Today is Mr Lee’s birthday. He would be 92.
It reminds me of the day he turned 90. That morning, I spoke at a conference on Mr Lee’s defining policies. I shared about the quality that left the deepest impression on me when I worked for him – his unwavering dedication to Singapore. He had been in his 70s at the time, and he had been tireless. His every breath, his every waking moment, went towards the survival and success of Singapore.
After the conference, I planned to go to Parliament, where we hoped Mr Lee would join us. But while I was still at the conference, I heard that Mr Lee was not feeling well, and his doctors advised him against coming out. The MPs had ordered a birthday cake in the shape of the numbers “90”, but prepared to send it to Mr Lee’s home instead.
Then in the afternoon, we got news from Dr Lee Wei Ling, Mr Lee’s daughter, that her father insisted on coming to Parliament that day.
When Mr Lee was wheeled into Parliament that day, it was like history come alive. Here was a man who had been an MP for 58 years. We gave Mr Lee a 30-second standing ovation.
Later, in the members’ room, we brought out the cake for Mr Lee and sang him a birthday song. I was very happy to present Mr Lee with a series of Chinese books, “Singapore Chose Lee Kuan Yew”, that we launched earlier that day.
We asked Mr Lee what his birthday wish was, and what he said touched me deeply. He told us that his 90th birthday wish was for the Singapore Government to stay clean and honest, for all of us to uphold the highest moral standards.
No matter how old he was, no matter the occasion, Mr Lee never stopped thinking about Singapore. Even when he was asked to make an impromptu birthday speech, he had only one instinct, only one wish – that we keep politics clean. It is a wish that we keep Singapore an exceptional place where Singaporeans can thrive.
I hope Mr Lee will rest in peace knowing that we will take good care of Singapore and fellow Singaporeans in his absence. Happy birthday, Mr Lee.
Source: Heng Swee Keat
