Singapore became self-governing in 1959 and gained full independence in 1965 after a brief period as part of Malaysia. Over the ensuing decades, Singapore transformed from a small port in Asia to the seventh largest GDP per capita. With little to no resources or even land area - there are only 19 smaller nations - Singapore is often hailed as a model of success, arguably leading the Asian Tigers, which also include South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
But between 1959 and 1990, Singapore was led, all-but autocratically, by a single man - Lee Kuan Yew, whose funeral was held Sunday after passing away one week ago. Also since 1959, a single party has controlled Singaporean politics, the People's Action Party. The eldest son of Lee Kuan Yew, Lee Hsien Loong, has led Singapore since 2004. These are not the typical politics of an economic and international paragon. In fact, if you take away the economic success, Singapore looks more like the typical pariah state than a vanguard.
Nonetheless, Singapore has clearly been an economic success story. World leaders turned out for Lee Kuan Yew's funeral. Singapore is often seen as a model that other nations can scale. China has emulated some of its policies and tactics. But does the model truly scale? Can "soft authoritarianism" that was effective in a an area characterized by its limited geography and alternative opportunity prosper on a grander scale? That question remains to be seen. Meanwhile, the Singapore experiment continues to demonstrate what could be possible, if political and economic dreams can be massaged into sound and equitable policies.
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