Wednesday, January 8, 2014

From Russia With Love

According to Wikipedia, the Order of Honour (Russian: Орден Почёта) is a state order of the Russian Federation established by Presidential Decree No. 442 of March 2, 1994 to recognise high achievements in government, economic, scientific, sociocultural, public, sport and charitable activities. Its statute was amended by decree No. 19 of January 6, 1999 and more lately by decree No. 1099 of January 7, 2010 which defined its present status.

Notable recipients of the Russian Order of Honour include:
Mikhail Gorbachev - first elected President of the USSR
Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov - Russia's Foreign Minister
Mikhail Yefimovich Fradkov - Former Prime Minister of Russia
Pavel Romanovich Popovich - Cosmonaut
Juan Antonio Samaranch - Seventh President of the IOC
Vitaly Gennadyevich Savelyev - CEO of Aeroflot
Anatoly Yuryevich Ravikovich - Actor
Andrey Tokarev - Paralympic medalist
Valery Yakovlevich Leontiyev - Pop singer
Vladimir Putin - 4th (Current) President of Russia
Anatoliy Aleksandrov - Rector of Bauman State Technical University

Since Lee Kuan Yew is not a Russian citizen - not that we know of anyway - how did he qualify for the Russian Order of Honour? The medallion was presented by Mr Leonid Moiseev, Russia's Ambassador to Singapore, to Lee on Monday 6th January 2013 2014 at the Istana, although Mr Putin supposedly conferred the award months ago on 10 September 2013, date of his 90th birthday. The only clue to the mystery is what he said in parliament way back in May 1996, "My being me helped me get, if you like, the inside track and special treatment. ...".  It is open secret that many foreigners who have been issued a Red passport are still holding on to their original ones.

The sharp eyed will notice another non-Russian recipient on the list is Juan Antonio Samaranch, Spanish ambassador to the Soviet Union and Mongolia in 1977, an appointment which reputedly helped him to gain the support of the Soviet bloc countries in the election to the presidency of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), held in Moscow in 1980. We can't ask him if he held dual passports either, he died in April 2010.
The Little Red Book from Putin, not Mao

24 comments:

  1. Maybe he got this award for castigating Democracy, thus indirectly "defending" Russian Communism:
    “Now if democracy will not work for the Russians, a white Christian people, can we assume that it will naturally work with Asians?” - Lee Kuan Yew, Asahai Shimbun symposium, May 9, 1991

    As early as 1967, he received the Order Of The Rising Sun, 1st Class, Grand Cordon. Any prize for guessing why?

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    1. I can only guess that they did not give him the highest Japanese order, the Order of the Chrysanthemum, reserved for heads of state or royalty in spite of his grand achievements in statecraft because of his earlier accomplishment as a running dog translator.


      Saycheese

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  2. The Russian President is infamous for jailing and taking over the wealth of one of their oil tycoons for providing support to the opposition.

    So is it really an honour if it is from a crook ? Or it doesn't really matter for birds of the same feather ?

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    1. Putin admires Lee Con You and his methods.
      Corruption can be legal, nepotism and cronyism is disguised as meritocracy, judiciary understands very clearly that some are above the law, mainstream media functions like a cheer leader, the election dept is under the purview of the incumbent, which means he can set the rules and fool the world it is a free and fair election.

      And of course no doubt Putin is wishing how he can introduce similar measures to collect more money from his people and live beyond 90 doing no work but getting paid millions. LOL

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  3. Hmm... I wonder how the Russians knew he would live this long to receive the honour.

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    1. Tycoon Run Run Shaw lived till ripe 106. If we are so 'fortunate', the medallion holder might just have another 16 more years to go.

      Huat ah...!!!! More bad years and old way forward!!

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    2. Wah lau!.. dont spoil the festive mood leh!

      I thought we could tong-cheng, tong-cheng soon!

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  4. The Americans may follow soon.
    The Man for all Seasons and all Systems is truly outstanding in playing diplomacy.

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    1. Singapore is more or less a satellite of America. Americans will never let the Russians outdo them.

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  5. //It is open secret that many foreigners who have been issued a Red passport are still holding on to their original ones.//

    Very astute observation, or hidden facts you have uncovered here. Not just foreigners who hold dual passports, even ex-PRs-turned-Singaporeans also hold secondary childhood passport will never be discovered unless they volunteered the information.

    Not only that, a very senior chairman/executive of a global consumer MNC once had his personal mistress whom he picked up from those orchard towers escorted out by a special group of "secret service non-commando type" of immigration officer out of the causeway without leaving a "trace" or 'stamp" on her overdue visa - machiam just disappeared from earth. This type of 'special services" is only privy to those with money and power for such VIP access.

    Welcome to the results of the 50years-single-dominant-party whose secret power knows no boundaries since there are no challenges and real check and balance, endorsed by the corrupted minds and souls of the nation's traitors. That is what we are leaving behind for the future generation. No wonder 50% of the population wants out! More like is for the past-generation who wants to preserve their status quo.

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  6. bourne identity

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  7. LKY gets the Russian Order of Honour.
    So?
    How will this benefit Singaporeans?
    It's good for LKY, yes?
    But how is it good for me?

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  8. I don't understand how they can award Obama the Nobel Peace Prize when our ex-Minister Mentor is more dignified and have a higher falutin title than the POTUS?

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  9. "to Lee on Monday 6th January 2013 at the Istana"

    It should be 6th January 2014.

    Thanks for a beautiful piece.

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  10. Stranger things have happened. The 35% President "bestowed" the BBM on the ex-IOC President, Jacques Rogge on 6th June, 2013, as a National Day Honour. The conferrment was published in the Gazzette one month later, on 7th July. It is public knowledge that we blew nearly $400 million on the now forgotten YOG. National Day Honours are, without fail, announced on the day itself and the full list of awardees are published in the MSM. Why was Rogge's award made 2 months ahead? And why was there a complete news blackout? On whose recommendation was it given? Who are the beneficiaries?

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    1. Hmm, Ng Ser Miang entered the race for IOC president in May 2013. The election was held in September 2013 at Buenos Aires, Argentina. Are these dates significant?

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  11. Indeed strange things have happened. The nation's second highest honour, the Order of Temasek (Darjah Utamah Temasek), First Class, was conferred on SR Nathan on 9th August 2013, the 7th person to receive it. Only a maximum 12 persons can receive this award. Wonder who the 8th person will be - probably before he up's the lorry.

    And nobody has received our nations highest honour yet, the Star of Temasek (Bintang Temasek), for acts of exceptional courage and skill or exhibited conspicuous devotion to duty in circumstances of extreme danger, since it was instituted in 1970. It can be awarded posthumously, and since we need a true national hero like we need a pounding heart, why isn't Lim Bo Seng honoured by this award? Would doing so somehow accentuate his heroisim against the less than stellar conduct of the two survivors of Syonanto?

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    1. Second that on Lim Bo Seng. With so many inflated paper generals in the SAF nowadays, more than a few in Force 136 should be made field marshals.

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    2. Doesn't anybody see that PAP has deliberately downplayed any national symbol of unity other than PAP icons?

      Some real Singaporean heroes and heroines;
      Lim Bo Seng
      Lt Adnan bin Saidi
      Elizabeth Choy

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    3. 29th June 2014 is exactly 70 years to the day that Lim Bo Seng died. Well, the history of Singapore only started with LKY!

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  12. What are the International Honours for when his very own subjects loathe him so much !!

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    Replies
    1. That's called the GE 2016 polling results.
      Let's give him a rousing farewell.

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  13. "Notable recipients of the Russian Order of Honour include:
    Mikhail Gorbachev - first elected President of the USSR"

    Will LKY be laying next to MG at the Novodevichy Cemetery?

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