When the 'Republic of Singapore' came to power, the per capita annual income of the people was only $500. From there, in 1990, the last year of Lee Kuan Yew's presidency, it stood at 14,500, an improvement of about 2,800%! At present, the per capita income of Singapore is about 53 thousand US dollars. Singapore is probably the only country in the world whose entire generation has seen its country rise from the Third World to the First World. Today's article is about the leader who changed the country.
Lee was born on September 16, 1923, to a Chinese-born father, Lee Chin-kun, and his mother, Chua Jim Neo. The economic situation was not so bad. Lee grew up as a 'Mangloid-English' according to his parents, and English was his first language. He was great at studying. After graduating in economics from the London School of Economics, he also graduated in first class law from Cambridge University, becoming a barrister.
After coming to the country and practicing law for a few years, he opened the People's Action Party in 1954. Singapore gained independence from British colonial rule in 1957 by forming a federation with Malaysia. Exactly two years after his election, Lee became the Prime Minister of Singapore. After a tragic break with Malaysia in 1965 for ideological reasons, Lee got a fragile independent-sovereign Singapore. Starting from that. He became the Prime Minister with a strong hand and carried the country till 1990.
The country is very small, only 712 square kilometers. There are no natural resources. But there was no lack of ambition in Lee's eyes. So at the beginning he gave his hand in planned urbanization and building improved infrastructure. By forming the Housing and Development Board, Lee Kuan Yew was the first to ensure government housing for everyone in Singapore. His idea was that when someone owns a house in this city, he will have more responsibility and affection for the city, which will take Singapore forward.
Ethnic unity is what is needed at the outset of nation building. But Singapore was a country of many religions, castes and nations. Large numbers of Malays and Indians with a majority of Chinese descent. There used to be riots and facades between them. Lee solved this problem a few years after taking power. He reduced inequality between communities by imposing quotas on government housing. At the same time, he put in place strict laws and stricter enforcement against any instability.
The country did not have enough space to set up industries, as it was too small. It was a disadvantage as well as an advantage. The advantage is that it is a small country and it is easy to attract investors by making it green and tidy. Lee took that opportunity. Nature lover Lee gave utmost importance to building a green and clean city. To this end, he formed the 'Garden City Action Committee'. There are trees lined the road, only parks cover one-tenth of Singapore. Waste management is so strict that chewing gum is banned in the country. You can understand why Singapore is the 'cleanest country' in the world.
He poured out the entire city's infrastructure. He did not just build the bushes of the skyscrapers. Each building has a playground, a place of recreation. A small country; If lakhs of private cars run, the roads of the country will be unusable in two days. So he wanted an improved public transport system. In the beginning, he thought of improving the living facilities. Later, he saw that if the railway infrastructure was improved at a higher cost, the bus system would automatically improve and the traffic congestion problem would be solved. Of course, the railway sector was also arranged.
The question is, where did Singapore get so much money as a third world country, with which such an unprecedented infrastructure development is possible? The answer lies in an incident in 1973. That year, when the United States severed its gold reserves with the dollar, Lee Kuan Yew took the ultimate advantage. Singapore has emerged as the top currency exchange in the world. Singapore has overtaken rival Hong Kong to take the necessary steps to create a dollar market in Asia. At the same time, the blessings of the World Bank and the IMF were on their heads for their adherence to the US policy and the free market economy.
Lee began paying large sums of money to ministers, bureaucrats, and government servants, so that they would not be bribed, but would perform their duties with sincerity; And above all, he is always happy with the government. He himself was a very honest and strict leader. Whether under pressure or not, the word corruption disappeared from the lexicon of Singapore's government system. Everyone in the administration was afraid of him.
When the country came to power, Singapore was just a dormant seaport. However, Lee understood that the geographical location is quite attractive in terms of economic importance. So he wanted to make this aspect a big tool of development. Decorated Singapore's seaports, airports and related infrastructure. It has done everything that needs to be done for the benefit of tourists, including the provision of state-of-the-art facilities. The results also came in handy. In a short time, Singapore has become a transit hub for airlines. Long-haul passengers now choose Singapore as their transit point, although it now has to compete with Dubai. Thus, Singapore began to become the headquarters of airlines. After Shanghai, Singapore is the busiest seaport in the world. According to experts, modernization of Chittagong port in Singapore model may be the most profitable investment for Bangladesh.
Thus, after a strong emergence as a regional hub, Singapore became the largest commercial hub in Southeast Asia. Corporates began to choose Singapore in groups. Because? There is no political disturbance, the communication system is excellent, the taxes are very low, the government is also sincere towards the industrialists, the infrastructure and environment are incomparable. Currently, there are no global companies, including Google, Facebook, Chevron, Toyota, PepsiCo, that have not opened a regional headquarters in Singapore.
Although the neo-liberal ideology was reflected in the economic field, Li Kuan Yew's policy in the social field was conservative. That is why he has given more importance to the question of market freedom than individual freedom. In the countries of the first world, many more things including homosexuality are being legalized, the death penalty is being abolished. But Lee Kuan Yew did not borrow these liberals. However, there was no movement in that country at any time. However, since people in business have less time to think liberally, Lee did not see the point in destabilizing the situation by legalizing 'controversial' things. However, this is not to say that there is no protest at all. On the same day, gay activist Alex O was fined $8,000 for contempt of court. Lee Kuan Yew's policy of maintaining "stability" by limiting freedom of speech and protest.
Lee arranged the political system in the style of Westminster in Britain. But the strategy also blocked the rise of a strong opposition camp. As a result, Lee's People's Action Party became synonymous with power. Lee sought to ensure the participation of religious and political minorities in state power. As a result, he never had to face rebellion. Electoral seats were arranged in a very formal manner. As in 2011, they got only 60 percent of the votes and 90 percent of the seats in Parliament. The mainstream media was also controlled by the government. Defamation laws were in place for opposition camps and critical journalists. Lee's critics jokingly compared the country to North Korea. But the truth is, Lee Kuan Yew's steps worked. In the end, Singapore did not improve but deteriorated.
Amrtu was the general secretary of the party. Even after leaving power to the new generation in 1990, the cabinet also took part in the role of senior minister, mentor etc. He wanted to serve the country all his life, he did not see the time of retirement in the service of the country. However, there are allegations of power grabs and familism.
Although the general public does not know much about the impact of global lee, the two world leaders China and America know. The veteran diplomat bridged the gap between the two through clever foreign policy. Lee Kuan Yew did the seemingly impossible task of supporting US influence in Southeast Asia, including Singapore, and keeping China in line. Lee has not only done opportunistic diplomacy, he has also become tough in time. Why would you expel the British forces from your country in 1971? In the eighties and nineties, the secrets of East and Southeast Asian economies were the heroes of this secrecy.
He has written these experiences in an impeccable autobiography like 'One Man's View of the World'. Lee Kuan Yew died on March 23, 2015 at the age of 91 after suffering from pneumonia for the last few days of his life. ‘Quan Yu’ means ‘bright light’. Despite the controversy, Singaporeans are not so ungrateful as leader Lee Kuan Yew for not acknowledging the 'bright light' in the history of the UK nation.
Democrats believe that 'check and balance' and a strong opposition are needed to establish integrity in the administration. Lee has succeeded in getting out of that table. Chinese President Xi Jinping wanted to follow the same path. He has also been campaigning against corruption for two years. But corruption has not diminished. This means that not everyone will succeed outside the traditional table. It is unreasonable to think that Lee Kuan Yew was lucky, Xi Jinping or you will be so lucky. The exception can no longer be an example. So while the 'Singapore model' of development is inspiring to critics, it is not to be followed.
Singapore is currently suffering from the same problems as Japan: declining birth rates and aging population. That is why the country now has to rely more on immigration. There are 5.5 million people living in the country, one-third of whom are not citizens of that country. Meanwhile, as the country's dependence on immigrants grows, so does the conflict between new and old residents over food and shelter. With such polarization, the new generation is also seeking change in the field of politics. Lee's son Lee Lung is currently the Prime Minister of Singapore.
Since the needs of a country are different at birth, Singaporeans want to give up running a semi-dictatorship as a matter of time. At the same time, as Lee Kuan Yew acknowledges the UK as the father of the nation, his negative actions also gain some legitimacy in the guise of love. But now the younger generation is no longer willing to give up undemocracy. They want real multi-party democracy and liberalism to come to the country at least this time.
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