PM Lee did us proud on HARDtalk: reader

I write with regard to the report "US-China ties vital to Singapore" (The New Paper, March 2).

Current affairs programmes in the West, such as BBC's HARDtalk, are noted mostly for hard-hitting questions on sensitive topics.

But how far should they go, and are they justified in doing so? Especially when the leader of a country is subjected to a thinly-veiled and sometimes misguided attempt to harangue.

In Singapore, where the average citizen is quite happy with the way they are governed and how things have turned out, does it make sense to do so?

It seems there is always an attempt to bring us round to their thinking.

Also read: BBC tries to grill PM Lee on press freedom and here's how he responded

But not only is Singapore independent and quite capable of managing on its own, it is an economic miracle, despite its limitations in size and natural resources.

So when there was a presumptuous attempt to tell us how we should work an institution, it was rightfully shot down by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

He said: "I would not presume to tell you how your press council should operate. Why should you presume to tell me how my country should run?"

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews/videos/10154439064102217/[/embed]

This showed the need for a better understanding of politics, and how countries are governed, especially in Asia with its eccentricities and cultural sensitivities.

Still, the interview served to keep us updated, with our leader's sound knowledge and ability to respond to the questions posed.

It made me proud to be Singaporean.

Manoraj Rajathurai

This article was first published on March 3, 2017.
Get The New Paper for more stories.