As Singapore turns 50, a proud nation prepares to party

Now, Singapore is one of the most developed economies in the world.

On its 50th anniversary, the city-state certainly has much to celebrate. It is time to loosen up a bit. Five years later, the Malaysia Agreement was signed and Singapore, Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak became the Federation of Malaysia. Its income per capita has grown from roughly $540 in 1965 to more than $55,000 in 2014. How, while we had no natural resources, we educated every Singaporean and created opportunities for their talents to thrive. GDP trebled between 2000 and 2013.

Pragmatic and nimble leadership has been critical to Singapore’s success. The emphasis on big multinationals and government-linked companies has held back the development of small and middle-sized enterprises.

At Siloso Beach in Sentosa there is a long sand sculpture showing significant moments in Singapore’s history will be displayed. Although in a more moderate form, Lee Kuan Yew’s authoritarian governing style still prevails in the city-state. For one, the population is getting older.

Together, the venues will double the number of seats available for Singaporeans and permanent residents this year. Unclogging roads, ports and airports makes for ease of doing business. But dissatisfaction at overcrowding has forced the government to limit immigration.

People watch a column of military and civil defense vehicles making their way to their starting positions prior to the National Day Parade in Singapore, 09 August 2015. “It’s a year that Singaporeans will want to remember forever”.

A NEW Zealand family documented photos of their “unclean” room during their recent Gold Coast holiday and have taken the matter up with authorities. Meanwhile, slowing growth risks undermining the country’s welfare system and add to the burden of servicing Singaporeans’ personal debt, which reached 76 percent of GDP a year ago. By accident of fate, Singapore was blessed with good founding fathers like Lee Kuan Yew, S. Rajaratnam and Goh Keng Swee to guide the country just as it was starting out.

Yet these are first-world problems that most other Asian countries would love to have. It has remained a favourite with many Singaporeans.

It also has a habit of defying predictions of gloom.

And it’s a model for other powers who strive for the same success.

The world is dotted with once-thriving city-states that declined or were absorbed into larger entities when the economic and geopolitical winds shifted. There is a growing call for a change in the way government operates and how inclusive it will be, not only in its design of public policies but also in how redistributive their effects will be.

The national day celebrations are a good example of this co-operation between the spiritual and the material, as an observer of last week’s dress rehearsal said: “Of course we know it’s a hugely expensive exercise in self-promotion, but we absolutely love it: it’s our national day!”

Peter Thal Larsen is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. For the past fifty years, that has served Singapore extremely well.