MM is MM, says PM
By Lydia Lim
THE current Cabinet's way of working with Singaporeans to get results is different from Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's way, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday.
While the elder Mr Lee understands the need for a different approach in working with a new generation of Singaporeans, he, however, cannot be other than himself in speaking his mind on issues.
'MM understands that, but MM is MM,' the Prime Minister said, to applause from the thousand-strong crowd at yesterday's lunchtime rally at UOB Plaza.
'Whether it is ordinary time, whether it's election time, you can be sure it's still the same MM,' Mr Lee said of his father, Singapore's first prime minister (right).
In a rare disclosure of Cabinet discussions, the younger Mr Lee said the Minister Mentor often asked him and his team of ministers why they did not proceed on a critical issue in a certain way.
'MM says: 'Why don't you do things in a certain way? Proceed, it's important, critical for Singapore.'
'And we say: 'Yes, we understand but, please, let us do it our way because we are different from you and it's a different generation of Singaporeans from the Singaporeans who worked with you and built this Singapore in the 1950s, 60s and 70s.
''So give us time. We know what we are doing, we will work with Singaporeans in our own way to deliver results.''
As many Singaporeans know, the elder Mr Lee, who is 87, 'tells it like it is'.
'When he tells you something, you know exactly what he's thinking and what he's talking about - straight from the shoulder, no ifs, no buts, solid hard talk,' PM Lee said.
Last Saturday, the Minister Mentor warned voters of Aljunied GRC, which he described as the only 'hot seat' in this election, that if they voted for the opposition Workers' Party, they would have 'five years to live and repent'.
The comment riled many whom The Straits Times spoke to, including supporters of the PAP's Aljunied team.
When asked for his response to PM Lee's comments, Foreign Minister George Yeo, anchor minister in Aljunied GRC, said: 'I think it's good that PM made that clarification, because MM's remarks puzzled quite a lot of people.'
Yesterday, the Prime Minister also made it clear that he and his team are now the ones in charge.
'This is the PAP Government, me, my team, and we are taking it forward - same strategic direction but doing it our way. I hope voters will understand and will support what we are doing.'
Elaborating on his team's approach, he said: 'We understand the hard truths. We understand what we need to do but we cannot do it - and we don't try and do it - MM's style. We do it our way.
'We spend some time to talk, to explain, to persuade, to understand the difficulties and the hesitations, to overcome some of these working problems so that we can go in the right strategic direction.
'And it's a difference in generations - between MM's team and my team, between your parents and you.'
By Lydia Lim
THE current Cabinet's way of working with Singaporeans to get results is different from Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's way, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday.
While the elder Mr Lee understands the need for a different approach in working with a new generation of Singaporeans, he, however, cannot be other than himself in speaking his mind on issues.
'MM understands that, but MM is MM,' the Prime Minister said, to applause from the thousand-strong crowd at yesterday's lunchtime rally at UOB Plaza.
'Whether it is ordinary time, whether it's election time, you can be sure it's still the same MM,' Mr Lee said of his father, Singapore's first prime minister (right).
In a rare disclosure of Cabinet discussions, the younger Mr Lee said the Minister Mentor often asked him and his team of ministers why they did not proceed on a critical issue in a certain way.
'MM says: 'Why don't you do things in a certain way? Proceed, it's important, critical for Singapore.'
'And we say: 'Yes, we understand but, please, let us do it our way because we are different from you and it's a different generation of Singaporeans from the Singaporeans who worked with you and built this Singapore in the 1950s, 60s and 70s.
''So give us time. We know what we are doing, we will work with Singaporeans in our own way to deliver results.''
As many Singaporeans know, the elder Mr Lee, who is 87, 'tells it like it is'.
'When he tells you something, you know exactly what he's thinking and what he's talking about - straight from the shoulder, no ifs, no buts, solid hard talk,' PM Lee said.
Last Saturday, the Minister Mentor warned voters of Aljunied GRC, which he described as the only 'hot seat' in this election, that if they voted for the opposition Workers' Party, they would have 'five years to live and repent'.
The comment riled many whom The Straits Times spoke to, including supporters of the PAP's Aljunied team.
When asked for his response to PM Lee's comments, Foreign Minister George Yeo, anchor minister in Aljunied GRC, said: 'I think it's good that PM made that clarification, because MM's remarks puzzled quite a lot of people.'
Yesterday, the Prime Minister also made it clear that he and his team are now the ones in charge.
'This is the PAP Government, me, my team, and we are taking it forward - same strategic direction but doing it our way. I hope voters will understand and will support what we are doing.'
Elaborating on his team's approach, he said: 'We understand the hard truths. We understand what we need to do but we cannot do it - and we don't try and do it - MM's style. We do it our way.
'We spend some time to talk, to explain, to persuade, to understand the difficulties and the hesitations, to overcome some of these working problems so that we can go in the right strategic direction.
'And it's a difference in generations - between MM's team and my team, between your parents and you.'
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