The Dark Shadow Shrine

embrace the darkness; that you may see the light nestled within it......

Saturday, March 28, 2015

LKY, "I'll chop off your head...." and a touching anecdote

There's been an avalanche of articles on LKY during this national mourning week....I hope u have been following some of them - if not all -- esp if u r a local student.....Here're two pieces:

1) an interesting quote by our founding father, in his typical acerbic fashion:

"If from the start, you say it cannot be done, I'll chop off your head. But if you try it three times and fail, I'll still give you a medal".

2) A touching piece -- hanky-alert!














Apologies to the non-Chinese. Let me attempt to translate:

Taxi uncle's words;
Girl listened until eyes teared

Why is our nation's founding father, Lee Kuan Yew, so fierce? An old taxi driver told a female passenger yesterday -- it's because of love, because of protecting those that he loves. Hence, he is harsh with his words, but has our interests at heart.

Yesterday, the female passenger, Joyce Lim, posted on facebook that the driver was around seventy years old. After she heard what the driver had to say, she cried for the first time in a taxi, because she was too touched by his words.

She said, these are the driver's words:

"Miss, let uncle tell you ah. I've met Lee Kuan Yew a few times, because he was our Tanjong Pagar's MP. Many people said that he is very fierce lah, black-hearted lah, but you don't believe them. Just ask them whether they have ever met Lee Kuan Yew with their own eyes first."

"Mr Lee may look very fierce, but he treats people very well. I once approached him for some help. He did not look down on a nobody like me, did not ask his subordinate to attend to me. Instead, he helped me personally himself. He has an excellent memory. We only met twice, yet he could remember my name. Who am I to warrant this? To think he actually remembered me! I can only say this is because I am his citizen, a member of the nation."

"Why did Mr Lee have to be so fierce in the past, so strict. do you know? It's because we are a tiny island with nothing. The people had no education, no money, lived on mudflats. So he had to rouse the people. He single-handedly fought for Singapore, fought against the terrorists, fought against the opposition, fought against those who wanted to bring Singapore down. Faced with so much difficulties and obstacles, of course he had to be a bit fierce lah."

"Uncle here use my life to bet with anyone. In today's world, who else has the capability to -- within fifty years -- transform a tiny backward island from a third world nation into a first world country?"

"Do you know, uncle here have never shed a single drop of tear in forty years. But yesterday when I was driving a passenger to the Singapore Expo, I saw from afar the TV screen showing Lee Kuan Yew's body being sent from the Istana to the Parliament House. I could not control myself any more. I hid in a carpark and cried for a full thirty minutes. Sigh..It's a pity that this year's national day, Mr Lee is unable to celebrate together with us our nation's fiftieth anniversary."

Last night, our newspaper shared this post on our facebook at the first notice. Quite a few readers said that they also could not control their tears after reading.

Netizen, Cap Zakir, said, "Both my eyes are moist. Tears are threatening to roll down. What uncle said went deep into my heart. Very touching."