Senior Minister LEE Kuan Yew celebrates his 78th birthday today.

  This is the man whom generations of Singaporeans look up to and count as their idol. 

  This is the pillar which generations of Singaporeans have leaned against in good times and in bad.

  Can we live without LEE Kuan Yew, I have oftentimes asked myself this question. Having been through the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and yes, the new millennium - first as a child, then a young boy, later a young adult and now as a mid-forties baby boomer - I have always not been able to find the answer.

  Why is that so? You may ask. Well, for one thing, in my entire life, so far, I have lived in the shadow of this great man. I have become so used to him being around. I have found him becoming my security blanket and more. 

  To the sceptical amongst you who are reading this article now, let me say this. I am not a lackey of the government. But, I do admit to being a lackey of the governed - the same people who have benefited from the works of this man through the last half century. 

  To those of you who for some reason or other have taken a position against the government, I need say no more for your eyes are only happy to see only what you want to see and no more. Whatever I say is drowned in the well of discontent you have built up within you. If you happen to be a discontented Singaporean, just look around the region and tell yourself this - if not for this man, you would have grown up and lived in surroundings similar to that found in the neighbouring countries. 

  Years ago, when a commercial plane he was travelling in made a U-turn and returned to Singapore, my heart - along with countless others' - sank. There was relief all around when it was found  that he was well.

  Just this National Day, in the morning, when rumours milled in the wet market near where I stay that he had died, I wasn't stunned or anything like that. Why is that so? You may ask. Because I knew the rumour to be false and told everyone in the family to wait and see, for the Parade would take place that evening and we would get a chance to see this man. But, even then, I was a little jittery as I waited for the Parade.

  So when he appeared and strode down the flight of steps to his seat in the National Stadium, I heaved a sign of relief. A smile flashed across my face. "You see, I told you so," I said to those gathered around me near the television set.

  Even as I mouthed those words, I found myself a little afraid. What if there is no LEE Kuan Yew around? But, am I being afraid for my future? Am I being afraid because I have become accustomed to him being around to take care of things here in Singapore? Or am I being afraid because he has become like a second father to me?

  Yes! I admit. This man has wriggled his way into my heart and found an emotional cord within me to attach himself to. When the fear came over me that National Day, it was because I was afraid to lose a loved one, not because I feared for my future or the future of Singapore.

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