Lee's Lieutenants: Singapore's Old Guard

by Lam Peng Er (Editor)

Book by

Genres: History, Politics

250 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1999

About the author

Lam Peng Er is a Senior Research Fellow at the East Asian Institute, National University of Singapore. He obtained his PhD from Columbia University, and has published in various internationally refereed journals such as the Pacific Affairs, Asian Survey and Japan Forum. His latest single-authored book is Japan’s Peacebuilding Diplomacy in Asia: Seeking a more active political role (Routledge, 2009).

Reviews

[Reza Amiri Praramadhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Singapore’s history revolves ever closely to the person of Lee Kuan Yew, that it was easy to overlook the fact that in creating Singapore like it is today, he worked as a team member of People’s Action Party men, albeit with a status that can be described from primus inter pares right to an autocrat. Just like what the book title suggests, in this book we learnt about Lee’s teammates, their contributions to Singapore’s nation-building, their relation with Lee Kuan Yew, and their reaction when the inevitable being sidelined moment came.

Divided into clusters of their roles within PAP’s nation building, an important exception was made for Lim Chin-Siong, a leftist PAP who was accused of being a communist (an accusation he ambiguously denied), and expelled from the party, in turn being a victim of Operation Coldstore. While some are mention passingly, others, like Goh Keng Swee was afforded two chapters of his own. My particular interest was the Eurasians featured in this book, which, upon their departure from the scene of politics, eurasians have not afforded a place in Singapore’s current politics. Others would be the Old Guards’ reaction of being sidelined, with some of them accepting that fact, while others turning into an opposition within the party and bitter critics.

In the end, this book is an important one to understand better the politics and the history of Singapore behind the onslaught of Lee Kuan Yew’s hagiographies, which are ubiquitous and masking the true history of Singapore.

[Fern · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting look at the PAP old guard and the various roles they played in the early years of Singapore’s independence.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is not propaganda. Despite the initially misleading title, this book is truly a brilliant work of scholarship! It discusses figures ranging from the more well-known Goh Keng Swee, to the less well-known EW Barker, to polarising figures like Devan Nair and Lim Chin Siong. This book also shows the difference in mindset in Lee's fellow old guard who quite often spoke up against certain policies like the NMP scheme and GRC scheme - not quite the monolith as expected in popular culture.

This book is not propaganda. It has it's valuable place in the study of Singapore history - providing interesting and fresh perspectives to the dominative narrative. What a book!

[Vidhya Nair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptionally written with a lot of detail & nuance. I enjoyed every chapter and character. None of them were painted as heroes or saints but critiqued for their ability, contributions & circumstances. A must read!

[Guanhui · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is often easy to resort to a Great-Man centered approach toward charting the development of a country. This book provides an excellent alternative framework by positioning PAP's success through the mulitifocal lens of disparate individuals - ranging from ideologues to businessmen to teachers to lawyers to intellectuals - who came together under one banner in the most fortuitous manner in Singapore's history.

[Wisteria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nuanced and critical perspectives on the role of the Old Guards in the founding and nation-building of Singapore.