“Singapore is a young country with a small population of three million people, mostly Chinese. Taking advantage of this rare situation. Lee Kuan Yewm [b. 1923, prime minister from 1959 to 1990] attempted to create the first computer state. As he himself says: «Singaporeans are the electronic chips of a huge computer, the Republic of Singapore.»
Lee Kuan Yew is a pragmatist. He began by protecting his little Disneyland by creating a high-tech army, armed with the latest science, from the big envious and aggressive neighbors, Malaysia (20 million inhabitants) and Indonesia (200 million inhabitants). This is foreign policy.
As for domestic politics, Lee Kuan Yew made sure that order reigned among his «small electronic chips».
At independence, Singapore suffered from high corruption. Lee Kuan Yew described the situation as follows: “Corruption is one of the features of the Asian way of life. People openly accepted the reward, it was part of their life.
The fight against corruption began «by simplifying decision-making procedures and removing any ambiguity in laws by issuing clear and simple rules, up to the abolition of permits and licenses.»
The salaries of judges were sharply raised, and «the best private lawyers» were attracted to judicial positions. The salary of a Singaporean judge reached several hundred thousand dollars a year (and in the 1990s it was over $1 million). The triads (mafia groups) were severely suppressed. The police force was changed from predominantly Malay to predominantly Chinese, as they are more disciplined.
Civil servants holding responsible positions were raised salaries to the level typical for top managers of private corporations. An independent body was created to fight corruption in the highest echelons of power (investigations were initiated even against close relatives of Lee Kuan Yew). A number of ministers convicted of corruption were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment, either committed suicide or fled the country.
As a result, Singapore (in accordance with international ratings) became one of the least corrupt countries in the world (3rd place after Denmark and New Zealand).
Lee Kuan Yew brings order among the citizens. He arranges a tourist city on one side, an economic city on the other, and then creates a dormitory city. The three cities are clearly separated from each other by a border, a flawless lawn five kilometers wide. It issues very strict laws: it is forbidden to spit on the ground (fine 1500 francs), smoking in public places (fine 1500 francs), throwing used paper (fine 1500 francs) while watering flowers, leaving water in saucers under pots (this attracts mosquitoes, a fine 1500 francs), to park cars in the city center. The state smells of soap. If a dog barks at night, its vocal cords are cut off. Men should always wear trousers, even in very warm weather. Women should always wear stockings, even in desperate heat. All cars are equipped with sirens that deafen you as soon as you exceed the speed of 80 km/h. From six o’clock in the evening it is forbidden to drive alone in your car, you must give a lift to colleagues or fellow travelers, this reduces the possibility of traffic jams and gas pollution (otherwise a fine of 1500 francs). The police ordered Singaporeans to place sensors under the bottom of cars so that everyone knows the routes of fellow citizens. On a large light board you can follow the movements of all residents. Entering the house, you need to tell your last name to the guard who is constantly on duty at the door. The whole city is flooded with video cameras. Singapore is a democratic state, but in order for citizens not to vote at random, the number of the voter card is written on the ballot. Theft, violence, drugs, corruption are punishable by death by hanging. Whip punishment still exists. Lee Kuan Yew considers himself the father of his fellow citizens. He borrows ideas from both communists and capitalists, as long as they are effective. The state encourages personal enrichment (Singaporeans are in second place in terms of living standards in Asia, right behind Japan, and they play with might and main on the stock exchange), but students are provided with hostels for free. All cults are allowed, but the press is censored: not a single newspaper writes about sex or politics.
In 1982, Lee Kuan Yew notes that, in obedience to an ancient and not specifically Chinese reflex, smart men marry beautiful but stupid women, and smart women find husbands with difficulty. He decides to give a reward to men who marry graduate women, and uneducated women who have a second child pay a fine. The illiterate are strongly encouraged to be sterilized in exchange for a large sum of money. Lee Kuan Yew builds schools for gifted children, free cruises are organized for highly educated people.
He understands that it is possible to give a good education to children only when there are no more than two of them in the family. In the evenings, police call families who already have two children and remind them to take the birth control pill or use a condom.
There are no minerals in Singapore, 45 years ago it was an absolutely impoverished country. Today, the average Singaporean is about 4 times richer than the average Russian.