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”

The Foreward to the book was written by Dr. Henry A. Kissinger. In the foreward, Dr. Kissinger explained the new global phenomenon with the emergence of scores of new states. The central role being played by new technology “was accompanied by an implicit assumption that politics, and even cultures will become homogenized”. The long established nations of the West have fallen prey to the temptation of ignoring history and judging every new state by the criteria of their own civilization”  The writer posited that “the institutions of the West did not spring full-blown from the brow of contemporaries but evolved over centuries which shaped frontiers and defined legitimacy, constitutional provisions and basic values”. The writer further stated that “the West developed gradually…”

It is my great pleasure to share on my website the history of a great leader Lee Kuan Yew who was the founding Prime Minister of Singapore from 1959-1990 and under his leadership Singapore was transformed from a third world country into a first world nation. This journey of transformation has been captured in his book “FROM THIRD WORLD TO FIRST The Singapore Story: 1965-2000”.
This book was published by HarperCollins Publishers Inc. in 2000.   The foreword to the book was written by no less a personality Dr. Henry Kissinger one-time Secretary of State of the United States of America.

The Book ” From Third World to First” The Singapore Story: 1965-2000 Lee Kuan Yew (Contents)