BEING afraid of losing out can be an asset when dealing with less friendly neighbours ("Lee Kuan Yew was 'kiasu', says Mahathir"; Sunday).
It was former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew's tenacity and drive with which he negotiated with his then Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohamad that ensured Singapore would not be short-changed in resolving issues such as the water agreements and railway land here.
Despite Dr Mahathir's views, the hard truth is that Mr Lee was a principled leader respected all over the world.
Mr Lee's desire to continue serving the nation as Senior Minister and Minister Mentor after stepping down as Prime Minister in 1990 was done out of altruism.
His talent, skills and experience were further tapped for the betterment of Singapore.
Unlike some world leaders who would leverage their past connections to venture into business for personal gains, Mr Lee was constantly on the sidelines to offer advice and assistance during times of uncertainty.
Dr Mahathir, despite having left the political scene, has interfered in the administration of the government - first with his immediate successor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, and now with the current Malaysian Premier Najib Razak ("Mahathir: To save party and country, Najib must go"; Sunday).
It is not for us to conclude whether Dr Mahathir committed any major shortcomings during his tenure as Malaysia's longest-serving prime minister.
It is left to his countrymen from all walks of life to pass judgment on him and his contributions to Malaysia.
More than anything, Singaporeans are more interested in remembering Mr Lee, who left a legacy of selfless love, honesty and sacrifice for our nation.
Jeffrey Law Lee Beng
It was former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew's tenacity and drive with which he negotiated with his then Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohamad that ensured Singapore would not be short-changed in resolving issues such as the water agreements and railway land here.
Despite Dr Mahathir's views, the hard truth is that Mr Lee was a principled leader respected all over the world.
Mr Lee's desire to continue serving the nation as Senior Minister and Minister Mentor after stepping down as Prime Minister in 1990 was done out of altruism.
His talent, skills and experience were further tapped for the betterment of Singapore.
Unlike some world leaders who would leverage their past connections to venture into business for personal gains, Mr Lee was constantly on the sidelines to offer advice and assistance during times of uncertainty.
Dr Mahathir, despite having left the political scene, has interfered in the administration of the government - first with his immediate successor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, and now with the current Malaysian Premier Najib Razak ("Mahathir: To save party and country, Najib must go"; Sunday).
It is not for us to conclude whether Dr Mahathir committed any major shortcomings during his tenure as Malaysia's longest-serving prime minister.
It is left to his countrymen from all walks of life to pass judgment on him and his contributions to Malaysia.
More than anything, Singaporeans are more interested in remembering Mr Lee, who left a legacy of selfless love, honesty and sacrifice for our nation.
Jeffrey Law Lee Beng
