MM Lee: wife's illness harder on him than politics stresses
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MM Lee says stress of wife's illness harder on him than stresses faced in politics
By Hoe Yeen Nie | Posted: 11 September 2010 2028 hrsSINGAPORE : Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has said the stress of his wife's illness is harder on him than the stresses he faced for years in politics.
He spoke of his wife in an interview which is carried in the online version of the New York Times and the International Herald Tribune.
Mr Lee said he keeps his wife, who has had a series of strokes, company every night.
He tells her about his day's work and reads her favourite poems, adding that she keeps awake for him.
Mr Lee said that while he tries to keep busy, from time to time in idle moments, his mind goes back to when they were up and about together. And to calm himself, he meditates for 20 minutes at night.
He said in the interview: "The problem is to keep the monkey mind from running off into all kinds of thoughts. A certain tranquillity settles over you. The day's pressures and worries are pushed out. Then there is less problem sleeping."
During the interview, Mr Lee notes that some young citizens believe that modern Singapore is "a natural state of affairs", that can be put on "auto-pilot". But he said that is not the case.
He said: "They have come to believe that this is a natural state of affairs, and they can take liberties with it. They think you can put it on auto-pilot. I know that is never so."
Mr Lee said the young people's demand for open political combat may eventually open the door to race-based politics. And this will rip Singapore apart. - CNA/ms -
He should retire and take good care of his wife.
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I sometime think that he should show more of his human side to Singaporean rather than continue to get involved in politics.
It is interesting that he mediated and said the Ma ra na tah. ...........
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His croonies should stay in sg to do their job instead of going to china for meaningless and useless wayang.
It is harder on the people who are paying for them to eat wind.
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He could always step down and take care of his wife full time, why doesn't he do it? Does singapore mean so much more than his wife? Or is our govt not good enough to run by itself independently, and still requires his input now and then to put things in order?
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Haha, race-based politics! Malaysia?! Singapore must not fail like them!
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I like MM Lee's comment! Nice one!
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why some of us cannot go on leave ...it seems that the more responsibilities one has...the more commitment was gone into it...in its worse case....his work becomes his passion as much as to his family or his country ... and he finds it tougher to detach ....esp when too much memories were involved between his love and country ....all becomes but one
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doe he profess to be a buddhist?
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Originally posted by Rooney9:
doe he profess to be a buddhist?
no he is moving towards catholic -
if he is so afraid of race based politics .....and all those rubbish things that will destab spore.....then make a few clones of the PAP political organisation and may the best group win!!!
ITS DAT SIMPLE.
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Without him and his advice from his wife, spore will not be today...safe, sound, security good, no riots, no fighting on the street frequently....good home, good internet to chat (over here), good shopping centers, etc...
Isnt it?
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While it is true that race politics is not wot we would want in Singapore.
Race will always be an issue.
Be it the way the government handles its own people especially NS or the influx of foreigners coming to Singapore.
This is what the citizens have to pay before we become a truly globalised city.
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He should die together with his wife
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Originally posted by Rooney9:
doe he profess to be a buddhist?
May or may not. My friend ever saw him in bright hill buddhist temple eating veg meal. So what if he is, with the deeds he is doing sure will not get rebirth after death. -
paiseh , forgot to check on topic, i posted same topic in SC.
The one in FTP in SC has more contents. CNA as usual a slave for him censored some words.
MM Lee: “I’m not saying that everything I did was right but everything I did was for an honourable purpose,” he said. “I had to do some nasty things, locking fellows up without trial.”
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Originally posted by likeyou:
Without him and his advice from his wife, spore will not be today...safe, sound, security good, no riots, no fighting on the street frequently....good home, good internet to chat (over here), good shopping centers, etc...
Isnt it?
How come some countries are safe without LKY and wife? -
Uncensored article from Yahoo, FTP:
FTP - 12 September 2010
Wife’s illness harder than stress faced during years in politics: MM Lee
By Ion Danker – September 12th, 2010
Minister Mentor (MM) Lee Kuan Yew says the stress of his wife’s illness is harder on him than the stress he faced during his years in politics.
MM Lee spoke of his wife, Kwa Geok Choo, 89, in an interview on the New York Times’ Saturday Profile.
The couple met each other when they were law students in London and have been together for 61 years.
He shared that his most difficult moment is at the end of each day as he sits by the bedside of his wife who has been unable to move or speak for more than two years.
“She understands when I talk to her, which I do every night,” he said. “She keeps awake for me; I tell her about my day’s work, read her favourite poems.”
“I told her, ‘I would try and keep you company for as long as I can,” before adding, “I’m not sure who’s going first, whether she or me.”
MM Lee added that while he tries to keep busy, from time to time in idle moments, his mind goes back to when they were up and about together. To calm himself, he meditates for 20 minutes at night.
“The problem is to keep the monkey mind from running off into all kinds of thoughts,” he said. “A certain tranquility settles over you. The day’s pressures and worries are pushed out. Then there’s less problem sleeping.”
The New York Times report also noted how younger people worry him with their demands for more political openness and a free exchange of ideas, secure in their well-being in modern Singapore.
“They have come to believe that this is a natural state of affairs, and they can take liberties with it,” he said. “They think you can put it on auto-pilot. I know that is never so.”
The kind of open political combat they demand would inevitably open the door to race-based politics, he said, and “our society will be ripped apart.”
Singapore’s eldest statesman also reflected on his political career and said he wasn’t perfect.
“I’m not saying that everything I did was right but everything I did was for an honourable purpose,” he said. “I had to do some nasty things, locking fellows up without trial.”
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yup....if ya chinese...ethnic race......chances of progress and prosperity is high due to certain DNA genetic code that scientists havent discovered.so people dun really exactly need LKY.look at taiwan....china.....japan...korea.....all have advanced technological wonders and profitable techno industries and are prosperous even though they all had civil wars and a few atom bombs dropped on them.
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MM Lee should just quit politics and enjoy life.
Just leave governance to the next generation already.
He can't be the MM forever.
He's already done enough and aged enough.
Nothing will be better than retirement!
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He cannot retire for obvious reason.
No title, no one to interview, no one give attention to him, no one to protect, no one to pay for his travel, no one to give him good food.
He is nothing without his work.
That is why he cannot retire as he do not how to live his life.
So, is it appropriate for him to advise other on how to live their life ?
The individual are smarter than that.
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He should stays and accompanied 24/7 beside his wife. Dont understand why he keeps on saying that he needs to work to keep his mind working. Staying at home does not mean no work for him....
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Does anyone of you think he accomplished anything?
Until now he still don't get it.....He can't lived forever....So it is the system that will continue, but he screwed the system so he put himself as part of the political System.
All of you just "Think" He take a job and make himself so needed to the job that he can't retire......from it.
Think again?
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Originally posted by hasene:
paiseh , forgot to check on topic, i posted same topic in SC.
The one in FTP in SC has more contents. CNA as usual a slave for him censored some words.
MM Lee: “I’m not saying that everything I did was right but everything I did was for an honourable purpose,” he said. “I had to do some nasty things, locking fellows up without trial.”
unofficial confession.....internationally.
so now there is going to be a new book....from stepping on others to reach honourable cause ......... : ) -
He is referring to the use of ISA lah.
