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Earth. Water. Air. Word has it that there was once a man who controlled the three elements in Singapore. It was a time when rubbish filled the streets, floods raged after torrential downpours, and pollutants wafted in the air unchecked. He was tasked to make the lives of people cleaner, drier, and healthier.
Only a foolhardy mortal would take on the job more suited for a deity, and more importantly, succeed. But he did. Over two decades this master of the elements would tame the hazards that so plagued Singapore’s environment, transforming it from Third World to First, from squalid slum to garden city. His name is Lee Ek Tieng – one of the most prolific civil servants in newly-independent Singapore.
Lee Kuan Yew once said: other cities have clean and green suburbs that offer respite, but not Singapore. Tiny as it is, it forces its people to work, play, and reside in the same small space. Poison the environment and there would be no escape. He had a vision, to create an oasis in the midst of chaotic developing Southeast Asia. But he needed an executor. In Lee Ek Tieng, Singapore’s founding Prime Minister found the problem solver he sought, a tenacious and pragmatic engineer with foresight and a magnetic personality.
But Lee Ek Tieng was an elusive character who preferred to work, not talk. So few in Singapore today would recall his name, even as many live to enjoy his achievements. For the first time, Lee Ek Tieng: The Green General of Lee Kuan Yew tells his inspiring life through the eyes of those who witnessed his prowess.
In the hands of three experienced journalists and authors, this title reveals little-known details behind the decisions and actions that resulted in the dramatic metamorphosis of Singapore’s environment, and the person who drove them.
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“An inspiring book about an unassuming, kindly, golf-loving public service leader who transformed the ordinary lives of Singaporeans, and whose atypical leadership qualities touched the hearts of many colleagues and friends.”
—Ng Kok Song, former Group Chief Investment Officer of GIC
“The story of how one of Singapore’s most effective civil servants worked with founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew to transform a squalid, unhygienic, Third World country into a green, modern city with drinkable recycled waste water is a must-read for those interested in tackling today’s man-made environmental challenges.”
—Han Fook Kwang, Senior Fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, and former Editor of The Straits Times
“Mr Lee Ek Tieng’s human touch, pragmatism and financial acumen shaped GIC into a collaborative, grounded, and disciplined organisation. Learn more untold stories about Mr Lee in this book.”
—Lim Chow Kiat, Chief Executive Officer of GIC
“Lee Ek Tieng is an extraordinary civil servant who has made significant and lasting contributions to our nation building. He inspired generations of engineers and scientific, technical and public health officers with his people-centred, pragmatic and humble leadership style. The book provides deep insights on how long term policies are implemented to transform our environment and improve the quality of life of Singaporeans.”
—Moses Lee, Former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health
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Samantha Boh is a journalist who has written extensively on sustainability and science, covering topics that range from climate change to biomedical breakthroughs. Her works have appeared across multiple publications, including The Straits Times, South China Morning Post, and MyPaper. She was involved in the publication of the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment’s inaugural Zero Waste Masterplan in 2019. She is a co-author of two No. 1 bestselling titles: The Last Fools and The Price of Being Fair. She is a communications graduate from the Nanyang Technological University.
Pearl Lee is a journalist whose work on education, politics and social issues has appeared in regional and local media platforms for more than a decade. She has a strong track record in strategic communications, specialising in crisis communications and social media strategy. In 2018, she released a children’s picture book on the Youth Olympic Games. She was also team leader behind The Nutgraf’s top commemorative books, such as One Havelock Square, which won the Best Hybrid Book prize at the Singapore Book Awards in 2021, and Behind The Mask: Our Healthcare Story. She was a political and education reporter at The Straits Times, and a communications graduate from the Nanyang Technological University.
Matthew Gan is a writer who is part of the team behind No. 1 bestseller Boardroom Knockout: How Singapore’s Investor Watchdog Fights For Minority Shareholders. He is also a co-author of an upcoming biography of Singapore’s former top environment chief Lee Ek Tieng. He covers finance, sports, education and environment issues.
