But then, like other regional governments, Singapore itself, despite a somewhat exaggerated reputation for rectitude, is not averse to making similar false claims.Consider the notion, oft-repeated, especially at election time, that in its British colonial days, Singapore was a backward settlement of shacks in a mosquito-ridden swamp with no natural resources.
Then, hey presto, Lee Kuan Yew led his People’s Action Party to power in 1959 and transformed the place into the gleaming, ultra-efficient metropolis it is today.
Actually, Singapore was highly developed long before Lee and the PAP took over. Indeed, called “Gibraltar of the East”, it was the real crown jewel of the British Empire. Full Story
