Singapore

""… the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history". - Winston Churchill referring to the surrender of the British forces by General Arthur Ernest Percival to General Tomoyuki Yamashita's Japanese Imperial Army on 15 February 1942 in Singapore, which marked the beginning of three and a half years of Japanese Occupation of Singapore"

""Whereas it is the inalienable right of a people to be free and independent, I, Lee Kuan Yew, prime minister of Singapore, do hereby proclaim and declare on behalf of the people and the government of Singapore that as from today, the ninth day of August in the year one thousand nine hundred and sixty-five, Singapore shall be forever a sovereign, democratic and independent nation, founded upon the principles of liberty and justice and ever seeking the welfare and happiness of her people in a more just and equal society." - Lee Kuan Yew, 9 August 1965, 10am, radio broadcast."

""For me, it is a moment of anguish. All my life, my whole adult life, I believed in merger and unity of the two territories." - Lee Kuan Yew, 9 August 1965, press conference at about noon, which was later broadcast in the evening."

""Singapore shall cease to be a state of Malaysia and shall forever be an independent and sovereign state and nation separate from and independent of Malaysia, and that the government of Malaysia recognises the government of Singapore as an independent and sovereign government of Singapore and will always work in friendship and cooperation with it." - Tunku Abdul Rahman, 9 August 1965, proclamation of Singapore separation from Malaysia."

""In the end we find that there are only two courses open to us: to take repressive measures against the Singapore government or their leaders for the behaviour of some of their leaders, and the course of action we are taking now, to sever with the state government of Singapore that has ceased to give a measure of loyalty to the central government." - Tunku Abdul Rahman, 9 August 1965, explained to parliament in Kuala Lumpur on Singapore separation from Malaysia, in the first reading of a resolution to pass the Constitution of Malaysia (Singapore Amendment) Bill, 1965."

""Top of our list of priority is the lift upgrading so that the lift will stop on every floor in as many blocks as possible." George Yeo, reported 29 April 2006"

""The PAP has quality control in our 84 candidates. We have D24 durians, Sultan durians and XO durians, all different kinds but excellent durians. All are super durians. But I don't know about other political parties because some are 'ho kua bo ho jiak' and there're worms inside too. Then it will be troublesome for people." Khaw Boon Wan, 29 April 2006."

""We need a capable government to be on top of all these issues, to look over the horizon, to respond faster than other countries, to mobilise Singaporeans so that we can work together and be something special, not just three and a half million people but one very shining red dot," Lee Hsien Loong, 24 April 2006."

""We don't have a majority, so we will fight this election," Lee Hsien Loong, 27 April 2006, on nomination day."

""Give me and my team a strong mandate so that I can continue to serve you. This election decides the course of Singapore for the next 15 to 20 years...many opportunities but also major challenges, must decide what the goal is and how to get there." Lee Hsien Loong, 28 April 2006."

""I hope Low Thia Khiang will come and spend time in Ang Mo Kio. Then I might spend a bit more time there too. … But the fact that Low Thia Khiang didn't decide to come to Ang Mo Kio tells you something. He's just sending gan si dui [suicide squad]. Somebody else can do that", Lee Hsien Loong, 29 April 2006, commenting on WP's contest at Ang Mo Kio GRC with a relatively young team. Lee added that even the bookies will not take a bet on the outcome in Ang Mo Kio GRC."

""Suppose you had 10, 15, 20 opposition members in Parliament. Instead of spending my time thinking what is the right policy for Singapore, I'm going to spend all my time thinking what's the right way to fix them, to buy my supporters votes, how can I solve this week's problem and forget about next year's challenges?" Lee Hsien Loong, 03 May 2006."

""Coming back from Pasir Ris-Punggol last night, I saw my son at the dinner table and asked him 'where have you been?' 'Ang Mo Kio Workers' Party rally.' 'What were you doing there?' 'Wanted to know, brought friends, 20 of them from school in uniform and went to hear.' I asked him 'what did you hear?' Don't know what they were talking about but every time they said something, they cheered - he said that. I said 'why don't you come to the PAP rally?' He said 'so boring and logical'. So I think it's okay. Many more (are) like that, want to hear but when it comes to the moment to vote and decide, I think they know what's in their interest." Lee Hsien Loong, commenting on his son going to Workers' Party rally."

""We want to have a First World parliament for Singapore, so we need to have a First World government and a First World opposition. If you want us to treat you as gentlemen, argue on the merits of your policy and our policy. Take it to a higher level and we will treat you accordingly and respond accordingly," Lee Kuan Yew, 24 April 2006."

""You watch the nine single seats. We fielded nine male Chinese, the Opposition also fielded nine male Chinese. What does that tell you? Without group representation, no minority candidate would be elected nor any woman candidate." Lee Kuan Yew, 28 April 2006, commenting on how the GRC system ensured minority representation."

""I want a world-class opposition, not this riffraff." Lee Kuan Yew, 28 April 2006."

"National Solidarity Party"

"Singapore Malay National Organization"

"Singapore People's Party"

"Singapore Justice Party"

""Ants see no obstacles. If you put a stone in front of them, they will make a detour or climb over it. We are like small ants in the political scene here. But when ants come together, they can move mountains." Desmond Lim, 6 March 2006"

""We don't want a parliamentary sitting to be a PAP party sitting. What we want is to hear alternative points of view," Chiam See Tong, 24 April 2006."

""Much have been spoken of my age. I am now 71 years old. But I assure you, I still swim 25 laps in a day in the swimming pool. On top of that I can do my work because I've got the good backing of an excellent team." Chiam See Tong, 28 April 2006."

""Do you know how they work in factories? They have got an assembly line system. Every machine, every device or any equipment, for example, a TV set, if they find that it is no good, they just throw it away and that TV set that is thrown away is called a reject. Now, that is what they are doing to our children when they were streamed in our schools. You make him do this exam and if he can't pass, you just throw him away as a reject. But that is not fair to the child. So I managed to change that." Chiam See Tong, 28 April 2006."

""If TT Durai did not sue SPH (Singapore Press Holdings), let me ask you, will our PAP ministers still be praising the NKF, Mr TT Durai and urging people to continue donating to the old NKF? If TT Durai did not sue SPH, would they, our world class ministers, know all the wrongdoings in NKF?" Steve Chia, 29 April 2006."

""In this election, we are not aiming to form the next government. Our 20 candidates are not enough to form the government so that's not an issue. What we aim to do is keep an eye on the PAP to ensure they govern Singapore well. Let the PAP form the government, let them distribute the money. But nobody is perfect and the NKF is a case in point. We must not let such an incident take place again," Yip Yew Weng, 29 April 2006."

""Lawyers for Mr Lee Kuan Yew and Mr Lee Hsien Loong have gone as far as to sue the printer, so much so that he is so frightened he dares not publish our election material." Chee Soon Juan, 27 April 2006, commenting that the PAP's legal action against the SDP is affecting their campaign at Sembawang GRC."

""We met the Sembawang GRC team from the PAP at the Nomination Centre this morning. All was amiable. All was amicable. We're very civil. Let's make it very clear — it's not personal, it's the issues that we're taking on. So, if you are expecting fistfights to break out, don't hold your breath." Chee Siok Chin, 27 April 2006, on how the SDP intends to conduct it campaign."

""If we win a GRC, you got nothing to lose. You know why? Because a GRC has at least 110,000 people. Can they afford to punish 110,000 people? Can they inflict pain and punishment on 110,000 people? Very difficult. They will try to win you back, because it is so important, and guess what? We will try to retain our seats. You will be king of the road." Eric Tan, 28 April 2006."

""The PAP has a history of trying to control all political content, and now they are trying to extend that control to new media as well. It shows just how bankrupt for new ideas they have become," he added, referring to the Internet ban and the PAP's newly promulgated party manifesto." Gomez's comment to Asia Times Online regarding the regulation of political content on the Internet, reported on 24 April 2006."

""Singaporeans and Singapore are First World. There is no doubt in my mind, but it does not mean that the government and the PAP are First World. Don't claim credit. Singaporeans and Singapore are First World, and this is the message I want to leave with you today. You are First World, Singapore is First World but the PAP government is not." James Gomez, 28 April 2006."

""I've also been brought up with values where my parents told me to be gracious and kind and that's the way I am. And as far as the party is concerned, we're not the suing type. So I don't think l have anything more to add. I have moved on." James Gomez, 13 May 2006."

""For the past year, we have at least one suicide every day. After you open a casino, what will the suicide rate be? This is not a joke. It is a social problem. I am against opening the casino.", Goh Meng Seng, reported on 29 April 2006"

""I am going to tell you the heart of the WP election campaign today. They are accountability, hope for the future and First World government," Low Thia Khiang, 24 April 2006."

""The election is supposed to be for macro issues, where you decide the future of the nation. You are deciding the future of the nation. Instead, we are talking local politics whether you get something or not… Politics here is no longer about your credibility as a candidate but depends on who is backing you. This value seems all wrong to me. Is this the sort of value that we want to carry on to the next generation of Singaporeans?" Low Thia Khiang, undated, reported 26 April 2006"

""Last night, Mr Lee (Kuan Yew) spoke here. This morning's paper, he said that he wanted me to sue him. Tonight, I want to tell him - come and sue me. I told the reporters, Gomez wrote his own apology, I corrected it. This is the truth. I am surprised. Mr Lee is the founding father, everything is based on facts, but this time he is making baseless allegations." Low Thia Khiang, 03 May 2006"

""Is he (Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong) trying to say that he cannot govern with 15 to 20 Opposition members? In most First World parliaments, they all have 15 to 20 opposition members, sometimes even more. Is he trying to say that he cannot withstand the WP challenge? I expect him to reply before Polling Day," Low Thia Khiang, 04 May 2006"

""What trouble have I made in Parliament? Please list them out for the public to know. If she cannot substantiate the claims tomorrow, I will demand an apology from her. Irene Ng is not a new candidate. She knows what transpires in Parliament. I will wait for her reply." Low Thia Khiang, 04 May 2006"

""(Upgrading) is a pressing problem for the nation. What message are you sending to people?....Think of yourself, whether you're upgraded or not. Vote for the PAP for your self-interest, that's the message. And is this the message and the value we want for Singapore? We will discuss it at our rally...So it's an issue. It's not localised issue, it's a national issue." Sylvia Lim, 29 April 2006"

""What does he (Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong) mean by 'fix'? Is he trying to say that he will destroy us? But these Opposition MPs are voted into Parliament by you. They are your voice. By saying that, is he trying to say he wants to fix you too?" Sylvia Lim, 04 May 2006"

""In some quarters, my team is considered as the 'dare to die' team. Let me make this clear. Life is sacred, life is precious and politics is serious. More importantly, my courageous team-mates and myself are mentally prepared to lose but that does not mean we are push-overs. It's because we have confidence in you, the people of Singapore," Yaw Shin Leong, 29 April 2006."

"“Now there’s a place I like to do business. Clean, organised, honest, efficient and no slums on the doorstep.”"

"Given its size and colonial history, Singapore lacks an aristocracy – landed or otherwise – which has been important for Singaporean politics. It has an urbanization rate of 100 percent, and the ethnic composition of its population is approximately 75 percent Chinese, 15 percent Malay, and 8 percent from the Indian subcontinent. Prior to independence, Singapore also lacked large capitalists or business interests and, since independence, the largest capitalists involved in Singapore are foreigners, who are seemingly promoted by the PAP at the expense of indigenous business interests. Founded by English-educated professionals and middle-class people, the PAP recruits its politicians from the professions and the civil service, not through party members. Indeed, the party exists mostly as an electoral machine; otherwise, it works through the government rather than through some independent grassroots organization. Lee Kuan Yew said in 1984, “I make no apologies that the PAP is the Government and the Government is the PAP” (quoted in Milne and Mauzy 1990, p. 85). Overall, we see that Singapore moved to democracy and independence as its citizens protested against British colonial rule, but the PAP rapidly established one-party rule after 1963. Since then, the economy has boomed, inequality has been low, and the PAP has maintained power through relatively benign means, fostering popularity through extensive social welfare programs as well as engaging in threats and coercion. Although there has been imprisonment and harassment, there have been no “disappearances” and there is apparently little opposition to PAP rule and little pressure for political change."

"Singapore has become a stratified society. Years of unevenly distributed growth in a neoliberal growth regime has led to emergence of a class of working and non-working poor who face insurmountable challenges in uplifting themselves from a ."

"Our maritime cluster today is vibrant, comprising more than 130 international ship groups and more than 5000 maritime companies across the full range of industry. We are well positioned to serve as a gateway to Asia, and provide a platform for businesses to benefit from the shifting of centre of gravity to this region"

"Against this macroeconomic backdrop, the outlook for the Singapore economy remains cautiously positive."

"The slash-and-burn technique being used is the cheapest land-clearing method and it is not only used by local farmers, but also employees of palm oil investors including Singaporean and Malaysian companies. We hope the governments of Malaysia and Singapore will tell their investors to adopt proper measures so we can solve this problem together"

"Singapura means lion-city; prehistoric, myopic, Sanskrit-speaking visitors having spotted a mangy tiger or two in the mangroves. Sly Malays sometimes call it Singa pura-pura, which means ‘pretending to be a lion’….It is a profoundly provincial town pretending to be a metropolis."

"Singapore. You look at their airports and their highways and their roads, and their everything, their infrastructure, and then you come back at home and you land at LaGuardia, you land at JFK, you land at LAX or Newark, and it's third world airports. It's so sad what has happened to our country."

"But democracies also took root because they generally outperformed autocracies in raising living standards. Markets do not always require democracy in order to function: South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and China all developed successful economies under less than democratic conditions. The Cold War experience showed, though, that it is not easy to keep markets open and ideas constrained at the same time. And since markets proved more efficient than command economies in allocating resources and enhancing productivity, the resulting improvement in people s lives, in turn, strengthened democracies."

"We got used to dividing the world into industrialized countries and developing countries – rich and poor. However, four East Asian tigers would soon disrupt our worldview. The British colony of Hong Kong and the city-state of Singapore did the opposite of all other countries, and opened their economies wide, without trade barriers. The experts claimed that free trade would knock out the small manufacturing sectors they had, but, on the contrary, they industrialized at a record pace and shocked the outside world by becoming even richer than the old colonial master, Britain. Taiwan and South Korea learned from this and began to liberalize their economies with amazing results. Their rapid growth took them from being some of the poorest countries in the world to some of the richest in a few generations. It was a global wake-up call because it was so easy to compare what the Chinese in Taiwan achieved compared to the Chinese in Mao’s China, and what the Koreans in the capitalist south created compared to the Koreans in the communist north. In the mid-1950s, Taiwan was only marginally richer than China. In 1980, it was four times richer. In 1955, North Korea was richer than South Korea. (The north was, after all, where mineral resources and power generation were located when the country was partitioned.) Today, South Korea is twenty times richer than North Korea."

"Singapore is not a normal place. Roughly five million people are crammed into a single city. ... The Singaporean government understands the central position Singapore holds in global finance, manufactures, and energy trade. Part of that understanding is an acknowledgment that every major power spies on Singapore incessantly. As such, the government maintains a track-and-trace program for foreigners as a matter of course."

"It is a great honor for me to be in this beautiful country, which with its small territory, but enormous abilities has become a focus of general admiration. Singapore stands out with its unique model of economic development, welfare and social progress, as well as for its cultural characteristics. We, the Armenians entertain special feelings for Singapore. The Armenians boast deeply-rooted historical ties with Singapore. It is no coincidence that the oldest Christian church in Singapore is the 184 years old Armenian church. And today, of course, we are proud that the small but vibrant Armenian community has left a worthy mark in one of the most beautiful parts of the world, which the whole world admires. We are pleased that the material and spiritual Armenian heritage of Singapore is cared for and preserved with due thoughtfulness."

"Singapore’s success was in part attributable to its ability to build on valuable aspects of colonial heritage."

""The Hakka are able to mould outstanding military men, their hardworking conduct having been developed through years of arduous livelihood in the mountainous regions. Praises of the Guangdong spirit by the Japanese actually refer to the Hakka spirit. A big majority of the officers and soldiers in the Guangdong army are Hakkas, the distinguished successes of Hakka military men have been attested by the modern history of China." – Zhang Fakui, Commander-in-Chief, Republic of China Army (1980)"

""Fortunately for me, I have a very high threshold for pain. I am a Hakka. Hakkas can take a lot of pain. So, I survived." – Lee Kuan Yew, founding father of modern Singapore (1997)"

""All of you should know that I, Lee Teng-hui, am a Hakka. Many of mainland China's leaders are also Hakkas. Hakka people are brilliant, isn't it?" – Lee Teng-hui, President of Taiwan (2000)"

""My grandfather is Hakka. The origin of Hakka is at the Central Plains. A Hakka cultural centre is opening in Zhengdong economic centre. I will be unveiling a statue of my grandfather in the cultural centre, to promote the Hakka spirit." – Sun Huifang, granddaughter of Sun Yat-sen, founding father of modern China (2003)"

""There is a piece of important experience not found in books, that is the Hakka people fine moral qualities in doing business based on integrity. This is the most precious legacy left behind by my Hakka forefathers." – Thaksin Shinawatra, Prime Minister of Thailand (2005)"

""The Hakka spirit in my blood has been calling me to take the challenge and shoulder the responsibility of being president like numerous Hakka women have done for the past hundreds of years." – Tsai Ing-wen, President of Taiwan (2011)"

""And I nearly broke down, but I won't break down. I am a Hakka woman. So farewell, Papa. I will miss you. Rest in peace. And...be as tough as Hakkas come." – Lee Wei Ling, daughter of Lee Kuan Yew (2015)"