--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Of-course we did, but we didn't reply…" description: "\"Of-course we did, but we didn't reply because we knew once this leaks the others will scatter, so in the few days we moved quickly before the press got..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/301/lee-kuan-yew-3939_able_of-course-we-did-but-we-didn-t-reply-bec_1015483.jpg" --- # Of-course we did, but we didn't reply because we knew once… ![“Of-course we did, but we didn't reply because we knew once this leaks the others will scatter, so in the few days we moved quickly before the press got hold of it. The press did get hold of it a few days later, we nabbed, we were able to get 15, the others got away.” quote by Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/301/lee-kuan-yew-3939_able_of-course-we-did-but-we-didn-t-reply-bec_1015483.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/301/lee-kuan-yew-3939_able_of-course-we-did-but-we-didn-t-reply-bec_1015483.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/301/lee-kuan-yew-3939_able_of-course-we-did-but-we-didn-t-reply-bec_1015483.jpg) > “Of-course we did, but we didn't reply because we knew once this leaks the others will scatter, so in the few days we moved quickly before the press got hold of it. The press did get hold of it a few days later, we nabbed, we were able to get 15, the others got away.” [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leaders sometimes with information to prevent wider panic, acting quickly before media spreads it. **In simple terms:** Keeping secrets can protect stability in crises. Key Takeaway Act swiftly and control information flow. Themes leadership crisis management media control Mood tense urgent Type political strategic When to use this quote - government response - media handling - emergency planning Key Concepts strategic secrecy information control Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance transparency and security? - When is secrecy justified? A Different Perspective If secrecy backfires, trust erodes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [Away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/away/) [Because](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/because/) [Before](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/before/) [Days](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/days/) [Did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/did/) [Did Hold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/did-hold-2232043/) [Few](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/few/) [Get](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/get/) [Got](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/got/) [Hold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hold/) [Knew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knew/) [Knew Leaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knew-leaks-2232040/) [Later](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/later/) [Later Nabbed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/later-nabbed-2232041/) [Leaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leaks/) [Moved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moved/) [Moved Quickly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moved-quickly-835608/) [Once](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/once/) [Others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/others/) [Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/press/) [Press Did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/press-did-2232042/) [Quickly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quickly/) [Reply](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reply/) [Scatter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scatter/) [Were](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/were/) [Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/will/) ## Related quotes > [I have a much better relationship with the press than I did, I think because I stood my ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-john/i-have-a-much-better-relationship-with-the-press-than-i-did-i-think/) [Elton John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-john/) > [I don't like everybody knowing what I'm doing, unless it's related to a movie. I don't like speaking to the press. I never did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-macpherson/i-don-t-like-everybody-knowing-what-i-m-doing-unless-it-s-related-to/) [Elle Macpherson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-macpherson/) > [To see the viewer count grow for 'HQ,' it moved so quickly and that was the most thrilling ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-rogowsky/to-see-the-viewer-count-grow-for-hq-it-moved-so-quickly-and-that-was/) [Scott Rogowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-rogowsky/) > [“Cool! I don't have to be told twice. I'm a monster not a Morin." He moved quickly back to the bed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-c-cast/cool-i-don-t-have-to-be-told-twice-i-m-a-monster-not-a-morin-he-moved/) [P.C. Cast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-c-cast/) > [“Aiden moved so quickly that one second I was in his lap, and the next I was on my back and he was hovering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-armentrout/aiden-moved-so-quickly-that-one-second-i-was-in-his-lap-and-the-next/) [Jennifer L. Armentrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-armentrout/) > [“When I observe the daytime horizon, I see white sky.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/when-i-observe-the-daytime-horizon-i-see-white-sky/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“The United groups always overcome scatters.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamaran-ihsan-salih/the-united-groups-always-overcome-scatters/) [Kamaran Ihsan Salih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamaran-ihsan-salih/) > [“And it seems I ought to scatter too. Perhaps at once. It's always better to turn your back on the gale than press your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-crace/and-it-seems-i-ought-to-scatter-too-perhaps-at-once-it-s-always/) [Jim Crace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-crace/) > [“Leaders gather scattered people with the positive influence of intimacy while misleaders scatter gathered people with the negative influence of intimidation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/leaders-gather-scattered-people-with-the-positive-influence-of/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [The small is easy to scatter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/the-small-is-easy-to-scatter/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [There is no beautifier of complexion, or form, or behavior, like the wish to scatter joy and not pain around us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/there-is-no-beautifier-of-complexion-or-form-or-behavior-like-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“Either get together or scatter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hlovate/either-get-together-or-scatter/) [Hlovate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hlovate/) > [“Knowledge was scattered treasure, education organized it into art, commerce and science.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/knowledge-was-scattered-treasure-education-organized-it-into-art/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Scatter seeds of kindness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-ade/scatter-seeds-of-kindness/) [George Ade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-ade/) > [How wonderful it would be to scatter words as they rise to consciousness, to let them lie where they fall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-scott/how-wonderful-it-would-be-to-scatter-words-as-they-rise-to/) [Joanna Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-scott/) ## More by Lee Kuan Yew > [“You know, the cure for all this talk is really a good dose of incompetent government. You get that alternative and you'll never put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/you-know-the-cure-for-all-this-talk-is-really-a-good-dose-of/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) > [The Bell curve is a fact of life. The blacks on average score 85 per cent on IQ and it is accurate, nothing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/the-bell-curve-is-a-fact-of-life-the-blacks-on-average-score-85-per/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) > [I'm not saying that everything I did was right, but everything I did was for an honourable purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/i-m-not-saying-that-everything-i-did-was-right-but-everything-i-did/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) > [If, for instance, you put in a Malay officer who's very religious and who has family ties in Malaysia in charge of a machine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/if-for-instance-you-put-in-a-malay-officer-who-s-very-religious-and/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) > [Supposing Catherine Lim was writing about me and not the prime minister...She would not dare, right? Because my posture, my response has been such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/supposing-catherine-lim-was-writing-about-me-and-not-the-prime/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) > [You marry a non-graduate, then you are going to worry if your son or daughter is going to make it to the university.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/you-marry-a-non-graduate-then-you-are-going-to-worry-if-your-son-or/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) > [That was the year the British decided to get out and sell everything. So I immediately held an election. I knew the people will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/that-was-the-year-the-british-decided-to-get-out-and-sell-everything/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) > [A leader without the vision, to strive to improve things, is no good. Then you will just stay put, you won't progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/a-leader-without-the-vision-to-strive-to-improve-things-is-no-good/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) > [India is scared of the competition... because Chinese goods will go into India and compete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/india-is-scared-of-the-competition-because-chinese-goods-will-go-into/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) > [I was a product of the times, the war, the occupation, the reoccupation, my 4 years in Britain, admiring but at the same time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/i-was-a-product-of-the-times-the-war-the-occupation-the-reoccupation/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) > [Three women were brought to the Singapore General Hospital, each in the same condition and needing a blood transfusion. The first, a Southeast Asian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/three-women-were-brought-to-the-singapore-general-hospital-each-in/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) > [What I fear is complacency. When things always become better, people tend to want more for less work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/what-i-fear-is-complacency-when-things-always-become-better-people/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) > [I have said this on many a previous occasion: that had the mix in Singapore been different, had it been 75% Indians, 15% Malays…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/i-have-said-this-on-many-a-previous-occasion-that-had-the-mix-in/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) > [I have decided that we shall make and build and never give way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/i-have-decided-that-we-shall-make-and-build-and-never-give-way/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) > [Nine holes of golf will take you one-and-a-half, two hours. I run in 20 minutes, I feel better off. So the cost benefit made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/nine-holes-of-golf-will-take-you-one-and-a-half-two-hours-i-run-in-20/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) [Explore all 119 Lee Kuan Yew quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) [Greg Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-perry/) > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) [Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Of-course we did, but we didn't reply because we knew once this leaks the others will scatter, so in the few days we moved quickly before the press got hold of it. 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