LEE Kuan Yew (LKY) has left us; but, what a leader! He was born in British Singapore, baptised Harry, but sunk the name. Took his people from penury to prosperity, as his small island led the global metrics of success. He visited us, urbane, dignified, but his book was disdainful of our hedonistic posture and failure to use our assets.

Leader of the Opposition Andrew Holness dilated on LKY in Parliament and, as for years I have touted the ‘Prosperity Agenda’, I am gratified he embraced it in his speech. But prosperity is intergenerational work, and Peter is now strengthening the foundations. So what is there about LKY which makes him attractive to Holness — indeed, to all of us?

The myth

Singapore is synonymous with sacrifice. LKY met his demons head-on, but here only Michael Manley tried radical social engineering. The usual spiel is this British colony got independence after us, had nothing, and used the Westminster model to create prosperity. But this recital is nothing without the back story.

LKY was a leader of leaders who understood the sweep of history and people. Left to our devices, we eat, sleep, excrete, procreate, burn calories, create mischief, get hungry, and the cycle starts over. LKY upset this cycle. Holness said: “Singapore has stepped up and moved its people from poverty to prosperity.” We can do the same. In 1962 Jamaica’s GDP per capita was approximately US$460…Singapore’s was US$470. Jamaica’s, in 2013, was US$5,290. Singapore’s was US$55,192. Today in Singapore a cleaner earns the equivalent of $100,000 per month. A similar person employed in Jamaica would earn just about $22,000. “Mr Speaker,” Holness said, “the real point to be made is the movement from poverty to prosperity for our people is possible.”

I was lifted, but his preamble got into old style bean-counting, and turned me off. Can he not take a revolutionary stance? He is young, promising, yet our hearts do not burn with his big idea. I read his speech. Yes, you are a politician for 18 years, but is time on our payroll news? Who writes “when I was in education” — trash for this prime minister-in-waiting? You spend pages on education that’s going well, but have no big idea on national security, health or the economy? Sir, who advises you? Who is your audience? Did a 46-page speech move them?

At the start I had hopes of plans for a Jamaican miracle, but to imply there is a path to growth without pain for us who ate the chicken cordon bleu or chicken back and created debt is crazy. That is not the lesson of Singapore. LKY had a plan and pursued it relentlessly; rooted out corruption, lived modestly; travelled by scheduled flight with his wife, and infused discipline. We now try “values and attitudes”, but he used reward and punishment as they only had time to change behaviour, not hearts. Do we? LKY silenced opponents, ignored foreign pressure, and tasked his people — discipline, education, health, work. In one generation Singapore made it. Success has no critics. The Westminster model was no shackle; we repealed British vagrancy laws, he used them to create order. We consulted ‘stakeholders’; who elected them? We dithered on drugs, corporal, capital punishment, he acted. Our people did not have a mind to work and our politicians did not have the guts to make them.

Our poverty is our own work and LKY was not amused. What would he do with Riverton’s killer smoke? Invoke self-reliance, mobilise volunteers, trucks, wheelbarrows, basins, not cuss one woman, make headlines, and watch a few firemen struggle: “My people, get a chimmy, bucket, let’s save our city!”

Andrew, my lad, the lesson of LKY is a leader takes charge in a crisis. The “Riverton flu” is taking its toll now. He visited CHOGM (Commonwealth caucus) and wrote: “At Kingston, Jamaica, in April 1975, Prime Minister Michael Manley a light-skinned West Indian presided with panache and spoke with great eloquence. But I found his views quixotic. He advocated a redistribution of the world’s wealth. His country was a well-endowed island of some 2,000 square miles with several mountains in the centre where coffee and other sub-tropical crops are grown. They had beautiful resorts built by Americans as winter homes. Theirs was a relaxed culture. The people were full of song and dance and spoke eloquently, danced vigorously and drank copiously. Hard work they had left behind with slavery…” — From Third World to First, p 407

Query his data, but after hours here he had our length and line; validated Gladwell’s thin slicing — you can know people in a day. We are a candle in the wind. Holness has the facts, is he minded to do as LKY? Is he ready to abridge some freedoms for the greater good? Michael had the right vibe, the movie magic; but not the “killer instinct”. Does Andrew? LKY jailed friends; there is no absolute freedom on this path, and took his people “kicking and screaming” to prosperity. Our leaders are weak; to LKY flogging was cultural, who cares about the West?! Our leaders like to be liked so they pander to illiterates, foreign bodies, pressure groups. They are rich already and we achieve zilch.

Our leaders failed us. Norman Manley, Oxford, and LKY, Cambridge, were lawyers, formed political parties, both smitten by Fabian socialists, took over from the British; but one died poor in a poor country, the other modestly in a quality public hospital in his rich State — LKY did not go to Miami for health care. Both joined federations and left them. Singapore charted a solo path, but Jamaica still clings to a neo-imperialist union with distant small islands. The miracle of Singapore is an island the size of Kingston with some six million people; uses eight times our electricity, 10 times our oil; people make eight times more money; spend on health is 700 per cent more; no crime and they live longer. Democracy was no shackle to this global producer, science and education power with most millionaires. Education was not social service, but an economic driver at the top table. Why not here? He mandated English above Mandarin and other languages in Singapore. Who says, “Patois on stage, English everywhere”? Holness skirted the core, but, Sir, how does LKY impact your plan? Portia may be your target, but she is not your competitor; her exit strategy is intact, there are brighter and better to come, so save your breath. Eddie opened a door, but you must prove your worth. Step up, Holness, or step down! You don’t like bitter but the Prosperity Agenda is a hard path, yet in the current IMF discourse the PNP talks sacrifice, the JLP avoidance of pain — whassup?

The lesson of Singapore is “no pain, no gain”, or as we say “no cross, no crown” and your team seems not to know this. Stay conscious, my friend!

Dr Franklin Johnston is a strategist, project manager and advises the minister of education. franklinjohnstontoo@gmail.com