Singapore: From Shambles to Success

–  by Rashi

In the early 1940s, Singapore was a small island infested with violence, crime, and disorder. Today it is one of the world’s most developed nations, boasting a high rate of foreign investment and per capita GDP. It serves as an ideal choice for business affairs and is home to many millionaires. But how was Singapore able to transform itself into a global business hub despite its limited resources? Its journey of economic development is a remarkable story of defying all odds.

On 15th February 1942, after a seven-day-long battle, Japan captured the British base of Singapore (Cwgc, n.d.). The Japanese occupation of Singapore was marked by food and drug shortages, illegal trade, inflation, violence, and tragedies like the Sook Ching massacre (Huff & Huff, 2020; Loong, 2023). After the surrender of the Japanese, Singapore found itself in desperate need of social and political reforms to improve the living conditions on the island and to tackle communal tensions. After a brief merger and eventual separation from Malaysia, Singapore rose as an independent nation faced with the challenge of taking care of its population with its limited resources (Santhi & Saravanakumar, 2020). In such circumstances, the then prime minister Lee Kuan Yew led the nation on the path of development.

Education in Singapore 

Singapore’s history was marked with conflicts between the Chinese majority and Malay minority. It was also crucial to prevent the spread of radical communism amongst the Chinese population. Therefore, the education curriculum in Singapore was developed to build a national identity and to enable the youth to connect with their Singaporean roots (Barr, 2021). The New Education System (NES) was introduced in order to build a skilled population base. The history curriculum was carefully revamped to promote a sense of nationalism and pride, something seen as a necessity in that period. In subsequent decades, inquiry-based learning was promoted to increase the critical thinking ability of the students (Afandi & Lim, 2022). Singapore has extensively focused on improving the quality of their tutors. Due to its rigorous curriculum, highly competitive environment, and student-oriented approach, Singapore’s education system is considered one of the best in the world (Thiruselvam, 2022; Boyle, 2024).

Economy in Singapore 

In order to grow its economy, the Singaporean government emphasized heavily on increasing the efficiency of their administration. Therefore, meritocracy became a crucial component of Singaporean governance. The government also practices significant control on the land, labor, and capital markets, thus directing them according to the needs of the state (Cheang & Lim, 2023). Currently, the state-owned assets in Singapore are valued nearly at 270 percent of its GDP, making it one of the countries with the largest current account surplus (The Economist, 2024).

However, Singapore uniquely balanced the policy of government intervention with free-market principles. It was able to foster a business-friendly system that attracted huge investments from around the world. It focused extensively on infrastructural and technological development to strengthen its status as a business hub (Magdin, 2024). It’s favorable tax regime, strategic location, well-developed logistics sector, stringent intellectual property rights, and efficient and transparent administrative system provide the most conducive environment for businesses (Andra, 2024). It has been consistently ranked as the freest economy in the world over the years (Kim, n.d.). All these initiatives, along with efficient central planning, established Singapore as an economic powerhouse.

Politics in Singapore

On the political front, Singapore has been dominated by the People’s Action Party (PAP) since its inception. This one-party structure helped cement governments hold over the country’s economy. For example, the only trade union in the country, the National Trade Union Congress (NTUC), serves as an instrument to promote economic growth, more than representing the workers (Yang, 2022). However, its authoritative regime is often accused of restricting the fundamental freedoms of its citizens. Multiple countries and international institutions have accused it of violating freedom of expression, association, peaceful assembly, and democratic principles (Matthews, 2024).

However, the opinions within Singapore can be considered contrasting from the global outlook. According to various reports, the majority of the Singaporean citizens were satisfied with the democratic functioning in their country (Greenwood & Greenwood, 2024; Han, 2024). This can be a result of the exceptional performance of Singapore in terms of indicators like GDP per capita, life expectancy, access to healthcare, justice, and education, political stability, and low rates of corruption and crime (Allison, 2024).

Society in Singapore

Being a heterogeneous society, it was important for Singapore to promote communal harmony. There are three major ethnic groups: Chinese, Malay, and Indians. The majority of the housing in Singapore is regulated by the government through the Ethnic Integration policy to ensure an adequate ethnic composition in each complex to promote co-existence (Ting, 2024). To promote secularism and religious harmony in the country, the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act was enacted in 1990 (A. X. W. Tan, 2020).

Currently, the main issue concerning the society in Singapore is inequality, especially gender and economic inequality. Even after multiple government measures to promote equality, the country still has a long way to go (Xinghui & Xinghui, 2022; Jones, 2021).

Current Situation in Singapore 

Regarded as one of the “Asian Tigers”, Singapore is one of the most prosperous countries in the world. It has seen a significant improvement in its Human Development Index ranking over the decades (United Nations, n.d.). Due to its favorable climate, high quality of life, multicultural society, and world-class facilities, it is considered one of the most liveable places on the globe (Tan, 2023; Tang, 2024). It has become an ideal host for high-profile events and is dotted by architectural marvels like the Supertree Grove and Marina Bay Sands (Ho, 2024).

It has strategic trading partnerships with both the US and China and is a founding member of ASEAN (Panda, 2020). It is one of India’s largest investment and trading partners. It also has strategic partnerships with India in the field of defense and space research. Both the nations have a crucial role in maintaining stability in Southeast Asia (Chauhan, 2024).

Singapore’s success story is a testimony to the impact that able leadership can have on its people. It’s efficient governance and dedicated leaders achieved what can be termed a development miracle in a matter of a few decades. Singapore went from being a dystopian island to a nation spangled with riches. Today, it serves as an inspiration to developing countries to make the best out of their resources.

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