“He got along exceedingly well with four Malaysian PMs (Prime Ministers) during his tenure,” Lee said in his latest Facebook posting today on the passing of Baker.
Baker, a pioneer-generation Singapore diplomat and a close friend of Malaysia’s second prime minister, the late Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, died earlier this week .
Lee was deeply saddened to learn of Baker’s passing while he was away.
The Singapore prime minister returned yesterday after a working visit to Germany since July 6.
Lee wrote that Baker called himself an “accidental diplomat” but “he was a natural, affable and with a gift for getting along with people”.
Lee noted that Baker spent a long, varied career in service to Singapore, as a teacher, academic, and diplomat.
“In 1967, Maurice was Head of English Literature at the University of Singapore, when he agreed to become Singapore’s first High Commissioner to India, out of a sense of duty.
“He was later High Commissioner to Malaysia and Ambassador to the Philippines,” Lee said in explaining a brief background on Baker.
According to Lee, diplomacy runs in Baker’s family.
His son Bernard is currently Singapore’s High Commissioner to New Zealand.
“Singapore has lost a dedicated public servant, and will long remember Mr Baker for his distinguished service,” wrote Lee.
Baker was High Commissioner to Malaysia from 1969 to 1971, and from 1980 to 1988.
Bernard was reported as saying that his father died of old age at home about noon.
“He had a good innings, he lived a good life,” he was quoted as saying, using a popular cricket analogy.