Not true that Lee Kuan Yew would just ram through firm proposals he had: Jayakumar
Singapore's founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew was willing to listen to the views of younger ministers, and would ask for alternatives to be put up should there be a disagreement on views, said former deputy prime minister S. Jayakumar on Wednesday (Aug 15) at the launch of his book.Titled Creating Three Unique Singapore Laws: An Inside Story, Prof Jayakumar's book provides an insider's account of how the elected presidency (EP), Non-Constituency Members of Parliament (NCMP) and Group Representation Constituencies (GRC) were conceived, debated and established through constitutional amendment.Addressing common misconceptions about decision-making in Lee Kuan Yew's Cabinet, Prof Jayakumar wrote in his book: «But, contrary to prevailing myths, especially in the mid-1980s, he was not a dictatorial prime minister who railroaded his proposals through a meek, compliant Cabinet. »Instead, he took a collegial approach, consistent with the principle of collective responsibility in a Cabinet government.”