Temasek Review
At an advanced age when most leaders would have retired and spend their remaining days at home with their families, PAP strongman Lee Kuan Yew continues to tour the world dishing out his “advice” to other leaders and teaching them how to run their countries.
During a symposium in Tokyo where he is currently on official visit sponsored by Singapore taxpayers, Lee urged Japan again to reconsider moving the U.S. air base out of the island of Okinawa.
“‘We believe that (the US) presence brings about stability and peace and I believe they need a base in the north-east. If there is no base in Japan, then they cannot deploy their weaponry and project their power sufficiently,” Lee was quoted as saying in the Straits Times.
He stressed the need for the US to act as a counterbalance to China. The last time he said this last year, it triggered a massive outcry among Chinese netizens who pettered him with unflattering names like “traitor to the Chinese race” and “lackey of the Americans”, prompting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to intercede on his behalf.
Lee also called on Japan to emulate Singapore’s example and accept more immigrants in order to grow:
“You have the choice to keep Japan homogeneous and shrinking and stagnant economically, or you accept immigrants and grow.”
With due respect to Lee, he has really no business to poke into Japan’s domestic affairs. It is up to the Japanese themselves to decide if they need more immigrants and not the government.
Had Lee tried to replicate his immigration policies in Japan, he would have been voted out of office a long time ago.
Even in Singapore, there is rising frustration, resentment and anger on the ground at the PAP’s liberal immigration and pro-foreigner policies which have caused tremendous suffering and hardship to ordinary Singaporeans.
According to a recent Wall Street Journal editorial, the relentless influx of foreigners has depressed the wages of Singaporeans, increased the cost of living and led to a decline in the quality of life.
Lee is indeed a rare “treasure” to the world. By his own admission last year, he is not doing much work lately except doing “forecasting”. Japan is fortunate to have Singapore’s “forecaster extraordinarie” to do some “forecasting” for its future absolutely free of charge courtesy of Singapore taxpayers who is paying Lee’s astronomical annual salary of more than $3 million dollars.
