Mr Lee's views should be heeded

Mr Lee's views should be heeded

SINGAPORE - The old adage that the truth hurts is a very apt description of how Malaysian political leaders have responded to former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew's new book, One Man's View Of The World.

Soon after the book was launched, a number of politicians from across the Causeway lost no time in rebutting Mr Lee's views on their country's social and political situation.

While some refuted his statements by giving their own comments, others could not elaborate on their reasons for dismissing his views as "outdated" and "obsolete" ("Malaysian politicians react to Mr Lee's book", last Friday; and "Lee Kuan Yew's views obsolete, says Anwar", Sunday).

A few of Malaysia's former ministers were more rational, with one of them being thankful to Mr Lee for defeating the communists and communalists who could have disrupted the peace in their country, while another admired Singapore's success story.

Nobody is perfect and our founding father is no exception. But his foresight and wisdom are envied by many countries, and many world leaders have sought his advice on international affairs.

There are people who disagree with Mr Lee's thoughts and leadership style, yet they would not want to miss reading his books or memoirs.

In short, they know that he is a respected and great leader whose wise words should be heeded and are beneficial to all of us.

Jeffrey Law Lee Beng


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