- Prof Jayakumar wrote that Lee Kuan Yew was not a dictatorial prime minister who railroaded proposals through a meek Cabinet, but instead took a collegial approach consistent with collective responsibility.
- Prof Jayakumar noted the "crucial role" played by younger ministers, including Dr Tony Tan and Goh Chok Tong.
- He said Singapore's constitution might be "very different today" if Lee had been less willing to listen and change his position.
- Prof Jayakumar highlighted Lee's response to differing views: "Look, to those who have reservations and disagreements, I ask you to put up alternatives..." and that what matters is a workable solution with a new guard in charge.
- The 87-year-old former deputy prime minister said his book "lifts the veil of secrecy or mystique" about how the Singapore Government and Cabinet discuss matters and reach decisions.
- SM Lee said that Lee Kuan Yew "put forth his views robustly, yet repeatedly and indeed obsessively sought alternative perspectives", was willing to be persuaded, and sometimes settled only after years of debate, illustrating the prime minister as primus inter pares.
Professor S Jayakumar's book aims to dispel myths surrounding Lee Kuan Yew's leadership style, asserting that he was not a dictator but rather a leader who valued collective decision-making.
In his book, Jayakumar states, "But, contrary to prevailing myths, especially in the mid-1980s, he was not a dictatorial prime minister who railroaded his proposals through a meek, compliant Cabinet. Instead, he took a collegial approach, consistent with the principle of collective responsibility in a Cabinet government."1
He highlights the importance of younger ministers like Dr. Tony Tan and Goh Chok Tong, who played crucial roles in shaping policies. Jayakumar emphasizes that Lee's willingness to listen and adapt was pivotal, suggesting that Singapore's constitution could have been "very different today" without this openness.23
The book also reveals Lee's approach to dissent, quoting him: "Look, to those who have reservations and disagreements, I ask you to put up alternatives... What is important is not that the solution I propose be accepted, but that there be a solution formulated which would be workable with a new guard in charge."
Jayakumar, who served in various Cabinet roles, aims to lift the veil on the decision-making process, stating, "It gives you a glimpse into the inside story of how deliberations took place on these issues, the arguments, the rebuttals, the point, the counterpoint, the dynamics of the personalities, and finally, how the process of compromise and consensus were reached, all with one thought uppermost in the minds of all the members of the Cabinet. That is, what would be in the interest of Singapore?"
“Jayakumar, 87, said the book 'lifts the veil of secrecy or mystique' about Cabinet deliberations, highlighting the 'crucial role' of younger ministers like Dr Tony Tan and Goh Chok Tong. He added that Singapore's constitution might be 'very different today' if Lee had been less willing to listen.”
AsiaOne
