One of the favourite autobiographical books that I have read is that by the late President Wee Kim Wee. It is personal, sincere and narrative. Being a journalist for a long time, his book is also both simple and readable.
Former President Wee Kim Wee gives candid and rare glimpses of his extraordinary and fulfilling life as he reflects on the key forces that have shaped and motivated him from his childhood. That a boy from a poor kampong of bullock cart drivers who stopped school at age 15 to work as a dispatch clerk could rise to join top management of The Straits Times group, and become a diplomat and Head of State is remarkable in itself. What is even more engaging are the insights into his character, values and beliefs. The 39 essays in this book are illuminated by anecdotes and underscored by Dr Wee’s simple philosophies and observations of Singapore society and the world.
Three Selected Essays
- The Magic Wand– This essay narrates the caning of the young Kim Wee by his Principal Captain Ambler at Outram School in 1927 when the former did badly for his first term test in Standard IV. Captain Ambler had six canes and he called them the magic wands. The caning by Captain Ambler using one of the magic wands was so excruciatingly painful that the young Kim Wee almost fainted. He would never forget all that had happened in the class that day. And he decided to study hard from that day onwards. He did well enough to push himself to Standard V/C, a note better than Standard IV/D the previous year. Most importantly, the Ambler’s magic taught Dr Wee three key life lessons:
- Whenever he read news report of convicted criminals being given strokes of the cane by the law courts.
- Psychologists arguing about the effects of the rod.
- When parents march into principals’ offices to protest loudly that their offspring had been caned by the teachers.
In all three cases above, Dr Wee would come down on the side of caning. In fact, for him, he accepted unequivocally that if Captain Ambler had not used the wand on him, he could have ended as a dropout and ruined his life. And deep in his heart, he was fully grateful to the Captain for performing his magic.
- Dealing with Stress– This essay talks about the two incidents of stress that Dr Wee suffered in specific, and the causes and cures of stress in general. On his two cases of stress, the first happened in 1937 when he went to Ipoh to reorganise the Times of Malaya that The Straits Times had bought. There, he faced difficulties from the word go, and had to work almost 16 hours daily to keep the paper going. As a result, he couldn’t sleep, eat and started to lose weight. The company doctor instructed him to return to Singapore immediately on sick leave. Fortunately, he did so, and he took another 3 months of rest to recover fully. The second incident happened in 1972, when Dr Wee was hospitalised in SGH for heart fibrillation and a type of blood clot called Transient Ischemia, stemming from stress at work. Consequently, after discharge, Dr Wee quit his job at The Straits Times.
According to Dr Wee, we should try to avoid stress as best as we can, but it is easier said than done. And even if we cannot avoid stress altogether, we should try to lessen our vulnerability to it. Stress can come in varying degrees–a light attack, a somewhat mild one or a devastating one. Today, psychiatrist and psychologists can help you part of the way–not the whole way. You have to take your own remedial measures and one of two alternative actions. First, consult one or two people you trust fully; second, ask yourself whether it is worth suffering or dying for the setback that has descended upon you. Stress is a serious ailment. But, you can recover from it if you have the will and a little luck is on your side. So, his advice is: Do not let stress overcome you or surrender to it without a fight.
- Retirement— Dr Wee discusses on the topic of retirement and uses his as an example. He laments that the world is facing a Global Pension Crisis, where most pension funds are either not living up to their targets or just non-performing. The more developed a country, the BBC documentary found, the greater the crisis. For his case, Dr Wee had lived in retirement for 10 years. He couldn’t say he had had a blissful retirement, but at the same time he had been able to avoid stress and boredom without significant reserves. The simple truth is one could live frugally and prudently, yet achieve a fulfilling retirement. Planning was essential, even crucial to attain a fulfilling retirement. One must be strong enough to come down to earth. All the frills of living in high society must go out of the window. And it has to start from Day One.
There are things that helped to keep stress and boredom at bay. One is the wonderful world of cyberspace, without which Dr Wee thought he could have ended up being bored. That had helped him to keep his own “memory box” exercised daily, which was why, he thought at over 88 he was still fairly strong mentally and could hold his own against all comers. Next, fresh air, food and drink also keep the body going. Besides, you need daily exercises. Dr Wee was convinced beyond the shadow of a doubt that without daily exercise, he would not be writing this essay or anything at all. Finally, not everyone will enjoy retirement the same way. It all depends on each person’s unique situation, one’s own way of approaching problems and one’s special interests. in short, to each his on: Do it as it fits you. And, enjoy.
Key Takeaways
- Dr Wee’s autobiographical book is suitable for reading by all ages, and it is particularly apt for appreciation by Singaporeans with some life experience.
- I particularly like his view on retirement and advices on stress management.
#Wee Kim Wee #The Straits Times