Lee Kuan Yew on the Teochews and Hakkas

["Dixie" <Dixie@singnet.com.sg>]

>From the book, Lee Kuan Yew - The Man and His Ideas,

.....
Lee had long pondered why some people, or societies, were better - more
skilled, hard-driving, predisposed to success - than others. Why indeed
were some communities able to progress faster? How is it certain ethnic
groups were more driven in the pursuit of material wealth? What explained
the dominance of some races in the upper echelons in societies, or in
certain professions? Why did they emerge ahead of other ethnic groups in
multiracial settings? Was it in the genes, a product of history, or both?

These were not just the philosophical musings of a curious intellect. They
were practical matters Lee believed had to be addressed if a society was to
succeed and stay ahead. The answers to these questions were crucial if one
were to understand the forces working with, or against, a people in their
effort to improve their lot. He had to know. And he believed that any
government that was interested in achieving better standards of living for
its people would also have to face these issues squarely, touchy and thorny
though they may be.

He grappled with these questions for many years. What was it, for example,
that made the Jews renowned for their shrewdness and intellectual prowess?
Why were Jews from some backgrounds more successful than others?

Closer to home, Lee noted similarly striking differences between the
various ethnic groups in multiracial Singapore, we well as among various
subgroups within each race. Looking around him in the Singapore Cabinet, he
found a disproportionate number of Teochew Chinese, whose ancestors hailed
from villages in southern China, as well as Hakkas, Lee's own dialect
group. He did not believe this was pure chance.

"Look at the number of smart Teochews there are...just count them. Teo Chee
Hean, Lim Hng Kiang, George Yeo, Lim Boon Heng. Is it a coincidence? In a
Cabinet of 15, how do you explain that? For that matter, the Hakkas
consider themselves very special too. They are tough, resourceful, they
were latecomers who got squeezed to the mountainous areas of the south when
they came from the north. They were the only Chinese group that did not
bind their women's feet, because they lived on hilly terrain, had to make a
living and couldn't afford to have women with feet bound. You also have
more Hakkas in the Cabinet than are represented in the population. They are
supposed to be hard-working, tougher and therefore higher-achievers. So
there are these differences even within the races.

** Teochew - the second most prevalent Chinese dialect group in Singapore,
with 212 600 speakers. Top on the list is Hokkien (465 500) and third is
Cantonese (203 400)

Note: Number of Hakkas is a distant fourth with less than 60 000 speakers
(estimated).


- Dixie