MP Lee Bee Wah recently gave an interview to ST Sunday Life, which was published on Sunday (22 Apr).
LBW's Malaysian family and home village worship Lee Kuan Yew
She revealed that she was born in Johor. Her family later moved to Melaka and lived in a rubber plantation. She studied in Melaka and did well to do science at the University of Malaya but she wanted to be an engineer.
Her father then urged her to go to Singapore as her whole family worships Lee Kuan Yew even though they were Malaysians.
"My whole family - in fact many in our village - really admired, adored, Mr Lee Kuan Yew. That's why in my village, there are children named after Kuan Yew - Huang Kuan Yew, Lim Kuan Yew," she said.
She was later accepted by Nanyang Technological University to do civil engineering. After she graduated, she worked in construction firms before setting up her own company.
Needs personal space and doesn't wear make-up
Ms Lee told Sunday Life that before she got married in the late 80s, she told her husband-to-be that she needs her personal space as she has many friends. She wants to continue to keep in touch with them even after getting married. So, she told her then husband-to-be not to expect her to stay home to iron and cook for the family.
She also told him she doesn't wear make-up and what he sees is what he gets. "I don't wear make-up one you know. So is this what you want or not?" she recalled. She thinks that cosmetics are a waste of money and said that the only time she has ever put on full-blown make-up was on her wedding day.
It's no wonder she said that she would put her family last, after her MP and her other job roles. This can be seen in her name card. Apparently, it is made up of 6 name cards joined to form a 12-sided accordion-like stack. It details her various roles and job titles in the cards.
Joins PAP through then MP Inderjit Singh
In the late 80s, she took up the Singaporean citizenship.
She told Sunday Life that she got into PAP through Inderjit Singh. Mr Singh was her university friend and was a PAP MP then. She ended up helping Mr Singh in his ward.
She was later "spotted" by the upper echelons of PAP and was asked to stand for election in 2006.
She also told Sunday Life that she wants to "serve my resident, serve my country" and that politics is about "giving back" to Singapore.
When asked if she will contest the next GE, she firmly said, "99.9 per cent I am standing for the next GE."
No friend with WP
During the interview, she was unabashedly partisan. She told Sunday Life that she is friends with everyone except those from WP. "I seldom talk to them (WP MPs)," she said.
It is strange that as an MP of a first world country, Ms Lee is treating opposition MPs like enemies.
https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/20...m-friends-with-everyone-except-those-from-wp/
