An economic miracle

Consider a country where utter poverty led to people starving to death. With limited natural resources and more than 7,000 individuals per square kilometres of population, as against Pakistan's around 302, the country was faced with enormous problems.

Going against all probabilities, it witnessed an unprecedented miracle: from poverty to one of the wealthiest countries in the world in a matter of a few decades. Where starvation had been prevalent in this country in the past, today the country has a record figure: one out of every six people is a millionaire.

This country is not in Europe or the Americas; it's in the middle of Asia: Singapore. With the second-highest GDP per capita in the world and the highest in Asia, Singapore's growth is just phenomenal.

The whole region of Singapore is 719 square kilometres. To compare, the region of Pakistan is about 796,095 square kilometres. It is geographically situated alongside the Malacca and Sunda Straits. By way of example, the Malacca Strait connects the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea. This route has been significant in the current times and even historically. In the seventh century, this route was significant in world trade because it connected East Asia to West Asia; Middle Eastern, Subcontinent, and European countries relied on this route to trade with East Asia.

Over the centuries, Singapore was governed by a series of monarchs, but its strategic location became more valuable over time. In the 16th century, the Portuguese had taken over the Malacca Strait and built small seaports. These seaports were stopovers for far-off ships, providing repair and maintenance facilities. This expansion increased trade and generated huge revenues for the area. But the Portuguese were outwitted by the Dutch in 1603 and took over control of the Malacca Strait after a series of battles.

Meanwhile, the British desired access to the strait but without direct fighting, and so they turned to Singapore. In 1819, Thomas Stamford Raffles signed a treaty with the Sultan of Johor for 8,000 Spanish dollars, creating a British presence in Singapore while the Dutch remained in the Malacca Strait.

Singapore's location makes it a trade hub. The British built massive port facilities, providing good services to attract ships from all over the world. To counter the Dutch, the British declared Singapore a free port — no taxation to do business. This attracted ships from various countries.

But with the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, the tide started turning. Singapore and the Malacca Strait grew even more crucial for foreign commerce with this new route, shortening the distance between Europe and Asia by 5,000 miles. Foreign immigrants poured in from neighbouring nations to work, as commerce grew and labor demand mounted. With the explosive population growth, the British were compelled to expand infrastructure and develop administration.

Due to wartime dislocations in trade during WWI, Singapore experienced shortages, unemployment and economic losses. The subsequent Great Depression and Spanish flu that struck in 1918 added to the woes. Singapore was invaded by Japan in 1942 and brutally occupied until 1945 when the British reasserted their dominance. But the people were now ready to transform.

The People's Action Party (PAP) captured the first general election in the history of Singapore in 1959 and established the government. Through its agenda of unification, economic growth and government rejuvenation, the fresh Lee Kuan Yew administration set about reconstructing the troubled country.

The creation of a national identity through a flag, anthem and currency was the most significant objective. The Housing and Development Board addressed housing issues by constructing new, affordable houses in the place of slums. Residential estates were created to encourage racial mixing to avoid ethnic segregation.

Another area of emphasis was education, in which government schools provided universal curricula and enhanced facilities to unite communities. Cultures and religions were emphasised and multilingual cultural activities were promoted by the Ministry of Culture.

Singapore was in critical economic distress. It was heavily reliant on Malaysia for trade and lacked natural resources. Lee Kuan Yew wanted to attract foreign investment to address this. Tax incentives to new industries were one of the tax incentives he introduced to firms establishing themselves in Singapore. Jurong Town Corporation was created to develop industrial estates, and the Economic Development Board (EDB) was created to promote industrialisation.

Lee also confronted corruption directly. The Prevention of Corruption Act, enacted in 1960, punished corrupt acts harshly. The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), which reports directly to the prime minister, was established to investigate corruption independently.

Singapore emerged as a leading world financial centre. To make sure that the workforce would be able to support high-tech firms, the government also put money into education and training. Singapore was a major exporter of electronics and other high-tech goods by the 1970s. To provide support for trade and tourism, the nation also built world-class infrastructure, including Changi Airport, Sentosa Island, and the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system.

Singapore is one of the world's richest and most advanced nations. It is the leading nation in Asia and the second globally in terms of per capita GDP. It is famous for its efficiency, safety, and cleanliness. It is almost free from corruption as per TI-CPI, and its schools and health centres are the best in the world. Vision and leadership that transformed a poor and small island nation into a world superpower are the reasons behind Singapore's prosperity.

If a poor little island nation could rise to unimaginable heights, consider the promise of Pakistan — a nation endowed with natural resources, a dynamic and youthful population, and a strategic location between continents. Singapore's achievement was due to bold choices, self-control and visionary leadership — and not chance.

The path to advancement is not beyond our grasp, but within us, to be paved by courage, creativity, and an unshakable faith in the future. The question is not if Pakistan can become great, but when we shall choose to do so.

The writer is a freelance contributor. He tweets/posts @MIbrahimYahya