Prof Jayakumar’s book is an outstanding contribution to a critical aspect
of our constitutional history. He has presented the background to the
development of three highly significant constitutional innovations, namely
the office of the President, which impacts the Executive branch and the
GRC and the NCMP schemes which concern the Legislative branch, in a
way that is extremely accessible and makes for compelling reading. In
this, he has demystified the complexity underlying these issues to help
Singaporeans understand the careful thinking and principled planning
that went into these matters. Sundaresh Menon, Chief Justice
The “inside story” can only be told by a select few who were directly
involved with the events behind these important constitutional
changes. But Prof Jayakumar’s book goes beyond the intimate
details and does not shy away from revealing disagreements and
compromises behind the scenes — that Mr Lee Kuan Yew held strong
views but was open to persuasion by his younger colleagues, if they
could convince him that their positions were better for the long-term
good of Singapore. I read the entire draft in a single sitting and found
snippets fascinating and riveting. This rare gem of a book deserves
to be highly commended. Ng Eng Hen, Former Minister for Defence
