The Vietnamese version of the book The Singapore Story: Memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew was officially launched at a ceremony in Ha Noi on March 23.

From left: Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth Baey Yam Keng, director of the Viet Nam Centre for Intellectual Cooperation Nguyen Canh Binh, Singapore’s Ambassador to Viet Nam Catherine Wong and Viet Nam’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dang Dinh Quy (Photo: VNA)

The book, written by the late leader and describing the development of his city-state, was jointly published by Omega Books and The Gioi (World) Publishers.

The 768-page book is only the first volume of a 1,700-page memoir. The second volume, entitled From Third World to First, has also been translated into Vietnamese and will be presented to the public next week.

“Everyone knows Lee Kuan Yew (1923-2015) as a legendary personality in Asia, the founding father of Singapore,” said Dang Dinh Quy, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam, at the book launch ceremony, which took place on occasion of the official visit to Viet Nam of Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and the second death anniversary of his father, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.

“He was a good and longtime friend of many leaders of Viet Nam and of the Vietnamese people. The book can be very useful and can teach interesting lessons for officials and young people,” he added.  

The memoirs describe how a ‘third-world state’ with few natural resources, a weak economy and undeveloped society, became one of the most advanced countries in the world and an international financial centre with advanced science and technologies.

In his book, Lee described in detail the events that led Singapore to independence and its reconstruction as the ‘Dragon of Asia’.

A conference about the life and career of Lee Kuan Yew was held after the book launching ceremony.

The 2 volumes will be available at major libraries in Viet Nam from April.

(Source: VNA)