The greatest of Singapore’s leaders - not the best, nor the most accomplished, perhaps not even the smartest - but the *greatest* of the five men who have led Singapore’s government since 1955 - is David Saul Marshall. David Marshall shaped the praxis of power in Singapore, setting a moral standard that no leader since has managed to reach. His actions - and equally importantly, what he didn’t do - irreversibly shaped his office, and have made a significant, lasting, and often overlooked impact on Singapore’s democracy. In this episode, PJ Thum discusses the origins of David Marshall, and how his humble upbringing shaped his principles, his passions, and his courage, and how this thrust a humble Jew, reluctant to take part in politics, into the role of the first Singaporean-born man to lead our government.

Please send questions, comments, and feedback to thehistoryofsingapore@gmail.com or visit thehistoryofsingapore.com. Support the show at patreon.com/pjthum. For all the previous episodes in this series, search for "History of Singapore" on bfm.my.

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Tags:  live and learn,  History of Singapore,  lion of singapore,  singaporean history,  singaporean government,  hosbypjthum