Deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt.
Mr Schmidt was a visionary leader and a strong supporter of closer relations between our countries. Mr Lee Kuan Yew described him as a 'clear-headed and tough-minded' leader who had a thorough grasp of important issues. They found common ground on many issues, and were close friends for four decades.
In 2012, Mr Schmidt made the long journey from Hamburg to Singapore to meet my father. The two friends spent three days discussing world politics. It was to be the last time they met. Their conversation was recorded and included in the final chapter of “One Man's View Of The World”, the book my father published the following year.
Mr Schmidt also had an acute musical ear. I recall one poolside dinner my parents hosted for him. As usual my mother had some classical chamber music playing in the background. That evening she had on J S Bach’s Goldberg Variations. In the midst of the conversation, he turned to my mother, and asked if the pianist was Glenn Gould, which indeed it was. My mother asked how he knew, and he said there was something unique about Glenn Gould’s playing style.
My deepest condolences to Mr Schmidt’s family and the German people on their loss. - LHL
[Mr Schmidt and Mr Lee having a conversation in Shangri-La Hotel in May 2012. / ST File Photo © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Permission required for reproduction.]
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