SINGAPORE: MIRACLE METROPOLIS

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Isaac Thomas
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1 SINGAPORE: MIRACLE METROPOLIS

2 Before 1819 Singapore was a pirate hangout population about 1,000

3 Sir Stamford Raffles, founder of Singapore 1819: Raffles, an employee of the East India Company, purchased the island from the nearby Sultan of Johore

4 Raffles has a famous hotel named for him

5 British Malaya 1800s to 1963 Britain controlled Singapore and Penang as colonies & controlled the sultanates indirectly through their rulers. Rubber and tin created great fortunes, brought Chinese migrants, and made Singapore an important port

6 19 th century British colony: A busy port full of crime & disease

7 Rubber and tin from Malaya were shipped out. The British had a big naval base here

8 A sailor recalled, You could get ANYTHING there

9 A lot has changed since then

10 Feb 1942-Sept 1945: Japanese occupation of the island

11 In 1963 Singapore joined the new nation of Malaysia

12 But two years later the Malaysian legislature voted to expel Singapore

13 Singapore 1965: apparently hopeless A minuscule, over-crowded, hot and humid, multi-racial, multi-cultural, disease filled, crime ridden, swampy island with high unemployment, and without any natural resources or real defenses. Oh, yes, it was threatened by a serious communist insurgency. It is three degrees above the equator on the same latitude as Mogadishu, Guayaquil Ecuador, and Lambarene in Gabon.

14 Lee Kuan Yew, PM He was the architect of modern Singapore

15 Pop: 5.5 million. 74% Chinese, 13% Malay, 9% Indian

16 What did Lee Kuan Yew accomplish? Singapore is clean, no poverty, no homelessness, no begging, little unemployment, kids immunized, long lifespans (84 & 80), good traffic flow, low crime, clean water, low inflation, $50,000 per capita income, tons of millionaires Singapore has bccome an equatorial Switzerland Miracle or pragmatic planning?

17 Lee Kuan Yew ran since the mid 1950s as leader of the People s Action Party He voluntarily relinquished power in 1990

18 Westminster type unicameral parliament

19 People s Action Party won every election since 1959 usually 80%

20 Lee and his associates have tried to develop an advanced society

21 attracting foreign investment location, location, location Low business taxes skilled workers transparency in dealings fair legal system Lack of corruption Up-to-date infrastructure political stability

23 Singapore is one of the most important of the world financial centers

24 Central Provident Fund: 34% of wages invested

25 Medisave is a health savings plan; the government helps the destitute

26 Highest rate of home-ownership in the world around 90 percent

27 Most live in high-rise apartments subsidized by the government

28 Orchard Road, arguably the world s most beautiful shopping street

29 Second only to work, the national pastime is hitting the mall

30 On February 13, 1989, Mr Anwar Singh got his picture in the Straits Times for not flushing in the Lucky Shopping Center on Orchard Road

31 Singapore is probably the cleanest city in Asia

32 Probably illicit drugs wouldn t be a good business to go into

33 If the action is offensive, it is probably subject to a fine

34 Singapore maintains a national university

35 The government nearly redeveloped the entire city. These are preserved

36 Ethnic quotas in housing Seats in Parliament reserved for minorities Promoting enmity between groups on account of religion or race is punishable by three years in prison.

37 Industry is diversified

38 The government owns the airline

39 Changi Airport: One of the finest in the world

40 Cars and licenses are enormously expensive. Only 10% have cars

41 Public transportation is superb

42 New Towns were created to be livable. 10% of land is open space

43 Unemployment is usually extremely low. Foreigners are imported to work

44 Believe it or not The Social Development Unit is ready to match couples. Are these good tips?

45 A nation of superlatives Where students achieve high Academic scores

46 One in six households has disposable income of $1 million or more

47 Primary school is compulsory; all schools are ranked 2 nd or 3 rd in the world in math, science, and reading

49 Global competitiveness rating

50 Best financial environment for growing business

52 One of the world s 5 biggest ports

53 Singapore maintains a credible national defense force

54 When Lee retired, he was succeeded by Goh Chok Tong & then Lee Hsien Loong, his son.

55 Striving toward a better society

56 Good advice in this country too

58 No need to get bored in Singapore 27 performing arts venues 24 libraries 45 museums 35 art galleries Beaches Parks Sentosa Island

59 Sentosa Island draws tourists and Singaporeans to its attractions

61 Enough spewing for now. time for a break!

Principles of Governance For a stable and prosperous Singapore. James Wong Deputy Secretary (Policy)

Principles of Governance For a stable and prosperous Singapore James Wong Deputy Secretary (Policy) Singapore At A Glance Area: 683 sq km Gross Domestic Product: S$258 billion Population: 4,987,600 Life