Dilrook Kannangara

Lee Kuan Yew is widely credited for doing the impossible – turning a less developed, small nation without natural resources into an economic powerhouse within a short period of time. Containing corruption was one tool he used to propel economic growth. He had this to say about it.

Once a political system has been corrupted, right from the top, the very top to the lowest rungs of bureaucracy, the problem is almost impossible to solve without a revolution. The cleansing and disinfecting have to start from the top and go downwards in a thorough and systematic way. It is a long and laborious process that can be carried out only by a very strong group of leaders with the courage and moral authority derived from unquestioned integrity.”

Singapore’s PM Lee Kuan Yew: CORRUPTION Requires REFORM! – YouTube

(https://www.youtube.com/shorts/XM5isAe__q8)

The statement has a number of parts. First, the level of corruption, then the essential requirement to overcome it (revolution) followed by the acts of cleansing and disinfecting the nation and the qualifications of its leaders who could do it. The first, second and third parts of what he says perfectly fits into Sri Lanka. The island nation has a corrupted political and bureaucratic system right from the very top to the lowest rungs of bureaucracy. That part is true. It is surely impossible to solve as can be seen by false promises made by politicians to end corruption but they themselves ended up in the corrupt pit. The need for a revolution is also correct. Although 2022 Aragalaya did not do regime change – the parliament which holds the sovereignty of the people was not dissolved or made powerless by it – the event galvanized people to subsequently use the ballot (not street violence as in Bangladesh, etc.) to topple the parliament. It can still be considered a revolution which brought to power a party known for and banned for its revolutionary ideas and action including violence and subversion in the past (1971, 1987-89) which it gave up in 1989.

Then comes the difficult part. The cleansing and disinfecting of the system. LKY did not mince his words when he used these harsh terms that refer to bacteria and other germs. Disinfecting is a process whereby harsh chemicals are used to exterminate germs. True to his words, Singapore used harsh means to clamp down on corruption, discord and treason. As a result, it has a poor civil liberties record. This has not happened in Sri Lanka.

Next, he puts down conditions on who can do it – a strong group of leaders with courage and moral authority derived from unquestioned integrity. While there are no perfect humans, it is also true that the present regime lacks courage and it is certainly not a strong group of leaders. Despite having 159 seats in parliament, they have been unable to do anything with the 2/3 majority that a hung parliament could not do; at least nothing so far. No Constitutional amendment has been made so far and no major changes to laws a regime with 2/3 majority could do. What is the use of 159 seats when a regime with just 105 seats could do?

Given LKY’s model for the cleansing and disinfecting of the society of corruption, Sri Lanka is failing and falling behind. As a result, the moral authority the regime has is also fading and waning. People voted them to power with the highest ever mandate for any government in Sri Lanka to cleanse and disinfect the corrupted nation. The regime is at a crossroads – do it and survive or fail it and go home.