Lee Kuan Yew (LKY) vefat etti… 16 Eyl\u00fcl 1923 tarihinde do\u011fan Singapur\u2019un kurucu babas\u0131 ve uzun d\u00f6nem ba\u015fbakan ve \u2018dan\u0131\u015fman bakan\u2019 olarak g\u00f6rev yapan LKY, 23 Mart 2015, Pazartesi g\u00fcn\u00fc sabah erken saatlerde tedavi g\u00f6rd\u00fc\u011f\u00fc hastanede hayata g\u00f6zlerini yumdu. 91 y\u0131ll\u0131k ya\u015fam\u0131n\u0131n 57 y\u0131l\u0131n\u0131 bilfiil Ada siyasetinin tam da oda\u011f\u0131nda ge\u00e7iren LKY, \u00fclkenin kurucu Ba\u015fbakan\u0131 olman\u0131n \u00f6tesinde bir ulus in\u015fa eden modern liderler aras\u0131nda yerini ald\u0131. Bu \u00e7er\u00e7evede, modern Singapur\u2019un kurulu\u015fu Thomas Stamford Raffles ile \u00f6zde\u015fle\u015ftirilirse, bu Ada toplumunu bir ulus-devlete ve ard\u0131ndan kalk\u0131nm\u0131\u015f \u00fclke seviyesine \u00e7\u0131karan isim olmay\u0131 hak eden de LKY\u2019dir.<\/p>\n
LKY, hayat\u0131nda \u2018gri\u2019 b\u00f6lgeler olmayan bir \u015fahsiyetti ve bunu in\u015fac\u0131s\u0131 oldu\u011fu Ada devletine intikal ettirmeyi veya yans\u0131tmay\u0131 bildi. Bu anlamda, sosyo-ekonomik politikalar\u0131 siyah ve beyaz ayr\u0131m\u0131 netli\u011finde g\u00f6r\u00fclece\u011fi bir \u00fclke in\u015fa eden LKY, d\u00fcnya liderleri ve \u00e7e\u015fitli uluslararas\u0131 olu\u015fumlardan takdirler kadar b\u00fcy\u00fck ele\u015ftiriler de ald\u0131. Takdirlerin b\u00fcy\u00fck b\u00f6l\u00fcm\u00fc bir nesil gibi k\u0131sa bir s\u00fcre zarf\u0131nda, sosyo-ekonomik geli\u015fmi\u015flik ba\u011flam\u0131nda \u00fc\u00e7\u00fcnc\u00fc d\u00fcnya s\u0131n\u0131f\u0131nda yer alan Ada \u00fclkesini, birinci s\u0131n\u0131f kalk\u0131nm\u0131\u015f \u00fclke d\u00fczeyine \u00e7\u0131karmas\u0131 gelir. Ele\u015ftirilerin \u00f6nemli bir b\u00f6l\u00fcm\u00fc de, bu kalk\u0131nm\u0131\u015fl\u0131\u011f\u0131 Bat\u0131 siyaset d\u00fc\u015f\u00fcncesinin \u00fcr\u00fcn\u00fc olan liberal demokratik de\u011ferlerle bezememesinden kaynaklan\u0131r. Hi\u00e7 ku\u015fku yok ki, ba\u015fta Bat\u0131l\u0131 liderler olmak \u00fczere Singapur\u2019u tan\u0131yan \u00e7evrelerin g\u0131pta ile bakt\u0131\u011f\u0131 LKY, ayn\u0131 zamanda Bat\u0131\u2019ya meydan okumas\u0131yla da dikkat \u00e7eker.<\/p>\n
Bu meydan okuyu\u015fun temelinde, Bat\u0131l\u0131 \u00f6zg\u00fcrl\u00fckler manzumesi olarak d\u00fcnya toplumlar\u0131na sunulan veya dayat\u0131lan demokratik, liberal sosyo-politik unsurlar\u0131 hedef al\u0131r. Bu anlamda, LKY\u2019nin, Graham Allison ve Robert D Blackwill\u2019in kendisiyle yapt\u0131\u011f\u0131 s\u00f6yle\u015fide dile getirdi\u011fi \u00fczere \u201c…Demokratisinin kalk\u0131nmay\u0131 getirece\u011fine inanm\u0131yorum. Bir \u00fclkenin kalk\u0131nmas\u0131n\u0131 ger\u00e7ekle\u015ftirecek olan demokrasiden ziyade disiplindir.\u201d[1]<\/a> s\u00f6z\u00fcnde bulmak m\u00fcmk\u00fcn. Unutmayal\u0131m ki Lee, \u0130ngiliz s\u00f6m\u00fcrge y\u00f6netiminin bir \u00fcr\u00fcn\u00fc siyaset\u00e7iydi. Bu anlamda sadece Ada\u2019daki okul y\u0131llar\u0131nda de\u011fil, Cambridge\u2019deki Hukuk \u00d6\u011frenimi s\u0131ras\u0131nda da \u0130ngiliz s\u00f6m\u00fcrge y\u00f6netiminin en az\u0131ndan Hindistan-Burma-Malaya eksenindeki varl\u0131\u011f\u0131na dair di\u015fe dokunur okumalar, tart\u0131\u015fmalar ve dinlemeler yapm\u0131\u015f olmal\u0131d\u0131r. Bu nedenledir ki, \u201cBir Adam\u0131n D\u00fcnya G\u00f6r\u00fc\u015fleri\u201d[2]<\/a> adl\u0131 eserde iki y\u00fcz \u0130ngiliz \u00fcst d\u00fczey y\u00f6neticisinin iki y\u00fcz milyonluk Hindistan\u2019\u0131 iki as\u0131r boyunca y\u00f6netme becerisini dile getirirken, ayn\u0131 zamanda \u0130ngilizlerin herhalde \u2018demokratik idealleri prati\u011fe d\u00f6kerek yapmad\u0131klar\u0131n\u0131\u2019 fark etmi\u015f olmal\u0131d\u0131r. Yani demokrasinin \u2018be\u015fi\u011fi\u2019 \u0130ngiltere, koskoca Hindistan\u0131 ve \u00f6teki co\u011frafyalar\u0131 \u2018demokratik idealler\u2019 yerine, \u2018kamu disiplinine\u2019 dayal\u0131 bir sistemle y\u00f6netebildiyse, LKY da bunu kan\u0131tlayabilirdi!<\/p>\n Bu noktada, LKY, Bat\u0131l\u0131 kalk\u0131nma-\u00f6zg\u00fcrl\u00fckler-demokratikle\u015fme nosyonlar\u0131n\u0131n etkile\u015fimini Ada\u2019da g\u00fcncele ta\u015f\u0131mak yerine, bir Asyal\u0131 lider olarak i\u00e7inde b\u00fcy\u00fcy\u00fcp geli\u015fti\u011fi ve y\u00f6n verme istidad\u0131 g\u00f6sterdi\u011fi Ada toplumunun tarihi ve modern ger\u00e7ekli\u011finden hareketle kendine \u00f6zg\u00fc bir yap\u0131la\u015ft\u0131r\u0131c\u0131l\u0131\u011fa kap\u0131 aralad\u0131. Bunda hi\u00e7 ku\u015fku yok ki, LKY\u2019nin a\u015f\u0131r\u0131 \u00f6z g\u00fcveninin pay\u0131 b\u00fcy\u00fckt\u00fcr. Bu ba\u011flamda, LKY\u2019un kaleme ald\u0131\u011f\u0131 veya r\u00f6portajlar halinde yay\u0131nlanan \u00e7e\u015fitli metinleri okudu\u011funuzda kar\u015f\u0131n\u0131zda \u00e7elik bir beyin durdu\u011fu hissine kap\u0131l\u0131rs\u0131n\u0131z. Bu zehir gibi dima\u011f her soruna \u00e7\u00f6z\u00fcm bulan, buldu\u011fu \u00e7\u00f6z\u00fcm\u00fc \u00e7\u00f6z\u00fcmlerin en iyisi oldu\u011funa inanan ve bunu \u00e7evresindeki herkesin buna inanmas\u0131na \u00e7al\u0131\u015fan ve de bunu b\u00fcy\u00fck \u00f6l\u00e7\u00fcde ba\u015faran bir politik ki\u015filik. Charles Darwin\u2019in g\u00fc\u00e7l\u00fcn\u00fcn ayakta kalabildi\u011fi, rekabete dayal\u0131 sistemde hayatta var olabilmenin ko\u015fullar\u0131 ba\u011flam\u0131nda, herhalde Singapur \u00f6rne\u011fi d\u00fcnyadaki mevcutlar\u0131 aras\u0131nda ilk s\u0131rada yer almay\u0131 hak eder. \u00c7in k\u00f6kenli ailesinden tevar\u00fcs etti\u011fi Konf\u00fc\u00e7y\u00fcs\u00e7\u00fc etik ilkeler, \u00e7ocukluk ve gen\u00e7lik y\u0131llar\u0131nda yakinen tan\u0131k oldu\u011fu Ada\u2019daki \u0130ngiliz s\u00f6m\u00fcrgesi ile \u00e7ok-etnikli sosyal yap\u0131 ve \u0130ngiltere\u2019de \u00f6\u011frenim g\u00f6rd\u00fc\u011f\u00fc y\u0131llarda tan\u0131k oldu\u011fu ba\u015fta sosyalist ideoloji olmak \u00fczere Avrupa siyasi ak\u0131mlar\u0131 ki\u015fili\u011fi \u00fczerinde belirleyici etkiler ta\u015f\u0131rken, meslekten bir avukat ve politikac\u0131 olarak Ada\u2019n\u0131n sosyo-politik sahas\u0131nda rol al\u0131rken t\u00fcm bu s\u00fcre\u00e7lerde bir direni\u015fin, sorgulay\u0131\u015f\u0131n ve ideal bir sistem kurma \u00e7abas\u0131n\u0131n ye\u015fermekte oldu\u011funu da s\u00f6ylemek m\u00fcmk\u00fcn. LKY\u2019un ya\u015fam skalas\u0131nda \u00e7ok \u00f6nemli yerleri olan bu birbirinden farkl\u0131 \u2018alanlar\u2019 uzun uzun ele almak m\u00fcmk\u00fcn. Ancak bunun yeri bu k\u0131sa yaz\u0131 de\u011fil.<\/p>\n Bu noktada modern Singapur\u2019un olu\u015fumundaki ilk ad\u0131mlara g\u00f6z ucuyla bakmakta fayda var. B\u00f6ylece, LKY\u2019u Singapur\u2019un kurucu fig\u00fcr\u00fc olarak ortaya \u00e7\u0131kmas\u0131n\u0131n da g\u00f6z ard\u0131 edilmeyecek k\u00f6klerine bir nebze olsun temas etmi\u015f oluruz. Ad\u0131na \u2018Singapur ger\u00e7ekli\u011fi\u2019 denilen olgu, 1819 y\u0131l\u0131nda Ada\u2019y\u0131 \u0130ngiliz dominyonu haline getiren Thomas Stamford Raffles\u2019la ilintilidir. Bu noktada modern Singapur\u2019un g\u00fcndeme geli\u015fi, 17. y\u00fczy\u0131l ortalar\u0131ndan itibaren \u0130ngiliz Do\u011fu Hint \u015eirketi ad\u0131yla \u0130ngiliz Krall\u0131\u011f\u0131\u2019n\u0131n Kalk\u00fcta merkezli olarak hakimiyetini tesis etti\u011fi ekonomik s\u00f6m\u00fcrgecilikte Asya\u2019n\u0131n iki devi Hindistan ve \u00c7in aras\u0131ndaki ticaretle ba\u011flant\u0131l\u0131 oldu\u011funu ba\u015ftan tespit etmek laz\u0131m. \u0130ngiliz s\u00f6m\u00fcrgecili\u011finin bir yanda tekstil ve baharat, \u00f6te yanda \u00e7ay-afyon ba\u015fta olmak \u00fczere do\u011fal \u00fcr\u00fcnler ba\u011flam\u0131nda olu\u015fturdu\u011fu ba\u015fat rol\u00fcn devam\u0131 ve zamanla emperyalizme evrilecek ili\u015fkiler zemininde teritoryal \u2018zenginle\u015fmeyi\u2019 sa\u011flayacak yap\u0131lanma ve Hindistan ile \u00c7in aras\u0131ndaki deniz yolu g\u00fczerg\u00e2h\u0131nda y\u00fczy\u0131llard\u0131r \u00f6nemini koruyan Malaka Bo\u011faz\u0131\u2019nda g\u00fcvenlik sorununu \u00e7\u00f6z\u00fcme kavu\u015fturmak \u00fczere \u00f6nce Penang Adas\u0131 (1786) ard\u0131ndan, Malaka Bo\u011faz\u0131\u2019na bakan Malaka liman \u015fehrine paralel olarak (1824), bir zincirin halkalar\u0131n\u0131 tamamlarcas\u0131na Bengkulu mu, A\u00e7e mi, Singapur mu se\u00e7enekleri aras\u0131nda d\u00f6nemin \u015fartlar\u0131 gere\u011fi Singapur \u00f6ne \u00e7\u0131kt\u0131. Bu anlamda, Singapur Adas\u0131, k\u00fcresel ticaretin bir gere\u011fi olarak \u00f6nemli arterlerden biri olarak \u00f6ne \u00e7\u0131kt\u0131. \u0130ngiliz sermayesi \u00f6nc\u00fcl\u00fc\u011f\u00fcnde kapitalizme eklemlenen Hintli, \u00c7inli, Bugis\u2019inden Caval\u0131\u2019s\u0131na Sumatral\u0131\u2019s\u0131ndan Kalimantanl\u0131\u2019s\u0131na kadar \u2018geni\u015f anlam\u0131yla\u2019 Malay toplumlar\u0131ndaki Asyal\u0131 \u2018t\u00fcccar\u2019 g\u00fc\u00e7lerini de unutmamak gerekir.<\/p>\n Tabii bu noktada, LKY\u2019nin Ada\u2019ya kar\u015f\u0131 besledi\u011fi bir t\u00fcr \u2018dinsel\u2019 ba\u011fl\u0131l\u0131k nedeniyle Ada\u2019y\u0131 yak\u0131n ve uzak \u00e7evresinde somut ve hayali tehditlerle korumac\u0131 bir alana ta\u015f\u0131mas\u0131n\u0131n da rol\u00fc olmad\u0131\u011f\u0131n\u0131 s\u00f6ylemek g\u00fc\u00e7. \u00d6rne\u011fin bu tehditlerden biri -ki Singapur\u2019un G\u00fcneydo\u011fu Asya\u2019n\u0131n \u0130srail\u2019i \u015feklinde tan\u0131mlanmas\u0131na da yol a\u00e7acak \u015fekilde- etraf\u0131n\u0131n Endonezya-Malezya gibi kahir ekseriyeti \u2018M\u00fcsl\u00fcman\u2019 olan \u00fclkelerle \u00e7evrili olmas\u0131n\u0131n da pay\u0131 var. LKY\u2019nin bu s\u00f6ylemine kar\u015f\u0131l\u0131k, 1990\u2019l\u0131 y\u0131llar\u0131n sonunda Endonezya\u2019da ge\u00e7ici devlet ba\u015fkanl\u0131\u011f\u0131 g\u00f6revini y\u00fcr\u00fct\u00fcrken Baharuddin Yusuf Habibi\u2019nin, Singapur\u2019u k\u00fc\u00e7\u00fcmsemek amac\u0131yla kulland\u0131\u011f\u0131 \u201cG\u00fcneydo\u011fu Asya\u2019da k\u0131rm\u0131z\u0131 bir noktadan ibaret\u201d ifadesi, sadece bir \u2018s\u00f6z\u2019 olarak kald\u0131 o kadar. Habibi\u2019nin \u2018k\u0131rm\u0131z\u0131yla\u2019 kast\u0131 LKY\u2019nin s\u00f6zde sol ideolojisine at\u0131ft\u0131r. Tabii, LKY\u2019nin ba\u015f\u0131n\u0131 en \u00e7ok a\u011fr\u0131tan Endonezya\u2019dan ziyade, o d\u00f6nemki ad\u0131yla \u2018Malaya Federasyonu\u2019 ile siyasi entegrasyon s\u00fcreci ve nihayetinde bu s\u00fcrecin ba\u015far\u0131s\u0131zl\u0131kla sonu\u00e7lanmas\u0131 oldu. Malezya vechesinden bak\u0131ld\u0131\u011f\u0131nda Dr. Mahathir Muhammed\u2019in an\u0131lar\u0131nda dile getirdi\u011fi \u00fczere \u201cLKY, Federasyon i\u00e7inde \u00c7inli \u00e7o\u011funlu\u011fu t\u00fcm \u00fclke genelinde -tabii ki Malaylar \u00fczerinde- bir egemenlik kurma arac\u0131 olarak kullanmaya tevess\u00fcl etti ve biz de gerekeni yapt\u0131k\u201d[3]<\/a> minvalindeki s\u00f6ylemini hat\u0131rlayarak \u201cSingapur\u2019u Federasyon\u2019dan biz kovduk\u201d arg\u00fcman\u0131na tan\u0131k olunurken, i\u015fin Singapur taraf\u0131nda da \u201cBiz ayr\u0131ld\u0131k\u201d s\u00f6ylemi \u00f6ne \u00e7\u0131kt\u0131\u011f\u0131 g\u00f6r\u00fcl\u00fcr. 1965 y\u0131l\u0131ndan bu yana ge\u00e7en s\u00fcrece bak\u0131ld\u0131\u011f\u0131nda Malezya Federasyonu\u2019nun LKY\u2019nin siyasi akl\u0131na ve \u00fclke y\u00f6netimine g\u0131pta edi\u015fine kar\u015f\u0131l\u0131k, \u2018Ada\u2019n\u0131n Malezya topraklar\u0131n\u0131n m\u00fcmbitli\u011fine g\u0131pta etti\u011fine dikkat \u00e7ekmekte fayda var. \u2018Malezya Federasyonu\u2019 yaratma d\u00fc\u015f\u00fcncesinin s\u00f6m\u00fcrge efendilerinin gelecek projeksiyonu oldu\u011fundan hareket edecek olursak, LKY\u2019nin bu s\u00fcreci t\u00fcm zorluklara ve \u2018tehditlere\u2019 ra\u011fmen, Singapur lehine kulland\u0131\u011f\u0131 sonucuna ula\u015fmak m\u00fcmk\u00fcn. Ard\u0131ndan, Ada halk\u0131 demokrasinin \u2018\u00f6zg\u00fcrl\u00fckler\u2019 denilen nimetlerinden feragat etse de, serbest piyasa ekonomisinin t\u00fcm \u2018kap\u0131lar\u0131\u2019 ve \u2018yat\u0131r\u0131mlar\u0131\u2019 a\u00e7an imk\u00e2nlar\u0131yla d\u00fcnyevi zenginlikle tan\u0131\u015ft\u0131lar. Singapur, bir Lee Kuan Yew \u00f6zeti. \u015eimdi Singapur Lee Kuan Yew\u2019suz.<\/p>\n [1]<\/a>Graham Allison&Robert D. Blackwill. (2013). Lee Kuan Yew: The Grand Master\u2019s Insights on China, the United States, and the World<\/em>, Cambridge: The MIT Press, s. 27.<\/p>\n\n