Lee Kuan Yew, founder of Singapore, changing with times(3)
By Seth Mydans and Wayne Arnold
Published: August 29, 2007
(Page 3 of 3)
"We built up the infrastructure," he said. "The difficult part was getting the people to change their habits so that they behaved more like first world citizens, not like third world citizens spitting and littering all over the place."
So Singapore embarked on what he called "campaigns to do this, campaigns to do that."
Do not chew gum. Do not throw garbage from rooftops. Speak good English. Smile. Perform spontaneous acts of kindness.
Paradoxically, he said, if Singapore had not been so poor it might never have transformed itself and prospered as it has. His warnings about vulnerability and collapse are a constant theme to persuade his people to accept limits on their freedoms.
"Supposing we had oil and gas, do you think I could get the people to do this? No," he said. "If I had oil and gas I'd have a different people, with different motivations and expectations."
"It's because we don't have oil and gas and they know that we don't have, and they know that this progress comes from their efforts," he said. "So please do it and do it well."
By Seth Mydans and Wayne Arnold
Published: August 29, 2007
(Page 3 of 3)
"We built up the infrastructure," he said. "The difficult part was getting the people to change their habits so that they behaved more like first world citizens, not like third world citizens spitting and littering all over the place."
So Singapore embarked on what he called "campaigns to do this, campaigns to do that."
Do not chew gum. Do not throw garbage from rooftops. Speak good English. Smile. Perform spontaneous acts of kindness.
Paradoxically, he said, if Singapore had not been so poor it might never have transformed itself and prospered as it has. His warnings about vulnerability and collapse are a constant theme to persuade his people to accept limits on their freedoms.
"Supposing we had oil and gas, do you think I could get the people to do this? No," he said. "If I had oil and gas I'd have a different people, with different motivations and expectations."
"It's because we don't have oil and gas and they know that we don't have, and they know that this progress comes from their efforts," he said. "So please do it and do it well."