In the 1950s, Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew openly criticised what he described as the “sloppy” and “undisciplined” habits of his people. During self-government debates, he argued that a lack of discipline, punctuality, and civic responsibility would retard national progress, warning that independence would fail unless people changed how they behaved — not merely who ruled them.
He and other People’s Action Party (PAP) leaders criticised what they termed the “kampung mentality,” in which individuals were careless about personal cleanliness, maintenance of public spaces, tolerant of disorder and inefficiency, and possessed a mindset that “someone else will fix it.” They contended that this mentality was dangerous to the growth of a modern society.
To achieve cultural change, strict post-independence laws were enacted, pushing citizens to become orderly, law-abiding, and self-disciplined.
These leaders used blunt language to reset social norms, justifying tougher laws and enforcement to force behavioural change. They shamed bad behaviour, named faults openly, and linked discipline directly to national survival.
Our Prime Minister’s blunt “lawless dump” comments may similarly be an attempt to reset citizens’ mindsets and alter behaviour through tougher penalties and legislation.
The veracity of her remarks was evident in the chaos that ensued at licensing offices, reflecting widespread disregard for laws that had long existed. The imposition of higher penalties — the so-called “big stick” approach — triggered a mad rush to correct deeply entrenched indiscipline and lawlessness.
These laws exist to protect lives. Unworthy vehicles, expired insurance, and unlicensed drivers pose real dangers. Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Eli Zakour described the scale of lawlessness on the nation’s roads as “frightening.”
Those who defended an irate coconut vendor — who lacked a valid driving permit and insurance — would likely be the first to blame the authorities had his defective tyres failed or a coconut from his unsecured load smashed into a windscreen, causing an accident.
Thankfully, after public backlash, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar moved to introduce a Fixed Penalty Notice Warning System, allowing motorists time to repair vehicle defects before fines are enforced. She revealed that “a small minority of traffic wardens, licensing officers and TTPS officers have been abusing the ticketing system and terrorising law-abiding citizens.”
Law enforcement officers must be more cognisant of how they conduct their duties, so as not to create discord and resentment. Servants of the state who act in a draconian manner risk generating public animosity toward institutions, eroding trust in leaders elected to act in the public’s best interest.
A public social media platform can probably be developed by the ministry so people can highlight these officers, who can be investigated and, if found wanting, be removed or retrained.
Seventy-five years ago, Lee Kuan Yew viewed human nature as something that required training and discipline. He believed societal rights must take precedence over individual rights. Lacking natural resources, he maintained that Singapore’s survival depended on behavioural change rather than sentiment. His strict laws and heavy fines transformed Singapore from a fragile, impoverished backwater into the largest metropolis two degrees north of the equator.
However, this economic success came at a cost. In 1963, he imprisoned more than 100 communist sympathisers without trial, eroding civil liberties and suppressing opposition voices. He also introduced controversial eugenics and racial engineering policies, encouraging university-educated women to have more children while incentivising poorer women to undergo sterilisation.
Despite this, international leaders continued to praise him. In 2009, Barack Obama described Lee as “one of the legendary figures of Asia.” Tony Blair called him “the smartest leader I think I ever met.” It appeared that as long as an authoritarian leader kept a country open to foreign investment, abuses were overlooked in the name of commerce.
Lee’s memoirs reveal his political philosophy. He wrote of his goal to make Singapore “meritocratic, corruption-free and equal for all races.” He warned that “one person, one vote is a most difficult form of government,” noting that voters can become bored with steady improvement and opt for change for its own sake.
“In new countries,” he argued, “democracy has worked and produced results only when there is an honest and effective government. I do not believe that democracy necessarily leads to development. What a country needs to develop is discipline more than democracy.”
“I was never a prisoner of any theory,” he wrote.
“The acid test is performance, not promises. As long as leaders take care of their people, the people will obey their leaders.”
