“However, these values of the past are slowly being eroded with or without the government being aware,” according to Zainuddin Maidin.

Zainuddin said the older generation in particular would be able to recall the history of Singapore under Lee’s leadership. “His actions were dramatic, firm, smart, and he was brave in pushing for a people and a nation that was progressive, strong, clean, disciplined, loyal, modern, and educated.

“Lee did say once that if he saw something wrong in Singapore, even while he was being lowered into the grave, he would wake up to put it right.”

The people in Singapore, who are mostly of Chinese origin, appeared to be uneasy that the values that Lee had promoted were slowly being eroded, noted Zainuddin, a former Editor-in- Chief of Utusan Malaysia

“They blame this on the influx of Chinese from China challenging the dignity of the local Chinese. The local Chinese are mostly in blue collar work, when they are not in the professions, and all of them (Singaporeans) want to be towkays and bosses only.

“The local Chinese in Singapore are forced to put up with the Chinese from China, just as Malaysians have to put up with Indonesian workers. The Singaporeans and Malaysians want to be bosses only. They want to be King.”

One difference between Singapore and Malaysia, he said, was the noticeable absence of Indonesians and Bangladeshis in the republic. “The immigrants are mostly from China, if not India, and politics seems to play a role in this, besides there probably being economic and other factors like security and social problems.

“The Indian and Chinese immigrants in Singapore are allowed to apply for permanent residence after some time and go on to become citizens. Already, a million immigrants have qualified as citizens in this way. Lee has often reminded the people of Singapore that they were an island in the Malay Archipelago.”

Zainuddin noted that Chinese immigrants in Singapore worked as shop assistants not only in Chinese shops, but also mamak restaurants and Malay eateries or in other low-paying jobs. “Just take a walk along Gelang Serai and drop by the Malay shops or Zam Zam Restaurant in Arab Street. Malaysian visitors would be surprised that the waiters bringing them their orders are from China. Like Malays in Malaysia who avoid working in Chinese shops, the local Chinese in Singapore avoid working in local shops whether owned by Chinese or others.”

The Chinese immigrants in Singapore easily stand out, said Zainuddin. “Generally, they don’t speak English, they cycle around a lot, often a family of three on one machine. They are also noted for dashing across the road instead of following the rules.”

The neighbourhood in Singapore, unlike in Lee’s time, Zainuddin said, was going to the dogs. “There are illegal hawkers all over the place. In Gelang Serai, for example, they scatter when the police raid the place, and return after the police leave. I saw this myself when going through the place in a taxi.

“The mamak shops too appear to be free to place their tables on the pavements, along lanes, and outside their shops along the five-foot ways, just as in Malaysia.”

In a small way, recalled Zainuddin, Lee himself started the process towards the erosion of the values on which he had built modern Singapore. “He allowed gambling, prostitution and yellow culture.”

He wondered what would become of the Singapore where Lee banned chewing gum, the burning of incense in public, graffiti, spitting in public, throwing cigarette butts and rubbish indiscriminately, funeral processions, the open burning of corpses and the like. “Lee was also against the Chinese culture dominating Singapore.”

“He ruled with an iron fist and micro-managed everything for the Singapore he thought the people deserved.”