SINGAPORE -- Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's founding father, who passed away in March, always had a red box, the size of an attache case, close by. Boxes of this kind, which are made in Britain, are used by British cabinet ministers' aides to carry important papers between government offices and Parliament. Lee used his old red box throughout his life.
Singapore's current education minister, Heng Swee Keat, served as principal private secretary to Prime Minister Lee at a time of the 1997 Asian currency crisis. He says his life in those days revolved around the prime minister's red box.
