People: A History Memo from Prof. Wang Gungwu, on Li Ka Shing, Lee Kuan Yew and Robert Kuok
It was a memo of a memorable piece of conversation with Prof. Wang Gungwu, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hong Kong in 1986 till 1995, currently Chairman of East Asian Institute and University Professor in The National University of Singapore.
It was not a usual afternoon especially with the hard weather in Singapore. It has been the 4th week of my master program in Public Policy in Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
As much as I am thirsty for the knowledge in new governance and leadership, Prof. Wang and I happened to meet in the public lecture by Dr. Jin Liqun from AIIB. To my surprise, he agreed to meet over tea the next day.
It was perhaps an eager to absorb history. The first and most memorable words from Prof. Wang were full of memory calling and personality description on several persons I have been reading, Lee Kuan Yew, Robert Kuok and Li Ka Shing.
Three of them shared very distinct background but commonly created visions and impact greater than everyone’s life ever.
While my work and study have been full of business, policy and development related knowledge, I still believe the most impactful inspiration comes from people.
As much as I would like to share the conversation, hereby I have rewritten and quoted a few conversations that Prof. Wang and I had, which perhaps would provide food for thoughts.
The Common Response to The History, The Time and Call for Emerging Entrepreneurship
While three of the persons were highly distinctive in their disciplinaries, fields and influence in the globe, they shared commonly several senses to the globe of time.
“They commonly had the intuition to react to the times of history, the waves of global change and development. It was hard for common people to even sense the difference, but they spotted the opportunity of time, grabbed the niche of change with great efforts, and played around with their unique personalities.”
RE: Lee Kuan Yew, The Ruthlessness for Power and Ambition to Change for the Greater Good
“Lee Kuan Yew was born a political genius. His sense to political leadership, act to lead and the instinct ability to read the source of power and authority was not something that can be taught.” — described by Prof. Wang, as the immediate recall of his memory.
As Prof. Wang recalled his earlier years working with Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, his eyes shined as if Lee was his closest brother of long decades, yet he also showed words of respect.
“Unlike Li Ka Shing and Robert Kuok, Lee was very ruthless, to achieve the level of power that he needed, ever since Singapore was still part of Malaya, but not for his own good. All he cared was his people…and he had no personal friend in fact. His whole life had been dedicated to his dream, vision and ambition to power. He believed only power would bring to change that he needed to see.”
“Lee was raised with his own extreme political charisma. He was well educated with his family. This shaped well the way he thought and the skills he took to demand more power to rule in the future.”
“Lee Kuan Yew was the unique kind of person who knows how to trace the source of power, and how to manipulate with it…not for himself, but for the people in his state(Singapore-then in Malaya, mostly ethnic Chinese). Yet the Malaya government saw his ability as threat, this led to the separation of the Singapore from Malaya…”
RE: Li Ka Shing, Memory, Network and Philanthropy
“Mr. Li was the person with unbelievably strong memory that I have ever met…I was still working with him when he was already very old, 70s…I was once in a meeting with him and he was interrupted by his assistant on another urgent business deal. He could promptly recalled the full names, companies and relations to sort out the business matters…It was his ulta-strength of memory that led him to the sense and capacity in global human network, of everyone’s characters and needs. Probably it also reflected that he took every matter very seriously…”
“Li also had his own way of displaying philanthropy. He was absolutely a man of great kind heart but he wouldn’t simply donate money or cash, but Li would have his way to manage his charity money so that the beneficiaries have to do something or work their ways out to learn…and then get the philanthropy. He believed that only diligence would lead to success and breakthrough.”
“If I wish to do business and make money, I would not invest in Shantou(汕頭). Yet I would dedicate to the moderate donation with the right way so the talents and young people in Shantou can be benefited and empowered with my resources.” — as quoted by Prof. Wang, on Li Ka Shing’s response while Li was blamed and complained by the local citizens in Shantou that he wasn’t investing in Shantou instead.
“While Li Ka Shing was very keen on charity, he knew where he could earn the money back. This was perhaps his principle…he needed to make some money before the end of every day, so that he felt achieved.”
RE: Robert Kuok, The Bravest, Most Disciplined and Keep A Distance of All Network
“Robert Kuok was another kind of business giant who held strong disciplines and personal opinions on business and ethics. Quite unlike Li, Kuok focused on several industries and opportunities that he deemed his values can maximise.”
“While Kuok was also one of a kind entrepreneur and business giant who dedicated and devoted a lot of resources to Mainland China back then when the economy just opened. Kuok the same time was keeping himself safe and distant from politics. He knows the influence power and he remained himself very low profile.”
Commonly: On Hong Kong, The Unique Influence
“While they based in different countries, three of them shared commonly strong and special attention to the city of Hong Kong. This is not simply a city for them to do business or politics. They considered Hong Kong a unique geopolitical ground to learn, to trace history and culture and re-shape influence and identity as an ethnic Chinese.”
Hong Kong has been a very unique city in the world that no others can compare, with its political-economic tie to motherland Mainland China, and its strong historic tie to Southeast Asia, ethnic Chinese communities overseas and the global trust built with the West.
“It comes to the younger generation to rethink how to preserve better the uniqueness of the city(Hong Kong)…while Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy may lecture a lot about the framework of thinking, policy and analysis, it doesn’t fully apply to every country. Yet, hopefully a small piece of experience among the years of studying here may inspire the next leader to create the greater ripple of leadership.”
