This is the original 1,457-word article by public intellectual Devadas Krishnadas (Click on picture to go to article):

Here is the gist of it in 500 words:

Singapore should not lose self-confidence just because we have lost Lee Kuan Yew. Previously, we lost Goh Keng Swee, S Rajaratnam, Lim Kim San and Hon Sui Sen without losing our way. We will be fine as long as we retain their leadership principles.

Which are:

1. Having a sense of reality

This set of leaders were not visionaries but realists who avoided wishful thinking. They made tough decisions and stayed the course.

They made Singapore relevant to the world and not vice versa.

The priorities of our pioneer leaders were civil peace, social harmony, sovereign security and economic prosperity. These trumped the idealistic clamouring for absolute freedoms or longing for a slower pace or less competitive climate.

2. Having bold visions and aspirations

Lee had point men in the political, social or economic dimension, while he focused on the overall picture.

This resulted in Singapore attaining affluence and status as a global city, with this present generation tasked with advancing upon what we've achieved and accepting that success has trade-offs.

3. Constant striving

This is the third leadership principle of our pioneer leaders.

We cannot afford to become nostalgic or complacent. Or retire to sit on our laurels.

Singapore will always remain a work in progress. We have no settled state or resting point.

Here's how we can move forward:

More sharing of ideas:

In post-modern Singapore, there is more sharing than division in the space of political thinking. Hence, there is no need to create conditions where political contests of ideas become once again the testing ground for leadership.

Speaking of mind:

Lee was plain speaking. He dared to speak his mind. And we need more politicians who are like that.

Answering higher order questions:

The political questions today are more aspirational and nebulous — what do we do with our wealth, how do we make society more equal and existential choices about what our striving ultimately serves.

Focus on equalising opportunities:

Singapore is at risk of going from equalising opportunities to expecting the state to provide more equal outcomes. These are the same mistakes of the West - we must first earn before we spend.

Our policies reflect and shape social values that can become hard to reverse.

Be adaptable:

Lee was prepared to adapt to circumstances. As much as he was constant in his core principles, he was willing to shift tactically to position Singapore to the best advantage at any time.

His ultimate adaptability, and a phenomenon rare in the post-colonial era, is that he stepped down of his own volition in 1990 and oversaw an orderly transition of leadership.

Be ready to renegotiate:

We must be prepared to renegotiate both our economic and political contract with the global economy and geopolitics, and our domestic social contract between state and citizen.

Because even Lee would have understood us even if he did not agree with our choices.

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