Quotessence
Home / Authors / Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew

Lee Kuan Yew Quotes

Singaporean Politician

Filter quotes by topic

AllSingaporeIfsPeopleInspiringThinkingBelieveGovernmentKnowsMenWayYearsLeaderNeedsDemocracyDoneEndsHas BeensLawMadeMind

Famous Lee Kuan Yew Quotes

“I have said this on many a previous occasion: that had the mix in Singapore been different, had it been 75% Indians, 15% Malays and the rest Chinese, it would not have worked. Because they believe in the politics of contention, of opposition. But because the culture was such that the populace sought a practical way out of their difficulties, therefore it has worked.”

WayBelieveSaidDifferentCultureDifficultyPracticalsOccasionsChineseOppositionSingaporeContention
Author:Lee Kuan Yew
Create image

“I started off believing all men were equal. I now know that's the most unlikely thing ever to have been, because millions of years have passed over evolution, people have scattered across the face of this earth, been isolated from each other, developed independently, had different intermixtures between races, peoples, climates, soils... I didn't start off with that knowledge. But by observation, reading, watching, arguing, asking, that is the conclusion I've come to.”

PeopleKnowsMenYearsBelieveHas BeensDifferentEarthFacesReadingRaceMillionsEvolutionEqualAskingClimateArguingConclusionObservationSoilIsolatedUnlikelySingapore
Author:Lee Kuan Yew
Create image

“But we either believe in democracy or we don't. If we do, then, we must say categorically, without qualification, that no restraint from the any democratic processes, other than by the ordinary law of the land, should be allowed. If you believe in democracy, you must believe in it unconditionally. If you believe that men should be free, then, they should have the right of free association, of free speech, of free publication. Then, no law should permit those democratic processes to be set at nought.”

IfsMenShouldBelieveLawProcessDemocracyLandSpeechOrdinaryShould HaveDemocraticPermitAssociationFree SpeechRestraintIf You BelievePublicationSingaporeQualificationsDemocratic Process
Author:Lee Kuan Yew
Create image

“They say people can think for themselves? Do you honestly believe that the chap who can’t pass primary six knows the consequence of his choice when he answers a question viscerally, on language, culture and religion? But we knew the consequences. We would starve, we would have race riots. We would disintegrate.”

PeopleThinkingKnowsBelieveChoicesCultureLanguageAnswersRaceSixConsequenceHonestlyPrimariesRiotChapsLanguage CultureCulture And ReligionRace Riots
Author:Lee Kuan Yew
Create image