Almost on a weekly basis, I receive an email from someone, often outside of Singapore, which contains criticisms of Singapore and its Government. Regularly, it comes from someone who has either never visited Singapore or only briefly.
There are many things to criticise the PAP (the ruling party) for in its attitude to governing. Indeed, the recent election was a warning for them not to be too comfortable with the lowest vote (just over 60%) in the history of Singapore and as I have written before, this could turn out to be a watershed in the island's political history.
However, whilst I reserve the right to criticise and believe that I have some right to make observations now that I have lived here for around 10 years, it really bugs me when I receive groundless comments from people who have little knowledge of the country. At the end of the day, Singapore is a far wealthier and more successful place than anyone could have anticipated in 1965. The standard of living of its residents is far higher than most countries and the city has continued to reinvent itself in a miraculous way. The changes over the past 10 years in particular have been stunning as the city has embraced popular culture and has become truly cosmopolitan and sophisticated.
Countries such as Sri Lanka are looking towards Singapore to learn. The cynics will say that Rajapaksa would love to replicate the dominance of the Lee family. They may well be correct. However, if Sri Lanka was to replicate even 50% of the economic and social success of Singapore, its citizens will be well rewarded.
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