The Star Online, 21 Sep 2013
As Lee Kuan Yew celebrated his 90th birthday last week, one of his legacies – an elitist leadership – was given a few hard jolts.
Whether the founding leader had intentionally devised it or simply encouraged it through his scholars-as-leaders policy or eugenics theory, a form of elitist environment has taken a grip on Singapore.
It created a new breed of highly-paid civil servants, some of whom became dominating and arrogant, who helped to govern a questioning middle-class population – not the best of combinations.
A number of them are accused of having lost touch with the common folk because of their high salaries and lavish living. As a result, the class rift has worsened, aggravated by a widening gap between the rich and poor. It has also reduced support for the People’s Action Party (PAP).
The government is not aiming to eliminate, only to remake, elitism, which exists everywheres. Full story
