Memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew Part 3

BLOODWORTH EDITED THE MANUSCRIPT, taking chapters as Lee wrote them over nearly two years, starting in May 1995. "He has a naturally good and vivid style and a good sense of humor," says the veteran journalist. "Although I slashed the manuscript to a considerable extent - the cuts consisted of about 15%-20% - he never made a complaint about it. He put up with changes that I myself would never put up with from sub-editors." Bloodworth reveals that early in their cooperation, Lee talked about the need to watch his words. "He has always been very sensitive, though the Malays may not believe it, about relations with Malaysia. But at the same time, if he was going to write his history, he had to write his history. And if he fudged it in some way to please the Malays, it would just be a false document and, of course, he couldn't embark on an enterprise like that."

Perhaps the most significant personal revelation is that Lee and his wife Kwa Geok Choo eloped, marrying secretly in Stratford-on-Avon in 1947 while both were studying in Britain. Lee writes touchingly about their romance. The couple start out practically as academic competitors. Then the relationship blossoms to the point where Lee makes a midnight balcony proposal to "Choo" in a scene Shakespeare might have penned. About to leave for Britain, he asks her if she will wait for him, given that she is more than two years his senior.

Later, Lee goes to great lengths to help secure his fiancée admission to a Cambridge college and find himself lodgings nearby. "All of Singapore knows that Senior Minister has a good marriage," says Chan Heng Chee. "He has spoken publicly about the importance of the choice of a right spouse. What comes across [in the book] is what a quiet, strong and supportive partner Mrs. Lee has been. He pays full homage to her."

To be sure, Lee dedicates his memoirs to his wife, who he says was his "one powerful critic and helper" who "went over every word that I wrote, many times." But Lee has stressed that he was writing for the younger generation of Singaporeans. "I was troubled by the apparent over-confidence of a generation that has only known stability, growth and prosperity," he writes in his preface. "I thought our people should understand how vulnerable Singapore was and is, the dangers that beset us, and how we nearly did not make it. Most of all, I hope that they will know that honest and effective government, public order and personal security, economic progress and social progress did not come about as the natural course of events."

Simon Tay, 37, a law lecturer and member of parliament, is one of the young people Lee is targeting. With all the rumors swirling about the book's contents, he was somewhat surprised to find it "not as explosive as some had feared. Although it was anticipated the book would basically savage dead people, it's not that way at all, but very subtle. It's good for the Singaporeans of that generation to write their memoirs so our history is more complete."

Should Lee have held back, given that relations with Malaysia were only recently upset by a land dispute over the Tanjong Pagar railway station in central Singapore? "Relations are so low now, one can make the argument that this won't make much difference," says Tay. He found Lee's account "a little self-serving at points. One of the things we've tried to avoid is the cult of personality. We don't name buildings after Lee Kuan Yew. We recognize the greatness of this man, but this is a further erosion of that idea that Singapore belongs to its people and while we recognize our heroes, we don't make them demi-gods. As for the title itself, I don't know whether he chose it or not, but how can we equate the Singapore story with one man?"

But for many Singaporeans - at least of older generations - and others, Singapore is synonymous with Lee Kuan Yew. Even though he stepped down as PM eight years ago, his pronouncements carry all the weight and importance of the active statesman he remains. Even young Malaysians take his words seriously. "Lee was a first-class leader at one time," says T. K. Tee, a 36-year-old Malaysian businessman. "But a few of his statements stirred up sour relations. He has to consider Malaysian sensitivities."

Though the second volume of the memoirs is practically complete, it is not expected to be published until next year, perhaps in September. According to Lee's publisher Stephen Troth, Lee is waiting for the Asian economic crisis to settle somewhat before writing the final chapter. This book is supposed to carry readers through his tenure as prime minister to the current regional economic troubles. It will be targeted more for an international readership. If the first volume is anything to go by, the next installment will be equally controversial.

- With additional reporting by Santha Oorjitham/Kuala Lumpur and Andrea Hamilton/Singapore