The UK can learn a lot from Lee Kuan Yew and Singapore
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Version 0 of 1. In a genuine outpouring of grief, Singapore had a week’s official mourning for the late Lee Kuan Yew, its visionary prime minister from 1959 to 1990. He continued to wield great political influence until 2011. Around 50 years ago, Singapore was little more than an impoverished swampy island with 1.6 million inhabitants and virtually no natural resources. Now, with a population of 5.5 million, it has been transformed into the envy of the world. The statistics speak for themselves. Unemployment is just 2%, Singapore is third in the global education league, possibly the world’s healthiest nation and 90% of Singaporeans own their own homes, which are mostly government built. Crime levels are almost the lowest in the world, it is one of the least corrupt nations and its streets, public transport and public places are clean. Related: Lee Kuan Yew funeral: pictures and reflections from Singaporeans Singapore is also the top country in which to do business. It has an almost perpetual government budget surplus of between 0 and 20% of gross domestic product and the 6th highest purchasing power [pdf] in the world, twice that of the UK. What a legacy for Lee Kuan Yew. He describes the factors underpinning Singapore’s success in his book, From Third World to First, as wealth creation, huge investment in infrastructure, environment and leisure facilities, building quality homes instead of paying benefits and nurturing talent – as well as the Confucian principle that the family should take responsibility for its members. Wealth creation has focused on attracting investment and supporting local businesses. It keeps business taxation low, half that of the UK, and gives generous allowances to startups. Unlike the UK, employment laws favour the employer rather than the employee. Unlike the proliferation of bodies in the UK, one agency, International Enterprise, actively supports the establishment and development of new businesses and helps them become global. This was deliberate policy in the 1980s to turn Singapore into a financial centre. With the increasingly booming economies of south-east Asia and China on its doorstep, Singapore is well placed to make itself attractive to investors and it is seizing the opportunity to take advantage of those markets. Pharma group GlaxoSmithKline is the latest major business to decide to invest in a regional hub and Ila Technologies has just opened the world’s largest diamond greenhouse. In 2013, Singapore spent 30 times more per head of population on infrastructure than the UK. Recent investment in leisure and tourism have seen the building of the iconic Marina Bay Sands hotel and the two largest climate-controlled greenhouses in the world. It has just announced plans to spend S$740m (£365m) in sprucing up Singapore’s museums and galleries. Singapore is criticised for its tight controls on media and freedom of speech. Political and social stability in a diverse nation has been seen as vital to economic success and after some turmoil in the early 1960s and in neighbouring countries in the 1990s, Lee Kuan Yew decided that the western model of press freedom was potentially divisive. Singapore’s prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong, has stated recently that the country is investing in the future for its children and grandchildren while older economies in the west are creating massive debt for them. As the son of Lee Kuan Yew, he must be a proud guardian of his father’s legacy. Singapore is increasingly visited by UK politicians seeking inspiration. Could this former colony of the UK prove its salvation? Sign up for your free weekly Guardian Public Leaders newsletter with news and analysis sent direct to you every Thursday. Follow us on Twitter via @Guardianpublic |