INTERVIEW: Singapore's Ex-Foreign Minister George Yeo on Section 377A, 4G leadership and China

In a wide-ranging interview, Yeo addresses his new book "Musings" and issues such as Section 377A, the 4G leadership and China's Xinjiang dilemma.
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[@naanyangdiaries]

The interviewer is slow at trying to get what Mr Yeo was trying to say. Mr Yeo already said that he was neither in agreement nor denying what Tucker Carlson said, he was simply intrigued by the comment from Carlson supporting the Chinese. The interviewer clearly has a biased view in his head and could not get it out. NYT a credible media? Oh please.

[@junglstory]

this is a great case study in watching a pre-schooler interview a professor

[@dunzhen]

how tf is it possible people STILL think this? good grief

[@edwardtan6541]

NYT creditable media? any western media when talk about China we can feel the bias lol

[@whitequetzal3574]

A very interesting man. The interviewer was excellent to. If there's anything that can be said about Chinese culture and values effecting governance it is the dichotomy between Li and Luan, order and chaos, and the massive amount of value placed on Li. One must look at all three Chinese philosophies in order to come to a judgement on Han culture's influence, namely that of Kong Tzu, Laozi, and Siddhartha Gautama. Qufu is the Athens of East Asian civilization and Lhasa and Quren its Jerusalem. The dichotomy between these three places is what shapes Beijing, the city of might and the capital of China, the great, now steel, Dragon. Lhasa provides the ample detachment from unnecessary suffering through resistance to rumination, Quren allows one to be the river, to do without effort that which can be done (in the West this is known as spontaneous order), and Qufu creates sages of unmatched knowledgeability. These three things together make for a robust, tough, orderly, wise society. This built an empire that has lasted for at least four thousand years, and it is still by far the greatest under the Sun, closely behind are several others. It can take any hit and win without fighting its enemies once, as well as out-fox and out-engineer any opponent. Beijing, however, puts on the dragon's claws. China is the high-tech workshop of the world, they are in the same place we were before World War Two. One day those factories that make trinkets and technology, will make the weapons of war, and China will be as magnanimous in victory as it is invincible on the battlefield. America is Western and has a native history stretching back thousands of years both on the continent and elsewhere, but our main history began with the revolution. Since then we have become the largest supplier of finance that has ever existed. It's true that China and everyone else on Earth lends us money, but we manage it, and through our management of risk we have the potential to be as advanced in finance as the Dutch were in the 1600's during their golden age. That made them the financial capital of the world despite being outnumbered ten to one by some of their opponents, and in those wars they WON. The reason we can do this is because the same thing that lets the Chinese out-fox and out-engineer, their top talent going into one industry, in China's case, governance, we put our top talent into finance, and since our East is a great fertile region like Eastern China, we will one day we will be equal powers. They will be stronger and wiser, but we will be richer given a good government. I'm trying to get rich enough to fund the election of such a government, but I admit I'm starting from scratch.

[@localwhatevermischistory9884]

George Yeo certainly deserves a better and more credible and qualified interviewer as this yahoo chap based some of his questions on one sided unreliable sources!

[@dinoyuan1574]

Terrible interviewer

[@huangzb8060]

He is not fit to be an interviewer.

[@CloneJFK]

This Nicholas Yong guy is so out of his depth it's almost painful to watch. Get a better interviewer next time.

[@jinki]

very lousy interviewer

[@greatasia606]

This angmoh kia is really too shallow! NYT is credible?! For him, angmoh must be really tua kee! Ha ha ha!

[@kapk]

Very propagandized interviewer, sadly seems to be a very common occurrence. Does not bode well if these are the supposed truthseekers. Understand the hybrid war.

[@jeremyt7448]

Yeah other commenters are right, interviewer isn't the sharpest tool in the shed.

[@aleekamui]

The interviewer has been reading lots of Western Media it seems ...

[@anchored555]

He works for Yahoo. What did you expect?

[@davidmaxwaterman]

That's ok. A lot of the audience will have those same biases and so also the same questions, so it is great that they are asked and answered.

[@MrJack007bond]

Yes

[@maxzeleweski3120]

Yong: "NYT, credible media outlet". LOLWUT? hahahahaha

[@lewekim]

The Interviewer looked arrogant. The way he calls Lee Kuan Yew. Where is the Mister? Act as though he is the next Charlie Rose. Be humble Mr. Interviewer!

[@huangzb8060]

He is not only arrogant but also ignorant. He also thinks he is ang moh.

[@ahuon9946]

The young journalist, western-educated, is no match for his wise taoist elder. Completely outclassed.

[@hartonolee]

I think we have to give the journalist a thumbs up also. His questions are not easy and he gave a fair chance for a response.

[@justineesun3396]

educated? wisdom is profound not on mere 'education', didn't hear enough oF GY , '禮貌?' so lacking in the way of the talking by this chap! pathetic is understatement.

[@davidmaxwaterman]

...a bit harsh. He asked questions his audience would also ask, imo.

[@TheMawashigeri]

I thought the interviewer did well.

[@mengsiongkheng113]

Taoist? He is a Catholic. Just saying.

[@noneone3310]

58:45 that joke about amaricans strong "advocate" for chinese muslims was originated from chinese social media. quite accurate and lucid😂😂😂

[@vivektnl]

inadequate interviewer, the mood, the tenor, and the quality of questions, leave much to be desired

[@justineesun3396]

a blunt is as much what holds in one's personality, (of education sic) albeit arrogantly with taunted intend perhaps, well, in the term of 'journalism' qualification (to talk) as thus.

[@edwardtan6541]

I can fell the interviewer bias towards America already although i think he is a SG Chinese

[@eugenedebbs2189]

Yea lol. Credible NYT media which said Saddam has nuclear weapons, Iraq has links to al-Qaeda, the Havana Syndrome is a Russian operation amongst other conspiracy theories.

[@winsonhan2187]

He wishes that he is angmoh.

[@anchored555]

He works for Yahoo. So the bias isn’t surprising.

[@eugenedebbs2189]

@@anchored555 True, all these US mainstream media outlets are basically just mouthpieces for the US govt.

[@huangzb8060]

He is a banana and eat potatoes only!

[@sohbenny8485]

Mr Yeo offers many valuable perspectives as usual. Thank you Yaoo News for organising this interview.

[@everythingandmore5537]

Yeo says his cousin from Xinjiang went there recently started minute 59. His cousin a Han Chinese from Xinjiang said everything is fine there. What a joker. A Han Chinese from Xinjiang isdefinetly CCP. At minute 4 Yeo said training centres with barb wire and guard towers with search lights are not concentration camps but education centres. Yeo is a typical Han Chinese from Singapore who turns a blind eye to the genocide like behaviour of the CCP for profits. He brought shame to Singapore.

[@richardboh4853]

😅 A

[@oldtabrough1026]

I totally agree with him. Some of the FTs that I met thinks that we owe them. Ya ya papaya

[@williamfrancis234]

Mr George Yeo is as brilliant and gracious as ever. Always an officer and a gentleman. Proud to have had him as our Foreign Minister. Makes me wonder how such a brilliant minister could have been unseated by a thinking public. I know he will always have the utmost respect of all Singaporeans.

[@ongernie7216]

Pea brain

[@bearbearcutecute]

With grace and gratitude, he took upon himself to accept the electoral defeat in 2011 by giving the final press conference ALONE. What a leader! What a gentleman! Respect, Sir George Yeo! 🙏

[@rudytrulytruly7467]

But he is coward never fight back,just lost and ran away

[@bearbearcutecute]

@@rudytrulytruly7467 Contrary to your opinion, Sir George Yeo went on to fight other even more important battles in life, such as his wife's illness and the establishment of autonomy at India's Nalanda University.

[@rudytrulytruly7467]

@@bearbearcutecuteSir George? Lol ! Thanks for arse licking

[@justineesun3396]

was GY defeated or make a sacrificial lamb in Aljunied...go read some history or turn the time around to watching what Politics entailed.

[@rudytrulytruly7467]

@@justineesun3396 he was not close to the people

[@yttean98]

In an Asian country like Singapore with multiethnic groups, we learn to live with one another ie "Give and Take" to sustain a peaceful environment. The Europeans and the Americans can learn about this from the Asians.

[@ahuon9946]

Violence and conflict is a fundamental part of their way of life. It is their strength and their weakness.

[@oceanwave4502]

In America, you can change parties, but can't change policies. In Asia, you can't change parties (China, Singapore, Vietnam), but policies can adapt to new situations flexibly.

[@alletseel]

This interview could have been different and so much better if the questions asked were reframed. Almost like a wasted opportunity. So many of the questions from the interviewer took an adversarially moral/righteous angle in nature instead of probing George Yeo the rationale behind issues. There was also a lack of flow in the interview, and prob due to the poor questions.

[@greatasia606]

Re-education camps in Xinjiang?!!! They are the VITBs and ITEs. Too shallow, so never heard of Industrial Training Board (ITB) and the Adult Education Board (AEB)?

[@junglstory]

this is a great case study in watching a pre-schooler interview a professor

[@JennyMan2012]

A casual observation of the body language. Mr Yeo, such a prominent politician, he sat with his legs firmly on floor and arms resting on high thighs, serious and honest. Being responsible to what he said. While the interviewers fold his legs with one arms resting on the table. Casual and relaxed and it appears he takes this interview quite lightly. Mr Yeo should scrutinise his interviews and didn't waste his time.

[@whitequetzal3574]

A very interesting man. The interviewer was excellent to. If there's anything that can be said about Chinese culture and values effecting governance it is the dichotomy between Li and Luan, order and chaos, and the massive amount of value placed on Li. One must look at all three Chinese philosophies in order to come to a judgement on Han culture's influence, namely that of Kong Tzu, Laozi, and Siddhartha Gautama. Qufu is the Athens of East Asian civilization and Lhasa and Quren its Jerusalem. The dichotomy between these three places is what shapes Beijing, the city of might and the capital of China, the great, now steel, Dragon. Lhasa provides the ample detachment from unnecessary suffering through resistance to rumination, Quren allows one to be the river, to do without effort that which can be done (in the West this is known as spontaneous order), and Qufu creates sages of unmatched knowledgeability. These three things together make for a robust, tough, orderly, wise society. This built an empire that has lasted for at least four thousand years, and it is still by far the greatest under the Sun, closely behind are several others. It can take any hit and win without fighting its enemies once, as well as out-fox and out-engineer any opponent. Beijing, however, puts on the dragon's claws. China is the high-tech workshop of the world, they are in the same place we were before World War Two. One day those factories that make trinkets and technology, will make the weapons of war, and China will be as magnanimous in victory as it is invincible on the battlefield. America is Western and has a native history stretching back thousands of years both on the continent and elsewhere, but our main history began with the revolution. Since then we have become the largest supplier of finance that has ever existed. It's true that China and everyone else on Earth lends us money, but we manage it, and through our management of risk we have the potential to be as advanced in finance as the Dutch were in the 1600's during their golden age. That made them the financial capital of the world despite being outnumbered ten to one by some of their opponents, and in those wars they WON. The reason we can do this is because the same thing that lets the Chinese out-fox and out-engineer, their top talent going into one industry, in China's case, governance, we put our top talent into finance, and since our East is a great fertile region like Eastern China, we will one day we will be equal powers. They will be stronger and wiser, but we will be richer given a good government. I'm trying to get rich enough to fund the election of such a government, but I admit I'm starting from scratch.

[@bellybutton6138]

New York Times is credible? Hahahahahaha. Are you sure?

[@gideonlee6244]

Exactly. He seems to be totally brainwashed by NYT and CNN. This reporter hasn’t even been to Xinjiang it seems. He insists it’s wrong despite Mr Yeo giving his piece.

[@taipangwong356]

Aiyoyo you Karen stay at hime la, stop telling people what to do. You keep your house in order first la, why kePAPchi elsewhere

[@toontwee]

named as Mr George Yeo is brilliant enough to quote Ex-Foreign Minister is not necessory

[@stephenlock7236]

Quite a torture with the host's basic knowledge and obviously seeing everything with a western bias.

[@HTeo-og1lg]

Did I hear the interviewer saying that NYT is a credible source of news? 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@ona2779]

Let's implement that citizenship jury where local Singaporeans judge and decide if the applicants can qualify to be Singaporeans. Test of sincerity and intangible contributions are necessary.

[@gideonlee6244]

Dear interviewer, Who are you to judge Tucker Carlson has no credibility? And you say source of info should be from NYT for credibility? Just because he reported on conspiracy theories before doesn’t mean he isn’t asking the right questions this time. Shouldn’t a journalist be unbiased enough to be open enough to see this?

[@greatasia606]

物久则废，器久则坏，法久则弊。 There is a sea of incompetency across all civil services. They have become more elitist and unresponsive.

[@limlisa]

Don't agree. Like that China more incompetent civil service.

[@greatasia606]

When a Singaporean Chinese explains China, he or she must do it like a Singaporean Malay explains Islam. We are an English speaking Asian society, we will have big troubles down the road if we continue to allow those who think angmoh tua kee to have the narrative.

[@pluto9870]

Contradicting your own point

[@BeachBoi1000]

If I wear brown shoes for interview, I won’t get the job.

[@awjames1121]

May i suggest that singapore use the 80/20 % for all things to be fair to all races.?? In paliment, ministers, all government departments, state own enterprises, Gic own businese, temasek own business, medias,reporters, uniform groups, police, armys, navys, airfoces, and others+++×+++

[@raymondfoo6167]

I'm surprised by the interviewer's lack of knowledge as a journalist on the Xinjiang issue. Also, on many other issues. It'll help if he takes time off and do more traveling and find the facts..

[@jameshue55]

You may have limited selection for interviewees but i am certain you have plenty for interviewers.

[@maikeirini4631]

This is the first time I hear him saying he's a Toaist. I'm sure he knows there are certain elements of true Toaist beliefs that are incompatible with Catholicism.

[@liarliar3412]

The number of comments in Top Comments and Newest First doesn't add up again. 😁

[@anghockseng5686]

I think the 4 g leader And has a conversion With geoge yeo

[@davidmaxwaterman]

I wish someone fluent with the Singaporean accent would do some subtitles. The automatic ones are pretty poor in places, making it a challenge.

[@magnaviator]

it's not hard to understand, no harder than australian... maybe you should listen to it again. Dont be lazy.

[@TheMawashigeri]

Turn up the volume or wear a hearing aid dude.

[@anghockseng5686]

Good

[@nanhinting7447]

😴😴😴

[@templarminer8113]

Why was editor so stern and serious…..? Smile buddy….

[@tkk685]

I have more trust in Tucker Carlson than NYT to be honest

[@denisechan5992]

George Yeo has good knowledge to share but unfortunately his talk is like a monologue. This is excaberated by the listless interviewer.

[@greatasia606]

Have reached a point where you can be more relax? Yeah! McDonalds: S$1750 per month Ya Kun: S$2000 per month Many Singaporeans remain poor for life in spite of having worked full-time jobs for decades.

[@BeachBoi1000]

Poor in Singapore.

[@mingxuan4525]

Why are you so entitled? Why must the world guarantee you riches for working hard? Everybody works hard, but not everybody works smart and is smart. There are Singaporeans that are making good money. If you are working in McDonalds and Ya Kun forever you should really look yourself in the mirror. Learn to upgrade yourself, don't just blame the government for your own weakness. If you cant live with 2500 in McDonalds you can do grab or sales with the same qualifications. You entitled mojo. Stay woke

[@thatone8085]

How much is enough to you might be different to another person ? What about comparing to the rohinga muslims who are stateless and live in slums and have very little to eat with zero job available ? Are you the best person to answer for all the people needs in the world ? How is a good economy works in singapore ? Can you be a better PM than LKY in singapore if you are given a chance . Please explain so i can learn from you.

[@BeachBoi1000]

@@thatone8085 Ya that’s true. Rich is relative. When you compare with someone richer or more famous than you, you will naturally feel miserable.

[@greatasia606]

@@thatone8085 Even in affluent Singapore ordinary people are just making S$2000 per month. So you think people in Myanmar or India would have the chance?

[@TheMawashigeri]

Interviewer did well in asking George about the Catherine Lim's saga. The "boh tua,boh soi" statement was quoted out of context in many social media that painted him in bad light. George's explanation at least cleared the fog quite satisfactorily at least I think. Having said that,I prefer the George now than when he was a minister. He came across as arrogant,proud and detached from the commoners then but after tasting defeat,he has become more endearing and his humility now will make him more likely to be the peoples' choice for the next president of Singapore.

[@nkrulez]

all i can say is that the wicked live long while the good die young

[@kentwu8407]

"Zoom in being the subject, Zoom out being the object." A great way to think.

[@rudytrulytruly7467]

He cant even fight back in the polls.retire lah

[@kimyong7031]

Rudy, my middle finger seems to be erecting ..can you see. I have great respect for George .

[@mengsiongkheng113]

Over the years George has gained more and more respect from Singaporeans such that calls are being made for him to stand for Presidency. The election loss has been somewhat of a blessing in disguise for George and Singapore. He is now widely acknowledged as a wise and strategic thinker and highly sought after speaker.

[@bernardtan8155]

The interview is so "framed".George Yeo may have retired from politics but still speaks like a politician, wanting to be politically correct. Either he is not speaking from his conscience or are still binded by his NDA with the Gov. The interviewer asked about the atrocities in Xinjiang which has been announced and documented with evidence by UN but yet the man replied about Muslim Extremist implying what China has done to people in Xinjiang is justified. In WW2 Hitler also has his reason committing genocide against the jewish. Is that right?

[@ChuaMartin]

You knew that UN human rights inspector quitted her job after she said everything was normal in Xinjiang, which is politically incorrect in the western hemisphere. Visit Xinjiang yourself to find out the truth yourself rather than reading from anti-China publications like NYT, WaPo, ASPI, etc. The UN has lost its credibilty and power nowadays. Did the UN condemned the US when she lied about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq to kill millions there? Or what about killing innocent people by mistake in drone warfare conducted by the US regime? Ask yourself, why the West suddenly care about the Muslims in Xinjiang but turns a blind eye to atrocities happening every day in the Middle East, especially the Palestinians.

[@シhehe]

Do you have videos of what China done to the people in Xinjiang?

[@ChuaMartin]

@@シheheIf you want to believe there's genocide in Xinjiang, just ask Uncle Sam for the report. If you want the truth, just go and read the UN report - the word 'genocide' isn't mentioned anywhere in the report. Please be reminded that no Muslim-majority country has ever condemned China for its domestic policy in Xinjiang. Not even the paragon of all that is good in this world - Ukraine - condemned China! The West loves Zelenskyy, right?

[@troutstalker4744]

Mr ah tan, stop drinking the American Kool aid ,it's bad for your brain.

[@davidmaxwaterman]

I'm afraid your comment shows your own biases, and does not reflect negatively on Mr Yeo's which are (imo) much more balanced and have a high level of awareness concerning the sources of the various stories about XinJiang. I found it interesting that he said that the Chinese government left it too long, which meant they had to act more harshly than they might have done if they had acted sooner. I took this to mean the Chinese gov have ended up having to quickly educate and support the Uyghur population so they are less unhappy as 'a people' or culture, when they could perhaps have done this more organically from a younger age and over a longer time period, presumably with less disruption and objection.