The Rhetoric
“This time, it was very clear throughout that the young, the old, Indians, Malays, Chinese, Eurasians – they all backed the PAP across the board …It’s a very strong signal. Their concern was jobs, jobs, jobs. And they trust us, they believe we can deliver a solution for them.”
– PM Goh Chok Tong, Election victory speech, Straits Times, Nov 4, 2001The Reality
“It’s beyond our control. We can’t turn this economy around unless the American economy turns around. What we can do is to find palliatives, play for time.
– SM Lee Kuan Yew, Straits Times, Nov 2 2001