A Glorious Chapter in the Life of Singapore’s True Founder, Lee Kuan Yew!

Sherazur Rahman##
On September 16th, Singapore celebrated the 101st birth anniversary of its esteemed founder, Lee Kuan Yew. He was born on this day, September 16th, 1923, in Singapore. From a humble fishing village, he tirelessly worked over several decades to elevate Singapore to the ranks of developed nations. He is the one who strategically transformed Singapore into a modern city-state of the 20th century.

Initially, after separating from British rule, Singapore joined the Malaysian Federation. However, on August 9th, 1965, Singapore broke away from Malaysia and gained independence as a small, new nation. One could say that Singapore was almost forced out of the Malaysian Federation and granted independence. Although it started its journey as a very poor and chaotic country, under the skilled leadership of Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s economy began to recover in a short time.

While Singapore’s first president after independence was Yusof bin Ishak, who served from 1965 to 1970, the true architect of the country’s economic development and industrial revolution was Lee Kuan Yew. He served as the Prime Minister from 1954 to 1992. With his new business ideas and industrial and economic development plans, the country quickly rose to the status of an industrialized nation.

According to Wikipedia, in 2024, Singapore’s nominal GDP is estimated to be 525.228 billion dollars with a per capita income of an astounding 88,447 dollars, despite its small size of just 734.3 square kilometers. With a population of 5.92 million, the population density is about 7,900 people per square kilometer. Singapore has almost no space left for developing new industrial areas.

Now, let’s take a look at Singapore’s foreign trade. According to Wikipedia, as of March 2024, Singapore’s foreign reserves stood at 347 billion dollars, with an inflation rate of 5.5% (as of June 2023) and a GDP growth rate of 2.1%. The overall unemployment rate is 1.8%.

Despite some challenges, the scale and capability of the country’s foreign trade are impressive. In 2023, Singapore’s total foreign trade (imports and exports) amounted to 1.2 trillion dollars. Although, in 2022, the country’s total trade was 1.4 trillion dollars, reflecting a 14.2% decrease.

In terms of higher education, this small country has consistently ranked two universities among the top 100 globally each year. The National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) are particularly well-known worldwide for their modern and world-class education systems. According to a Singaporean news agency, the National University of Singapore alone has about 4,000 Ph.D. students.

Not only is Singapore known for its excellent education system, but also for its advanced healthcare services, safe tourism industry, and world-class airlines. Currently, Singapore Airlines ranks as the second-best international airline globally. Furthermore, Singapore’s Changi Airport is ranked as the second-best modern airport in the world.

According to the Henley Passport Index 2024, Singapore holds the top spot for the most powerful passport in the world. Passport holders from Singapore can travel to 195 destinations without a visa, a milestone achievement for the country.##