Lee Kuan Yew said that the Philippines’ American Style Constitution is one of the most difficult for Governments to operate in

Original image by Dinhin Rakpong-Asoke thru Flickr.

In November 1992, the former Senior Minister of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew (LKY) gave a Speech in the Philippines wherein said that he didn’t think that South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong or Singapore would’ve succeeded if they had to use the same American style Constitution that the Philippines is using.

He said that a Developing Country like the Philippines needed a STRONG and HONEST Government to implement Order and Development. The Philippines’ American style Government instead resulted in a WEAK President who has had to face GRIDLOCK on every major issue he or she faces.

He attributed the United States (US) success to their overabundance of resources and an underpopulated Continent and not because of their style of Constitution.

Below is the excerpt from LKY’s Speech where he mentioned the above items: 

“One problem is the Philippines has an American-style constitution, one of the most difficult to operate in the world. There is a complete separation of powers between executive, legislature and judiciary. 

They wrote the constitution in 1787 and ratified it in 1789. They wanted a weak executive president. Having suffered at the hands of King George III of England, they wanted the opposite of a strong monarch. 

But a developing country faced with disorder and underdevelopment needs a strong honest government. A US-style constitution failed long before Marcos declared martial law. It was re-adopted in 1987 by President Aquino. 

The system worked in America because of a superabundance of resources and riches in a vast under-populated continent. I do not believe that Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong or Singapore could have succeeded as they have done if they had to work under such a constitution, where gridlock on every major issue is a way of life.”

You can access a full transcript of LKY’s Speech here: Speech by Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, Senior Minister of Singapore, at the Philippine Business Conference on 18 Nov 92 in Manila at 7:20 pm

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