Remembering conversations with Singapore's leaders of yore

Founding fathers sought views of intellectuals despite differences at times

- Yew Lun Tian

The 1990s were a tumultuous period, with the Cold War just ended, the Soviet Union dissolved and the world thrown into uncertainty.

It was during this time that some of Singapore's top diplomats, Mr Kishore Mahbubani, Professor Tommy Koh and Professor Chan Heng Chee, found themselves invited to lunch from time to time with founding prime minister and then Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew.

"It was a new time and he wanted to test out his ideas. He didn't want people just to agree with him," said Prof Chan of the lunches with Mr Lee, adding that they did not go for the food, which was "very spartan".

"What was remarkable was Mr Lee actually listens, but he also pounces on the ideas he disagrees with and argues back, because he is a lawyer and he wants to win the argument," said the political scientist. "So if you melt, that's the end of it."

Prof Chan was speaking at a short discussion during the launch of Mr Mahbubani's autobiography, Living The Asian Century: An Undiplomatic Memoir, at the Fullerton Hotel on Aug 15.

The three veteran diplomats, together with eminent historian of the Chinese diaspora Wang Gungwu, were reminiscing about their interactions with Singapore's founding leaders, shedding some light on how the old guard leadership would solicit the views of intellectuals including those who disagreed with them.