Commentary 2011

Commentary: Volume 24, 2015 Singapore @ 50: Reflections and Observations Editor: Associate Professor Victor R Savage Published by The National University of Singapore Society (NUSS) Kent Ridge Guild House 9 Kent Ridge Drive Singapore 119241 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher. Printed by Naili Printing Industry MCI (P) 097 / 02 / 2015 COMMENTARY VOLUME 24, 2015 SINGAPORE @ 50: REFLECTIONS AND OBSERVATIONS 1 Contents Tribute Singapore Economy 5 Lee Kuan Yew (1923-2015): 56 - 78 Singapore’s Economic Mentor, Sage and Political Development, 1965-2020: Philosopher Review, Reflection and Victor R Savage Perspective Tan Khee Giap, Editorial Evan Tan Beng Kai and 6 - 14 Singapore@50: Reflections Vincent Kwan Wen Seng and Observations Victor R Savage 79 - 85 Development of Singapore’s Financial Sector Infrastructure Piyush Gupta 15 - 21 Singapore has become a City 86 - 93 The Hub Concept - for Cars, not People Reflections on the Past, Bruno Wildermuth Projections for the Future 22 - 28 An Extraordinary Journey: Joergen Oerstroem Moeller 50 Years of Urban Planning Security & Defence in Singapore Mieko Otsuki 94 - 100 50 Years of Singapore’s Securitisation: Prospects Social Issues and Challenges 29 - 37 Singapore In Transition: Bilveer Singh Staying Together For The External Relations Next 50 - Reviving the 101 - 108 Building on a Foundation of National Language Constructive Indonesian- Yang Razali Kassim Singapore Relations 38 - 46 Social Participation in a New Mohammad Amien Rais Singapore 109 - 116 50 Years of Singapore’s Ho Kong Chong, Connections with Europe Hasliza Ahmad, Helen Sim Yeo Lay Hwee and Ho Zhi Wei 117 - 123 Singapore and Southeast 47 - 53 Singapore: Condemned to Asia: A Shared History and Change? a Shared Destiny Rodolphe De Koninck Tan Tai Yong and Soh Yi Da Poem 54 - 55 Honour Edwin Thumboo COMMENTARY VOLUME 24, 2015 SINGAPORE @ 50: REFLECTIONS AND OBSERVATIONS 3 . Mission Statement To foster a lifelong relationship with NUS and the wider graduate community At NUSS, a lifelong relationship with NUS and the wider graduate community is achieved through two mutually reinforcing thrusts: • promoting the interests of its members and NUS; and • contributing positively to Singapore’s political and intellectual development and helping to cultivate a more gracious social and cultural environment. As the foremost graduate society, NUSS strives to promote the interests of its stakeholders by providing appropriate platforms for all to socialise, build networks, improve connectivity and exchange ideas through a multitude of recreational, academic, political, social and cultural activities. 4 COMMENTARY VOLUME 24, 2015 SINGAPORE @ 50: REFLECTIONS AND OBSERVATIONS Until his final journey on 29 March 2015, the outpouring of tributes locally and internationally has been overwhelming and touching. When we watched the thousands of Singaporeans who lined up for hours to pay their respects at Parliament House, the thousands who clapped and shouted his name along the cortege route, emotion engulfed you. We finally A Tribute to Mr Lee Kuan Yew stand together as a nation despite our (1923-2015): Mentor, Sage and varied political beliefs and racial and Political Philosopher religious differences. As with every Singaporean, the NUSS Hopefully Mr Lee’s family and friends community and the Editorial Board of found comfort in seeing so many Commentary share the profound grief Singaporeans express their deepest at the passing of the founder of modern gratitude and holding him in highest Singapore, Mr Lee Kuan Yew on esteem. No one ever dreamt that such 23 March at 3.18 am. national outpouring of grief and passion was likely or possible - it demonstrates Fondly remembered by members of Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s devotion to our city- the Society, Mr Lee was conferred state did not only go unnoticed but also NUSS’ Honorary Membership in 2011. how much it meant to each of us. He His ties with NUS started from his has become our national icon and hero. education at Raffles College, the Indeed he is the defining figure in our predecessor institution of NUS in the nation’s genesis and hence will 1940s. Mr Lee then went on to become continue to evoke deep respect in the a founding Ordinary Member of the emerging post-Lee Kuan Yew chapter of University of Malaya Society (later to Singapore’s evolving development. become NUSS) in 1954. Those of us who had lived under Singaporeans can never thank enough his leadership, encountered him, the contributions, drive, and dedication interacted with him, and accompanied that Mr Lee gave to making his life-long him in the turbulent journey to project a success – the creation and nationhood, can now count our development of a city-state, the blessings to have lived within his Republic of Singapore. With tenacity, political aura and be able to tell our passion and endless personal stories and share our anecdotes of his determination he championed political genius. These will be the seeds ceaselessly to turn Singapore into a from whence poetry, legends and peaceful, racially harmonious, and myths will spring to become the stuff developed country. In a matter of 50 years, he gave many Singaporeans of Singapore’s future national identity. national pride, self-confidence, political stability and institutions to face the Victor R Savage future as a sovereign country. We are Editor the beneficiaries of his lifelong work. April 2015 COMMENTARY VOLUME 24, 2015 SINGAPORE @ 50: REFLECTIONS AND OBSERVATIONS 5 Editorial Singapore@50: Reflections and Obersations Victor R Savage Associate Professor Victor R Savage (Arts, Class of ‘72) is from the Department of Geography and currently the Director of the Office of Alumni Relations (OAR), National University of Singapore. 6 COMMENTARY VOLUME 24, 2015 SINGAPORE @ 50: REFLECTIONS AND OBSERVATIONS Editorial Singapore@50: Reflections and Observations Introduction chance of remaining independent at its controversial birth. Beyond political 1965-2015 — Golden Anniversary: expectations, it has not only survived as The Lonely Planet guide votes an autonomous City-state, it has thrived Singapore the best tourist country to visit and become a ‘model’ state for other in 2015 to sample its celebrations. By developing countries to emulate. In other current measures and benchmarks of international opinions, Singapore is the newly-formed states to fill the United best example of a highly successful start- Nations (UN), the Republic of Singapore’s up country. With ‘venture capital’ from 50th anniversary as an independent state the United Nation agencies, governments seems like a remarkable achievement. and other corporations, Singapore has Compared however to the nation-states moved out of the arena of the developing of Europe, the City-state’s golden world and competing alongside the anniversary celebration covers a short countries and cities in the developed time span, a blip in global history. world. Historically speaking, City-states have never been sustainable political entities. Like all success stories, Singapore as a Athens and Sparta are now part of City-state has become increasingly a case Greece, while Venice, Florence and study in many developmental narratives Genoa are part of Italy today. All of them, in economics and finance, political in a short span of time, were meccas of development, transport management, trade and sparkling urban political and environmental management, legal economic entities that have ended framework, urban planning, ageing, unceremoniously. Their apogee of education, governance, conservation greatness continues to be enshrined in issues and leadership training. Every year, books, maps, poetry, architecture and for the past 25 years, legions of paintings — Singapore is quite the delegations from developing states and opposite. cities have come to uncover and discover the ‘secrets’ of the City-state’s success. Singapore was the capital of a larger The real Singapore secret is how to political entity of colonial Malaya for manage diverse factors into a cohesive nearly a century before it became an national whole. However, this is easier independent autonomous City-state in said than done. 1965. Its ‘territory’ and administrative jurisdiction was heavily reduced with In this 2015 Commentary, I have independence, its geographical space dedicated the issue to reflections of truncated, and its political influence had Singapore’s achievements and challenges to be developed from scratch. This over the last 50 years. In celebrating the ‘accidental’ City-state was given little City-state’s golden anniversary, there is COMMENTARY VOLUME 24, 2015 SINGAPORE @ 50: REFLECTIONS AND OBSERVATIONS 7 Editorial Singapore@50: Reflections and Observations much for Singaporeans to be proud of but so no country can repeat its own past there is also much to be worried about successes or transcribe the same for for the future. Domestically, there is other countries. political restlessness on the ground; geopolitically, there are major changes Singapore society today is a sum of 50 that have unsettled the order of global years of cultural change, political politics; the economic exuberance of transformations, national aspirations and the last 40 years in Asia seems to be economic calculus. One needs to begin winding down and the threat of climate with fundamentals and that

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