For subscribers
The pioneer civil servants dubbed the 'Eight Immortals' of Lee Kuan Yew
https://www.straitstimes.com/life/arts/the-pioneer-civil-servants-dubbed-the-eight-immortals-of-lee-kuan-yew
SINGAPORE - A lot has been written about the politicians who led Singapore from third world to first. Lesser known, however, are the civil servants who turned this vision into a reality - building Changi Airport, Singapore Airlines and the sea port, as well as world-class housing, healthcare, security and financial systems.
A new book, The Last Fools - The Eight Immortals Of Lee Kuan Yew, shines a light on eight pioneer civil servants who were instrumental in the nation's development, but are fading from public memory: George Bogaars, Andrew Chew, Hon Sui Sen, Howe Yoon Chong, Lee Ek Tieng, Ngiam Tong Dow, J. Y. Pillay and Sim Kee Boon.
"They ran the show, especially when it came to the finance and trade and industry portfolios driving Singapore back in the 1970s and 1980s," says the book's editor Peh Shing Huei, a former Straits Times news editor who is now a founding partner of content agency The Nutgraf.
"The position of head of civil service was rotated among five of the eight for an unbroken 31 years."
The idea for the book came about in 2015, when he was was working on Neither Civil Nor Servant: The Philip Yeo Story, a biography of former Economic Development Board executive chairman Philip Yeo.
Journalist Irene Hoe had e-mailed Mr Yeo to ask if he was one of the "eight immortals" - an octet of elite bureaucrats who had worked with the founding leaders to develop Singapore. Mr Yeo replied that he was a mere mortal.
Mr Peh, 46, knew about these eight men - he had covered Mr Howe's funeral in 2007 - but had not heard of the moniker till then.
His interest was piqued, but various commitments, including his work on the biographies of former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, meant he did not start the book sooner. But when Mr Ngiam, an outspoken critic of the public service and the Government, died in August 2020, Mr Peh decided it was time to stop dragging his feet.
The Last Fools is written by Mr Peh and seven other members of The Nutgraf team - one writer for each "immortal". They sifted through archives, old publications and interviewed former colleagues, family and friends of the eight men.
Mr Peh wrote a chapter on the late Mr Howe, whom he describes as "a true visionary". Mr Howe was the first chief executive of the Housing and Development Board, the first chairman of the Port of Singapore Authority, advocated building a new international airport at Changi, and fought for the development of the MRT system, going up against former deputy prime minister Goh Keng Swee, who proposed an all-bus alternative.
In his introduction, he notes that Mr Howe had once remarked, sardonically: "Singapore's success was built by fools, and I was one of them; can we find more fools among the young nowadays to continue the work?"
These so-called "fools" were the men who were willing to take on the challenges of serving the nation, eschewing an easier life that might have also paid better.
MORE ON THIS TOPIC
Singapore Shelf: 4 home-grown reads to check out in May
Book review: Boey Kim Cheng's The Singer And Other Poems hits all the right notes
The window of time left to capture the stories of Singapore's pioneers is closing by the day, notes Mr Peh, who regrets not having started sooner.
By September 2020, when The Nutgraf took on the project, six of the eight "immortals" had already died. Of the surviving men, only Mr J. Y. Pillay, the founding chairman of Singapore Airlines, was in good enough health to be interviewed. The family of Mr Lee Ek Tieng told the writers he was not well.
One reason why the eight were able to achieve the results they did, Mr Peh adds, was the trust that existed between them and their political masters. Mr Hon, Mr Howe and Mr Pillay knew the People's Action Party old guard from school.
"They were peers. Yes, one was the leader, and one was the civil servant, but in many ways they were equals - and were given the authority and trust to just run with it. "
The Last Fools hits the shelves on May 16, several months after the launch of former journalist Bertha Henson's biography of Mr Bogaars, Not For Circulation.
Mr Peh hopes for a resurgence of interest in semi-forgotten figures from Singapore's past.
"This expansion of voices is very important. We are not a country that was built by one man - there were a lot of people behind it."
The Last Fools - The Eight Immortals Of Lee Kuan Yew ($25.68) is available here
MORE ON THIS TOPIC
Trust, pragmatism, renewal: The book Lee Kuan Yew asked for but did not get to read
New book traces key developments of PAP in government
This article contains affiliate links. If you buy through these links, we may earn a small commission.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment