Retirement - Lee Kuan Yew´s Views

Retiring to take it easy is a sure route to death, according to Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s 84-year-old founding father, was quoted as saying during and interview on Monday (14 January 2008).

Lee Kuan Yew, who remains active despite his advanced years, cited statistics showing that people tended to die shortly after retiring, and that the most important lesson he had learned was that we all need stimuli. "If you believe that at 55, you’re retiring, you’re going to read books, play golf and drink wine, then I think you’re done for," he said. Lee retired as prime minister in 1990, but remains in the Cabinet as Minister Mentor and is also chairmain of Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC).

He is a frequent speaker in Singapore and regularly conducts diplomatic missions abroad. "I don’t much like travel but I travel very frequently despite the jet lag, because I get to meet people of great interest to me" Lee said. "It is the stimuli, it is the constant interaction with people across the world that keeps me aware and alive to what´s going on and what we can do to adjust to this different world," he said.

Lee Kuan Yew added that he usually asked people who want to retire at age 62, "You really want to die quickly?" He said his advice is: "Keep yourself interested, have a challenge."

Lee was also quoted as saying that in his younger days he smoked, had a big belly, and "was really fond of drinking beer." He said he enjoyed golf but later found it took too long, so he took up running instead.

So folks out there - retirement is not an option.