially supporting the exchange rate.
Don’t listen to the “for Singaporeans part”… they are going to impose more draconian policies later after the election.
We must vote in more opposition.
Any opposition is better than PAP.
btw lky’s comment supports (2) too.
Our correspondent may like to think he can read minds in saying “…omitting the actual words used by Lee…”
By reading the TRANSCRIPT of the interview, readers can see for themselves the actual words used. It will be obvious that the actual words are NOT as cited by TR “If native Singaporeans are falling behind because “the spurs are not stuck into the hide,” that is their problem.”
That sentence is a mix of Lee’s words and the interviewer’s interpretation and summarisation. The actual use of the quoted words are quite different.
It is ironic that for all his criticisms of the state media, our correspondent can do a lot better than to pull the wool over the eyes of the people.
You think the Old Fart,his son or their cronies will listen to you.
They are so use to ordering people around,and get things done their way.It will remain that way till they are kick out of governing.
In the mean time we can go on complaining and hoping for things to change,but I really doubt it will with the Papies still in charge.
lee kuan yew, if you have made those uncalled for statement, you should apologize and not minus the “hide” remarks.
are you apologizing ?
As he mentioned , we are stupid and lazy . Those who drive taxis , those cleaners , those sweepers etc who worked moe than 12 hrs per day for > $600 are lazy and stupid . remember this message during election period . Singaporean come first as PM said :-
So what if they created the best housing , best roads , best universities , best education systems , best envirnoment in Singapore .. They failed to create the single most important thing which is Quality JOBS
You nail them on their head
sharing what i heard from a reservist who worked on a “top secret” project, there is a secret underground tunnel in singapore to house VVIP in case of trouble like nuclear attack.
though i can’t find any evidence on web,there are reports of countries digging underground tunnels like north korea, iraq (in saddam days).
contrarian on Fri, 1st Jan 2010 12:13 pm,
I read the transcripts too. The spin quack is TR.
Lee is a pragmatist. Unrelated outsiders did and will still invite him to hear his candid perspectives. He’s given applause for these sessions. With Singaporeans, he’s in the same “worry about survival” mode. He’s like that from our fragile independence days.
This article reminds me of Taiwan’s political scape. They play up sensationalism with misrepresentations till they become so polarised and divisive. They don’t care about being practical. Ideology is all that matters. Their politics is a mess.
TR isn’t doing any good for political discussions. You are just whipping up things out of context to make them sensationally charged.
You say we can’t trust the mass media word for word, but I say we also don’t have to trust the alternative media word for word. I hope most people are mature enough to knows this. If not, I really fear for Singapore’s survival.
There is no media in Singapore – they are all just propaganda newsletters and broadcasters of the PAP.
When I was younger I used to be fooled, but thanks to websites like this one, I learned that all the “mainstream media” in Singapore is all propaganda whitewash!
LKY is a strong believer in forecasting of the future his Mentor or advisers were HERMAN KHAN the futurologist and HONG CHOON the abbot of Khong Meng Sua.
Today like a true disciple or student he is a Master in this field.
LKY’s interview with NatGeo is meant for the super-rich billionaires of the world especially those from east and south Asia. He reassures these bigtimers that parking their uncountable billions in his Singapore state holding companies such as GIC and TH is rock solid safe because he shall personally see to it that his state-run company would lead the way in employing only workers who’re “hard-driving” and those who aren’t risked being replaced regardless of residential or national status.
This is not the first time LKY has consciously stir up a controversy to attract extensive media attention and so long as the bigtimers got his message loud and clear and hence continue to park their uncountable billions in Singapore whether in GIC, TH or other banks based in Singapore. What’s left unspoken is his assurance that his hand-picked and handsomely-paid MIW political elites have the will and capacity to “hard drive” their well-armed and trained uniformed and plain-clothed security forces to nip in the bud any dissident attempt to organize outraged citizens into a viable threat to his continued political incumbency. LKY and his MIW political elites have yet to let their super-rich supporters down since 1959, haven’t they?
@objective
Quote “This article reminds me of Taiwan’s political scape. They play up sensationalism with misrepresentations till they become so polarised and divisive. They don’t care about being practical. Ideology is all that matters. Their politics is a mess.” Unquote.
If only u lived to ur moniker. Unfortunately, it is another set of misinformation. Taiwan and Thailand today are very more democratic then during the ironfist years of dictatorship. The Green party of Taiwan is credited for getting rid of taiwan mafia, bringing about liberating the legal system such that anyone with reasonable ground can even sue the President. Current President Ma was even fined recently for trying to influence the election.
http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?cate_img=logo_taiwan&cate_rss=TAIWAN_eng&id=1127420&lang=eng_news
In thailand, it is possible to make pun of then Thaksin and current Abisit in the MSM, without the fear of being sued.
CNA subsidiary Today carried the full transcript of the interview online on Fri 1 Jan @todayonline.com. Not sure about the hard copy though.
@ Kan_Cheong spider on Fri, 1st Jan 2010 7:00 pm
no one said thailand and taiwan were undemocratic. they are certainly democratic. you are right, and so was objective. ideology is of paramount importance there. precisely because of this they are/were previously “in a mess” with physical fighting in parliament and demonstrations in the streets. not very pragmatic.
the reason that singapore has neither of these is rightfully attributed to “draconian” laws and top-down governance. definitely not perfect either, but you can’t have everything now can you.
Kan_Cheong spider on Fri, 1st Jan 2010 7:00 pm,
Bangkok airport was crippled for months by some shirts. By another shirts, leaders had to scramble from Phuket. It’s lucky Thailand still has agriculture to survive. So white and blue collars can still join the farmers.
For Taiwan, there’s Ah Bian and his corruption. His blind supporters and party cadres help him go to office for 2 terms. From jail, he still tried to whip up ideological emotions to get himself out of the mess. Their politics is so high drama. There’s so much intrigue and misrepresentation.
High ideology must be brought down to mature and practical levels. What good about your version of “democracy” if Singapore is paralysed by sensational misrepresentations that brings tense standoffs between groups? Singapore will be doomed.
@objective-
sure bangkok airport was crippled? but did all flights cancelled from the airport? the street protests were orderly and they even cleaned up the place after packing.
by another shirt, you meant the “Red Shirt” supporters of thaksin, the favorite discipline of LKY. The Red shirts, true trouble makers.
taiwan-corruption exist even before ahbian. unfortunately, it has turned out more to be a political assasination then a fair trial. sounds familar?
their politics is not the only drama. if you are able to filter off the noise, you will find that the protestors are very well informed, unlike the politically apathetic singaporeans. these are certainly no blind followers. they fight for their democracy and their rights.
singapore have already been paralysed, misrepresentation or not. open your eyes and be wise. is your life getting any better? has poverty been eradicated? why is GST used to help poor creating more poor people. the adversary is to stand on the slippery slope and watch the rotting but do nothing.
Aye, TR spinned MM’s interview, it’s quite obvious really. But those who read the transcripts can still see how arrogant he is.
You want pragmatic and practical, and less drama from the politicians. That might happen, all we need to do is all vote for PAP again and continue to suck our thumbs. They’re most practical at leaving the managing to them and leaving us to fend for ourselves.
Drama can come, and will be needed during elections. Whether they do their job for Singapore will be for all to see. We don’t need Super-Mortals, French cooks and Armchair critics taking our money to do nothing to improve lives.
@objective
“High ideology must be brought down to mature and practical levels. What good about your version of “democracy” if Singapore is paralysed by sensational misrepresentations that brings tense standoffs between groups? Singapore will be doomed.”
Are you 100% sure about this, or are you just fear mongering?
@ k-
oh so wrong you are. you have forgotten the golden rule of law. the law is written by the rich and powerful to serve one purpose and one purpose only. to preserve their throne. be it first world or third world, country leaders have promised to eradicate poverty and for more then 1/2 century, there is more poverty yet, more then 3/4 of world’s wealth is in the hands of mere 5% people.
you really think the so-called draconian laws were to preserve peace stabilities for you? how gullible indeed.
Kan_Cheong spider on Sat, 2nd Jan 2010 12:04 am,
Yes, not only the airport, their government building also was taken over, also a radio station. They cleaned up trash? I wonder how they clean up the loss in tourism, economic manhours and global image.
Ah Bian deserve the trial for playing up ideological emotions to confuse the people. Corruption is there. But for corruption to be overlooked by blind ideological followers, that’s sick. You say assassination? That shooting incident is so drama, also overlooked by blind faith in ideology.
You say well informed? There are 2 sides. So one of the sides must be mis-informed. If not, why they go against the well-informed side?
@ A P on Sat, 2nd Jan 2010 12:05 am,
If emotive misrepresentation is the way forward for political “discourse”, then the risk of Ah Bian and mass protests is there. Can Singapore survive that sort of thing? I don’t want to take the risk.
You like this type of “discourse” where things are twisted and slanted? That’s so low. It’s immature and unproductive.
@objective
“I don’t want to take the risk.”
Kiasu, kiasi, kia cheng hu
National Geographic should have done the interview with PM Lee instead of MM Lee.
I was originally quite impressed by Mr Lee’s caring thoughts for Singapore and Singaporeans as presented in the local news reports. But after your painstaking and balanced disclosure of what actually transpired I now understand how totally opposite representations (or mis-reprentations) of facts can be so easily spun up. Thank you for your awakening. It must have taken up a lot of your time and energy to dig into such details which the ordinary man like me would surely have missed out.
Never again should I ever believe a single bit of what our press says.
history,both ancient and modern,teach us,mighty and lowly beings,that TRULY GOOD LEADERS are full of HUMBLE CONFIDENCE,not ‘FULL OF THEMSELVES’.
look at the better and more fondly remembered leaders
from recent times-ABRAHAM LINCOLN,MARTIN L KING,GANDHI,
AQUINO(at least for filipinos),ZHU-RONJI of PRC and now,may be
OBAMA and Merkel OF GERMANY.
Look at MARCOS,SUAHRTO(to some extent),DR M(wasn’t he ADORED?)and you will know the truth.
that truth is good leaders are strong but humble.
fortuitous but filled with compassion.
steadfast to purpose but not with fidelity for his peoples.
even the less than impressive ARROYO knows how to motivate her
citizens by acclaiming her “overeas pinoy” workers as “contributors” to the PHILIPPINES and she actualu showered them with praises on wolrd stage recently.
How come our smarter leaders here don’t understand?
@objective
thailand- yes, that is people’s power to trash out a puppet of thaksin. thanks goodness and good riddance they hv the will power to weeded out the albatross.
——
taiwan – ahbian’s idealogy of separation from Mainland China is no different from the people who voted him in or those old guards in KMT. There are many people in Taiwan who do not believe nor trust China, even with the agressive courting. Call a spade a space. There are many who strongly believe they are different from mainland Chinese. China under DengXiaoPing left no stone unturn to state they will retake taiwan one day.
if you wanna talk about stirring sh1t. try the mugging, shooting and car-jacking line made in Court by LKY, when he referred to TLH’s escape to JB.
Pls do not confuse corruption with democracy.
Least you go bogeyman again on both countries, let me remind you that both places r considered favorite tourist destinations in the world. It means tourists feel safe and fun, and do not find the locals to be menacing.
“National Geographic should have done the interview with PM Lee instead of MM Lee.”
Perhaps NG may allow to interviewing with Sissy Lee provided that their inteviewees place a deposit of $1 billion dollars in case they ask sensitive and embarrassing questions that somehow, out of nowhere, become defamation against the Lee. On top, they have to zip their mouth with masking-tape to pay respect to the world’s most useless expensive politician.
Kan_Cheong spider on Sat, 2nd Jan 2010 2:18 pm,
Thaksin was elected. The next government after the coup was also elected. They both come to office through due democratic process. One of things the present anti-government shirts want is actually a democratic election.
By your ideology of democracy and people’s power, you seem to be contradicting yourself. You’re aware of that?
Ideology is fine. But Taiwan politicans use lots of showsmanship to stir up illogical ideological emotions in the people. It’s nice to watch. But is it good to be in such a slapstick? Rationally, I don’t think so.
You say tourism? I doubt you and your family want to go there during the protests. Next time, if there’s another one, why not you go ahead?
You can rent a Royce, unless you already own one, and drive up the North-South highway. Good luck.
@ A P on Sat, 2nd Jan 2010 3:25 am,
Yah yah, we should stir up emotions to get what we like. If not, you’ll label us kiasu, kiasi, kia cheng hu.
When we quarrel with our wives, we should also twist stories and cook excuses to win the quarrel. If not, you’ll label us kia boh.
@ objective
what talking you? are you saying that PAPaya never stir up emotions to win votes? Please looked at past election records, especially those in early years
@ A P on Sat, 2nd Jan 2010 9:41 pm,
I’m talking about misrepresentation. I’m just highlighting the need to see things from many angles and sources. No press is really free, not even those supposedly free ones in the West.
And you’re talking about? Demonstrations, picketing, racial riots, confrontation, insurgencies?
@ A P on Sat, 2nd Jan 2010 9:41 pm,
Before you reply, you must love this phrase. “Government of the people by the people for the people” is a very famous vision from Lincoln.
He said this in the Gettysburg address which was actually more a memorial for fallen soldiers in a bloody war. In the speech, he was rallying the Union in their war against the Confederate. So technically, this is a passionate war cry.
Why not s democratic referendum? Each state can hold a vote to decide whether they want to remain in the Union or join the Confederate. Then, each can proceed according to the popular wish of the people. No war. Peace. Democratic process. Choice of the people. End of story. Instead, hundreds of thousands are killed in the American Civil War.
Actually, voices for peaceful concession to the confederates was becoming quite strong at that time. So, secession and breakup is a very real possibility, not a juicy theory cooked up by anyone.
So you see, it’s not so simplistic, right? In case you say I’m disrespectful to Lincoln, I think he’s a great and worthy person in US history.
I still repeat that we should look at things from many angle and sources.
@ objective on Sun, 3rd Jan 2010 2:38 am
So what exactly are you driving at?
@objective.
You are wrong, I was in Bangkok post-Thaksin. with the armored vehicles standing around road junctions and major gahment buildings. I can tell you life was normal.
You should go check with Thai people of the scheming Thaksin before you comment about how he was elected and deserved to stay in power.
A P on Sun, 3rd Jan 2010 4:23 pm,
Lincoln had a hand in that pivotal period of US history. He and his comrades and generals and people tried to preserve what they believed in. If the US broke up due to politics or military, we’d be in a different world.
Kan_Cheong spider on Sun, 3rd Jan 2010 9:33 pm,
There are 2 sides, aren’t there?
I’m an expat in Singapore and I don’t understand how anyone can read or listen to the local news. It is such a joke, nothing but a big government propaganda machine. Before I moved here I didn’t realize how great it was to have an actual free press in my home country, it was after coming here and living in this heavily government controlled regime that I began to appreciate the freedoms I had back in the States, and frankly could never live in Singapore long because of the lack of freedom. Freedom is one of those things which you don’t realize how great it is until you lose it, and if you never experienced it you don’t know what it is. Kudos to those in Singapore who are trying to liberate themselves and become free by exposing the government for its lies.
I am a Singaporean living overseas and I must say the taste of freedom is exhilirating. Unlike what the Singapore government (and some posters here) have warned against, people are capable of making responsible use of this freedom. I have witnessed peaceful demonstrations of up to half a million people. WIth the free press, diversity flourishes and people are free to form their own informed opinions. In fact the free flow of information and ideas is crucial to prevent “group think” which could have crippled the society’s ability to evolve for a better future, or caused the entire country to follow the wrong “piped piper” with dire results. Remember no man can claim that he has always and will always be right. So I say checks and balances for Singapore too!!
Free press? There was extensive coverage of Iraq’s WMD prior to the war. Unfortunately, there are now no extensive amounts WMD, or even any trace of it, in Iraq years after the war.
Responsible freedom? Responsibility and freedom are two independent disparate attributes. They don’t come together. One doesn’t mean the other.
Look at G20 summit in Pittsburgh. That was only about a year ago. Heard of anarchists? They believe in the ultimate freedom. Freedom from any state at all. Some of them resort to violent confrontations.