Pioneers forgotten

2006 is the year that Singapore lost of 2 of her founding fathers of independence: S Rajaretnam and Lim Kim San. Unfortunately not many people knew of what they have done for our nation state till they have passed on. Rajaretnam was Singapore's first diplomat and was the one that crafted Singapore's pledge. Lim Kim San served as a bedrock in Singapore's Cabinet over the early years and held key positions in the government before moving into the private sector.

Why have most people not even heard of these founding fathers such as David Marshall, Lim Yew Hock, Goh Keng Swee, Toh Chin Chye, Ong Pang Boon, etc, etc? One of the main reason is due to our education when only Lee Kuan Yew had been glorified in our history textbook. Either through accident or coincidence, our students learn nothing of the post-independence events except for the fight against communism.

These founding fathers including Mr Lee Kuan Yew sacrificed their youth and their career to ensure Singapore reached the stage it is now. Let us show an acknowledgement for these founding fathers and also ensure that their legacy are never lost to history.