1. THE NIGHT BEFORE HIS HEART OPERATION to insert a stent in 1996, his second operation in two months, he was on his feet for more than 2 1/2 hours engaging about 1,700 undergraduates at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
He felt it was important to be talking to young Singaporeans about the future of the country and their role in it.
He wanted to help them understand how the country got to where it was and how to avoid the pitfalls that troubled other advanced countries.
As he said, " “They have grown up in a time of growing security and comfort and, by the time they learnt the pitfalls, it may be too late. So, why not try to lessen it?”
His concern for the younger generation grew stronger in the face of his old age and certain mortality.
2. THE DAY AFTER HIS STENT OPERATION, he kept up with his engagements and flew to Hong Kong to meet Bill Clinton putting Singapore before self.
3. In an essay for the Straits Times published on Oct 23 2011, Dr Lee Wei Ling, daughter of Lee Kuan Yew wrote:
Like my mother did when she was alive, I accompany him so that I can keep an eye on him and also keep him company. After my mother became too ill to travel, he missed having a family member with whom he could speak frankly after a long tiring day of meetings.
At the age of 88, and recently widowed, he is less vigorous now than he was before May 2008 when my mother suffered a stroke. Since then I have watched him getting more frail as he watched my mother suffer. After my mother passed away, his health deteriorated further before recovering about three months ago.
He is aware that he can no longer function at the pace he could just four years ago. But he still insists on travelling to all corners of the Earth if he thinks his trips might benefit Singapore.
We are at present on a 16-day trip around the world. The first stop was Istanbul for the JPMorgan International Advisory Council meeting. We then spent two days in the countryside near Paris to relax. Then it was on to Washington DC, where, in addition to meetings at the White House, he received the Ford's Theatre Lincoln Medal.
As I am writing this on Thursday, we are in New York City where he has a dinner and a dialogue session with the Capital Group tonight, and Government of Singapore Investment Corporation meetings tomorrow. After that, we will spend the weekend at former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger's country home in Connecticut. Influential Americans will be driving or flying in to meet my father over dinner on Saturday and lunch on Sunday.
Even for a healthy and fit man of 88, the above would be a formidable programme. For a recently widowed man who is still adjusting to the loss of his wife, and whose level of energy has been lowered, it is even more challenging.
But my father believes that we must carry on with life despite whatever personal setbacks we might suffer. If he can do something that might benefit Singapore, he will do so no matter what his age or the state of his health. For my part, I keep him company when he is not preoccupied with work, and I make sure he has enough rest.
References:
http://bit.ly/1InBXjA
http://bit.ly/1DAaDtQ
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