Perhaps this ‘applying father leadership’ by the Peranakans can truly be said to be an Asian, if not in particular, a Singaporean characteristic especially of the political setting.
Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, the father of Modern Singapore has indeed left the running of Singapore to his younger PAP colleagues; and the Confucian influence (as argued by Low, 2006; 2008; 2013), the times and/ or the environment – are now changing or evolving.
A benevolent leadership style, caring for one’s employees, is adopted. One interviewee spoke of, “Myah kong (grandpa) was very considerate to his workers, but my granduncle (kukong) was autocratic, but benevolent.”