Four leadership philosophies help Lee Kuan Yew create the 'Singapore miracle'
Under the leadership based on multi-ethnicism and rational policies of Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore has performed an economic "miracle".
In May 1959, the People's Action Party (PAP) founded by Lee Kuan Yew and a group of middle-class intellectuals won the general election, helping Singapore achieve autonomy in most areas, ending a British colony since 1819. Lee Kuan Yew became the first prime minister of Singapore.
Singapore in 1963 merged with Malaysia, but separated from the country in 1965 amid political and ethnic tensions, becoming an independent country. Mr. Ly then faced a series of major challenges such as lack of resources and water supply, and very limited ability to defend the country.
However, the small island nation now possesses Asia's leading developed economy, among the group with the highest GDP per capita in the world. Last year, Singapore for the second year in a row led the world in economic competitiveness, according to the annual rankings of the Institute for Development Management (IMD) in Switzerland.
Mr. Lee stepped down as prime minister in 1990, but has since remained a major influence on the administration of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, his eldest son. The way Lee Kuan Yew took Singapore from a third world country to one of the "Asian tigers" is said to be a lesson for any leader.
Former Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew speaks at an event in the island nation in March 2013. Photo: Reuters .
According to Singaporean expert speaker David Lim, the first foundation of Lee Kuan Yew's leadership philosophy is multi-ethnicism , in the context of the young country being a collection of immigrants and diverse backgrounds. .
Mr. Lee seems to understand that it is necessary to build a country where the people are judged on their ability, so one of the unwritten political philosophies of PAP is to build a meritocracy in Singapore. Any race that did not get off to a good start post-independence gets a variety of social and educational help through support groups.
This has helped Singapore avoid community politics like Malaysia, where positions, interests and resources are said to be distributed more based on ethnicity than efficiency. Singapore also avoids the worst cases of ethnic violence that still persist in Asia.
Mr. Lee's second leadership philosophy is to build a strong state mechanism through meritocracy, education and zero tolerance for corruption. As a result, Singapore is assessed to possess an effective financial management, education and national development mechanism.
According to speaker Lim, there was an implicit convention in Singaporean society from the 1960s to 1970s that people believed that the government they elected was working in their interests, even if it meant forcing them to do so. they must accept unpopular, but necessary, policies.
Lim considers Singapore's highest home ownership rate in the world (90%) not only a great success, but also shows that everyone can benefit. In addition, the island nation also reserves many state asset funds.
"These policies have lifted thousands of people out of poverty and desolate slums, and have helped improve infant mortality rates and people's overall health," Lim said. However, the speaker added that a strong state mechanism comes with strict laws and regulations.
The next philosophy that Lee Kuan Yew pursues is to separate economic development from ideology . "If the PAP has an unwritten ideology, it's that they don't follow any ideology," commented Lim, adding that Mr. Lee seems to favor strategic pragmatism.
Singapore used to be surrounded by potential rivals, at least in the mid-1960s. So building a tiny island nation without forming alliances, or adopting any political ideology. , becomes unrealistic.
Dr. Albert Winsemius, Singapore's United Nations-appointed economic advisor, and Goh Keng Swee, Mr. Lee's economic affairs officer, have embarked on building a country that welcomes foreign investment, amid suspicion in many parts of Asia of post-colonial capitalism.
They established one of the first industrial parks in the western part of the island nation, developed educational policies to support their work and educational innovation efforts, including making English the language of instruction. and mainly used in commerce.
As Singapore begins to move away from labor-intensive fields and into the more high-tech jobs of multinational corporations, the educational program has also changed with the times. Now, half of the economy is driven by multinationals in many areas such as research, manufacturing or services.
Lee Kuan Yew's ultimate philosophy in leading Singapore is to align the country with the much larger powers in the region, as well as the superpowers.
According to speaker Lim, Mr. Lee believes that this is the only way for Singapore to survive. To this end, he allowed Singapore to become the crossroads of global trade and build a powerful defense force.
With his achievements to the country, Mr. Lee is respected by many Singaporeans, especially the elderly who always remember his leadership during the period of independence and separation from Malaysia.
Mr. Lee has also been honored many times internationally, such as receiving the Order of the Rising Sun in 1967, the Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service by the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars. Former US President Barack Obama called him "the man who helped advance the Asian economic miracle" and "the legend of Asia in the 20th and 21st centuries".