Daily Lessons from Life 12 September 2010 - MM Lee's Interviews with NYT and IHT

I read about the interview by MM Lee with NYT and IHT in their online version today from The Sunday Times Singapore newspapers.

It is significant as it revealed some personal and inner thoughts of this great 87-year old Father of Modern Singapore that were rarely touched on in previous media reports on him.

Lessons for me are:

1. he is mindful of his status - physical, mental and spiritual. His talks about how he felt the ageing process catching up and how he needs to be disciplined in cycling and swimming and having massage daily. About how he missed the intelligent chats with his wife of more than 61 years as she is not able to speak or move after suffering a series of stroke since more than 2 years ago. About how the Christian's Marriage Vows: to love and to cherish in sickness or in wealth, etc.. and till death do we part' that really intrigued and interested him. About how he meditate when disturbed or pained by the noises from his wife's discomfort;

2. he is also honest and appreciate what all these means: This is life. He just has to carry on. Indeed, no matter how smart or powerful we are, life has its own story for us. Our job is to make sure that we do not tempt fate and do the right things we believed in. He mentioned he had done some nasty things like putting some people in jail without trial. I think it is not nasty depends on your position then. Like he said: it is life. We got to do what we believed are the right things to do - then!;

3. he acknowledged that if he slows down, he will go downhill QUICKLY. I believed that too. Especially for him. He is not able to let go of the baby that he, and his 1st generation colleagues, nursed from a 3rd world nation to a 1st world country today. The baby is 45-year old now. Yet, he is not comfortable to let go. It is noble of him yet in some way a bit unfair to him. It will be sad if he cannot let go and actually see his worst fear for Singapore comes through in his lifetime: that the young decided to chance with fate by bringing a new order to the established political landscape in Singapore. e.g. a few more opposition Members of Parliament in the next General Election.

May he lives healthily and peacefully as he had done a lot of great things for Singapore.