The rulers of former British colonies have been spared the embarrassment
of building grandiose monuments to house their offices;
they simply occupy the ones that the British built. So it is with Singapore.
The president, prime minister and senior minister work out
of Istana (palace), the old colonial governor's house, a gleaming white
bungalow surrounded by luxuriant lawns. The interior is modernlight
wood paneling and leather sofas. The atmosphere is hushed. I
waited in a large anteroom for the "SM," which is how everybody refers
to Lee. I did not wait long. The sM was standing in the middle of a
large, sparsely furnished office. He is of medium build. His oncecompact
physique is now slightly shrunken. Still, he does not look 70.