There is an interesting aspect to the media coverage of the national meltdown that followed my tweets on the legacy of colonialism. This is the consistent misquoting of what I actually said. This is not a matter of minor semantics. It is central to the issues at stake. Arising out of Thursday’s editorial, which again incorrectly refers to me saying that "colonialism was not all bad", I wish to set the record straight on what I actually said during an on-line conversation on why Singapore so successfully managed its transition from a poor colonial backwater to a leading, inclusive economy (Public protector’s abuse of power, June 14). "For those claiming the legacy of colonialism was ONLY negative, think of our independent judiciary, transport infrastructure, piped water etc." There are two words that are essential to the meaning of this sentence. The one is "legacy" and the other is "ONLY" (written in capitals). The legacy of a historical event must be distinguished from the event it...
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