Singapore turns 60 with much to show

No country turns 60 like Singapore.

- Thitinan Pongsudhirak

In a neighbourhood of political dynasties and varying shades of autocracies and flawed democracies, the little island state of six million got lucky with its strongman rule. When he died in 2015, Singapore's patriarchal founder Lee Kuan Yew left a great country behind. This weekend, Singaporeans can take stock of what's gone by and rightly celebrate its milestone with much to show for.

To be sure, Singapore's success is time-tested. In 1965, when it was virtually kicked out of the Federation of Malaya — Malaysia today — the then self-governing island of predominantly overseas Chinese faced dire conditions and dim prospects. The ruling People’s Action Party and its leadership under Lee had to build up their poor little island, less than half the size of Bangkok's land area, into a prosperous nation from ground zero.

As the first decade led to another and more, small steps accumulated into leaps and bounds. Singapore went from a backwater nation in the 1960s to an industrialised country by the 1990s. The PAP’s initially iron-fisted top-down rule under Lee brooked no dissent and meant that Singaporeans had to work hard, keep their heads down, and trade off lesser rights and freedoms for jobs and better living standards.

As the founding prime minister for 31 years and as cabinet advisor and guardian of the political system thereafter until his death, Lee focused on equipping Singaporeans with skills and education for the country to thrive. His most indelible and lasting legacy arguably is the education system, especially the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University, both distinct but in a collaborative fashion connected to a network of research institutes, think-tanks, and the broader policy community.