Hello.
It’s the 100th anniversary of Lee Kuan Yew’s birth tomorrow, on Sep 16. Mr Lee, the founding Prime Minister of Singapore, was not one to care about what others thought of him. Once asked how he would like to be remembered in history, he replied that he would be dead by then and that it would not matter to him.
He was more concerned about Singapore’s future. The nation was built on Mr Lee’s ideas, and as Singaporeans commemorate the first centenary of his birth, former veteran newspaper editor Han Fook Kwang looks at which of his ideas are still relevant today and which are not.
Internationally, all eyes were on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin as they met for talks in Russia. It marked Kim’s first trip abroad since 2019, and even his mode of travel – a luxurious, heavily armoured train – was highly scrutinised.
While both leaders exchanged warm handshakes and affirmations of strong ties, Kim was the one with leverage, says Pusan National University’s Robert Kelly. If Russia is seeking North Korean ammunition for its war on Ukraine, then it really is in a sorry state. But for North Korea, the split in the global community over Ukraine is a gift.
Malaysia marks the 60th anniversary of its formation tomorrow. Sabah and Sarawak, long considered poor cousins of Malaysia’s 13 states and three federal territories, have become kingmakers in the country’s changing political landscape.
Members of Parliament from Sabah and Sarawak have been crucial in giving Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government a parliamentary majority, but as development lags in the Borneo states, tensions are growing, says CNA’s Leslie Lopez.
We hope you enjoy our selection of commentaries this week.
Erin Low
Deputy Editor, Commentary
.jpg?itok=fHkrjj4c "Singapore was built on Lee Kuan Yew’s ideas - which are still relevant today and which are not? 35")
