tonymadagua.com

In this chapter LKY narrated how Singapore under his leadership navigated the intrigues about the imminent withdrawal of the British troops from Singapore and indeed the Asia because of its need to cut cost and also focus on Europe. The presence of the British forces in the South East Asia was a stabilizing factor for the region especially  to Singapore who looked vulnerable to attack from her neighbours and also the communist China and Russia who were ready to step into any vacuum that would be created with the exit of Britain from the region. The United States was already involved in Vietnam and was not in the position to deploy more forces to secure the South East Asia.

Lee Kuan Yew (LKY) in this chapter gave an insight into yet another teething and grave problem that threatened the survival of Singapore as a new independent nation. Upon independence and forced exit from the federation with Malaysia, Singapore was now  surrounded by hostile neighbours in Malaysia and Indonesia. The  colonial master Britain was uncommitted to the continued survival as an independent country on the pretext that it did not want to interfere with the internal problems of Singapore.  Other nations once though as "friendly" such as Egypt and India  due to their national interests stood aloof to help the new nation.   Singapore was thus left with no option than to deftly maneuvered the heavily political minefield to secure the continued independence and survival of the new nation.

LKY in this chapter re-echoed the basic facts and events that shaped his course of actions most of which happened during the formative years of Singapore as a nation. LKY was deluded to the fact that while "there are books to teach you how to build a house, how to repair engines , how to write a book, he had not seen a book on how to build a nation out of a desperate collection of immigrants from China, British India and the Dutch East Indies, or how to make a living for its people when the former economic role as the entrepôt of the region is becoming defunct."   Entrepôt also referred to as a transshipment port is a port, city, or trading post where merchandise may be imported, stored or traded, usually to be exported again without incurring liability for duty.

The preface to this book started with Lee Kuan Yew (LKY) clearly stating that " I wrote this book for a younger generation of Singaporeans who took stability, growth, prosperity for granted. I wanted them to know how difficult it was for a small country of 640sq. km with no natural resources to survive in the midst of larger, newly independent nations all pursuing nationalistic policies"