We must encourage those who earn less than $200 per month and cannot afford to nurture and educate many children never to have more than twoโฆ We will regret the time lost if we do not now take the first tentative steps towards correcting a trend which can leave our society with a large number of the physically, intellectually and culturally anaemic.
Lee Kuan YewIt is not the practice, now will I allow subversives to get away by insisting that Iโve got to prove everything against them in a court of law or [produce] evidence that will stand up to the strict rules of evidence of a court of law.
Lee Kuan YewAt the end of the day, what have I got? A successful Singapore. What have I given up? My life.
Lee Kuan YewMy colleagues and I are of that generation of young men who went through the Second World War and the Japanese Occupation and emerged determined that no oneโneither Japanese nor Britishโhad the right to push and kick us around. We determined that we could govern ourselves and bring up our children in a country where we can be proud to be self-respecting people.
Lee Kuan YewIt is essential to rear a generation at the very top of society that has all the qualities needed to lead and give the people the inspiration and the drive to make it succeed. In short, the elite.. Every society tries to produce this type. The British have special schools for them: the gifted and talented are sent to Eton and Harrow.
Lee Kuan YewI pointed to an article with bold headlines reporting that the police had refused to allow the PAP to hold a rally at Empress Place, and then to the last paragraph where in small type it added the meeting would take place where we were now. I compared this with a prominent report about an SPA rally. This was flagrant bias.
Lee Kuan YewIf it is not totalitarian to arrest a man and detain him, when you cannot charge him with any offence against any written law โ if that is not what we have always cried out against in Fascist states โ then what is it?โฆ If we are to survive as a free democracy, then we must be prepared, in principle, to concede to our enemies โ even those who do not subscribe to our views โ as much constitutional rights as you concede yourself.
Lee Kuan Yew