1. Many years ago, when I was MITA minister, I greeted a Western journalist in front of his colleagues as 'a good friend of Singapore'. His face turned tomato red. Only then did I realize my mistake. I should never praise a journalist too much because that will harm his professional reputation.
2. But I must also say that Singapore officials, including many ministers, are wary of Western journalists because they will always stick a few barbs in what they write about you. Well, having served in MITA many years, I have come to understand that a rose without thorns is not a rose.
3. When Tom asked me to say a few words about his book, I had mixed feelings. What did he expect me to say? If I praise him too much, that's not good for him. The last thing he wants is to be complimented by a minister from an authoritarian nanny state. Through my Assistant, he suggested that I should rib him. It is the American way of having fun.
4. But I'm happy to be here because we knew each other from way back. We first met more than ten years ago when he came to Singapore. My niece in Los Angeles, Gwendoline, made the introduction. She was attending his class in UCLA and knew about his interest in Asia. She did warn me, however, that he was not a conventional character. At our first encounter, I was struck by a certain intellectual humility in him. Unlike some journalists who are quick to pass judgement on the basis of little knowledge, Tom is always quite happy to be contradicted. It is his way of testing out ideas before putting them into his columns. Self-deprecation is a shrewd technique which has served him well. He is now a famous journalist whose pieces are well-read around the world and I'm proud to be able to tell people that I spotted him early.
5. In a fast-changing world, Tom's willingness to flow with the tide is one reason for his success. Not long after we knew each other, he asked me to speak to his class in UCLA. I did and found it an enriching experience. You have to engage young people to stay young and keep abreast of new developments. Tom has always done that. He is always quite prepared to re-invent himself.
6. One day, he video-recorded a meeting in my office for his website. I was impressed by the way he whipped out his new Sony video camera like a pro, mounted it on a tripod and proceeded with the interview. The next time I saw him, he had his hair coloured and spiked upwards and wore colourful glasses to match. I was inspired. But I don't have enough hair to follow him and I am tempted everytime I visit the optician to try out coloured frames.
7. He chose Asia as an area of specialisation because he could sense the dynamism. He saw the energy in the young Asian students who attended his classes. He also told me, quite candidly, that there were not many Western journalists specialising in Asia and this was an opportunity for him. One reason why he has cultivated Singaporeans in various fields is because we become a good source of ideas for him. Of course I like to believe that Tom likes us for what we are but it must also help that we serve his purpose.
8. It also helps that he writes nice things about Singapore from time to time. In his book, he wrote about his first impressions of Lee Kuan Yew. We met once in a chalet in Davos. He had written a piece comparing me favourably to Tony Blair. My wife congratulated him for being a good journalist and he praised my wife for being a smart lady. It was all very objective of course.
9. His willingness to be different from others is both his strength and his weakness, and might explain why he had so many jobs to write about in his book. He criticizes Singapore but doesn't carp about chewing gum or Michael Fay. He sees us for what we are and is prepared to say so which I'm sure doesn't always endear him to his colleagues. I remember an occasion when American journalists were all rushing to China because Bush was visiting. He told me that he would be reporting the event from Taipei which I thought was a pretty smart move. During the Asian Financial Crisis, he passed me some information about why US Treasury would not help the Thai Baht which confirmed a view I had.
10. Well, Tom, thanks for writing your Confessions. It is an uplifting book and adds to our understanding of the US media, of ourselves in Asia and of you. Congratulations!