Background:
Singapore gained independence in 1965, despite skepticism about its viability due to its lack of resources, internal market, and vulnerability. The Prime Minister at the time, Lee Kuan Yew, acknowledged the challenges and difficulties of establishing an independent Singapore.

Challenges and Opportunities:
Singapore’s independence presented numerous challenges, including a lack of natural resources, a small domestic market, and a vulnerable defense position. Despite these challenges, Singapore also had opportunities to thrive, such as its strategic location for trade and its skilled workforce.

Lee Kuan Yew’s Vision:
Lee Kuan Yew had a clear vision for Singapore’s future, emphasizing the importance of economic development, political stability, and social harmony. He believed that Singapore could overcome its challenges and become a prosperous and successful nation.

Singapore’s Success:
Under Lee Kuan Yew’s leadership, Singapore achieved remarkable economic growth and development. The country became a regional financial and trading hub, attracting foreign investment and establishing a strong manufacturing sector. Singapore also invested heavily in education and human capital, resulting in a highly skilled and productive workforce.

Conclusion:
Singapore’s independence was a bold step that faced many challenges. However, through the leadership of Lee Kuan Yew and the hard work of its people, Singapore became a prosperous and successful nation, serving as an inspiration to other developing countries.

Belief in Nationhood:
Singapore’s greatest challenge was to overcome Lee Kuan Yew’s initial conviction that building a nation in Singapore was impossible. The leaders’ belief in the possibility of a nation and their ability to convince Singaporeans of this belief was crucial to Singapore’s success. This belief led to a virtuous cycle of progress and development.

Leadership and Historical Factors:
Leadership played a significant role in shaping Singapore’s nationhood. Historical experiences, such as struggles with communism and oppression, contributed to the determination to create a nation. Good luck, including America’s engagement in the region and Southeast Asia’s stability, also played a role.

Fragility of Success:
Singapore’s leaders are constantly aware of the fragility of their success and the possibility of regression. The nation’s achievements, such as its strong economy and infrastructure, are seen as unnatural and require constant vigilance to maintain.

Ethnic and Religious Harmony:
Early Singaporean leaders prioritized ethnic and religious harmony over economic concerns. Singapore’s policies, while strict in some areas, allow for flexibility and tolerance in religious and cultural matters. Religious leaders have played a crucial role in maintaining harmony by exercising restraint and avoiding actions that could cause offense.

Social Media and Freedom of Speech:
The rise of social media has made it more challenging to maintain religious and racial harmony in Singapore. The ease of taking offense and the lack of restraints on social media platforms have increased the likelihood of incidents that cause upset. The government has had to intervene in some cases, such as taking legal action against individuals who have caused offense.

Lee Kuan Yew’s Socialist Orientation:
Lee Kuan Yew initially held socialist views but later realized that socialism did not work. He compared himself to India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, who also initially held socialist beliefs but later changed his views.

Origins of Singapore’s Economic Policies:
After gaining independence in 1959, Singapore faced the urgent need to create jobs and industrialize its economy. The government recognized the importance of attracting foreign investments to drive economic growth.

Importance of Market-Friendly Policies:
To attract foreign investments, Singapore implemented market-friendly policies, avoiding restrictions that would scare off investors. The government embraced economic incentives and free market principles to promote productivity and efficiency.

Balancing Act between Free Market and Intervention:
Singapore’s economic policies were not strictly laissez-faire, but rather a careful balance between free market principles and government intervention. The government intervened in certain areas, such as housing, education, and healthcare, to address social needs and ensure the well-being of its citizens.

Example of Balancing Act in Housing:
In the early days of Singapore’s housing development, the government faced a choice between prioritizing efficiency or creating employment opportunities. The decision was made to prioritize efficiency, resulting in the construction of HDB flats through efficient methods, rather than using the project as an employment agency.

Pragmatic Healthcare:
Singapore’s hospitals are owned by the government but operate independently, aiming for financial sustainability and efficiency. Outsourcing tasks like medical image reading to qualified doctors in India allows for cost savings and improved healthcare outcomes.

Preserving National Coherence in Changing Times:
Singapore’s past adversities, such as threats from Malaysia and Indonesia during the Cold War, contributed to its strong national identity and policy coherence. Today’s young Singaporeans, who have grown up in a prosperous and stable environment, may not fully appreciate these past threats.

Maintaining Drive and Sense of Urgency:
Despite diminished existential threats, Singapore faces ongoing challenges to its economic and social well-being. The country’s success as a major port and transshipment hub is due to its efficiency and service quality, which must be continuously maintained to prevent competitors from taking its place.

Challenges of Racial and Religious Harmony:
Racial Harmony Day is celebrated in schools to educate students about past racial and religious conflicts in Singapore. While Singapore has made progress in fostering unity and a sense of shared identity, the rise of religious prominence in recent decades poses new challenges. Religious identities have become more distinct, and efforts are needed to bridge these divides and prevent tensions from escalating, especially in the face of potential threats like ISIS attacks.

Understanding the Motivations of Jihadists:
Jihadist ideology attracts individuals who are disaffected with the world, regardless of their socioeconomic status. Many who join ISIS or other jihadist groups are not deeply religious but use the ideology as a banner to fight against the world. Countering this ideology requires defeating ISIS and having Islamic leaders speak out against it while guiding their followers to avoid being misled.

Singapore’s Success in Countering Extremism:
Singapore has taken a proactive approach to countering extremism by arresting potential threats and providing rehabilitation programs. The majority of those arrested have been released, and the recidivism rate is low, indicating some success in addressing the issue.

Changing Dynamics in the Asia-Pacific Region:
Singapore’s past success was partly due to the era of American hegemony in the Asia-Pacific region. China’s growing influence and economic initiatives in the region pose new challenges and opportunities for Singapore.

Singapore’s Ability to Succeed in a Changing World:
Singapore’s success depends on peace, security, stability, and a place for small countries in the global order. The strategic balance in the region determines Singapore’s ability to choose its own path.

America’s Benevolent Hegemony and Singapore’s Relationship with the United States:
America’s dominance allowed other countries space to disagree and argue, making them benevolent hegemonists. Singapore’s relationship with the US is important for its security and prosperity. China’s realpolitik approach may lead to pushback from many countries.

China’s Realism and Singapore’s Diplomatic Balancing Act:
China understands Singapore’s position and the importance of America to its security. China prefers Singapore to align more closely with its views but respects its independence. Singapore values its friendship with China but maintains its own interests and perspectives.

China’s Efforts to Influence the Region:
China employs various measures to win friends and influence countries in the region. Singapore acknowledges China’s efforts to pressure, woo, seduce, and bribe countries into accepting its power.

China’s Rise and Interests:
China wants to thrive and grow under the current international order while advancing its interests and seeking support from its allies. China’s interaction with ASEAN countries reflects this dynamic, with the South China Sea dispute being a contentious issue, but all ASEAN countries also desiring good relations with China for trade, investment, and foreign aid.

China’s Perspective:
China sees its 60th-anniversary celebration in 2009 as a symbolic end to its humiliation since the Opium War. China wants to establish its place in the world but prefers to do so under the current order, avoiding conflict with major powers like the US, Europe, and Japan.

Singapore’s Political System:
Singapore’s electoral system enables a party that wins a majority of votes to secure a disproportionately large number of seats in parliament. This system aims to provide the country with a stable and effective government rather than proportional representation.

Challenges to Multi-Party Liberal Democracy in Singapore:
Singapore is an exception among advanced industrial economies, as it has not transitioned to a multi-party liberal democracy despite its economic success. Lee Hsien Loong explains that Singapore’s small size, homogenous society, and successful multiracial mix have contributed to the stability of its political system.

Maintaining a Good Government:
Lee Hsien Loong emphasizes the importance of maintaining a system that serves the interests of the majority of the population and develops policies that benefit most Singaporeans. He acknowledges the challenges of maintaining this system in the long term given potential changes in the world and Singaporean society.

Singapore’s Exceptional Leadership:
Singapore’s government prioritizes looking after the well-being of a large proportion of the population. Voting against the government does not guarantee preferential treatment, ensuring the government’s accountability to all citizens.

Culture of Innovation:
The United States, Sweden, Israel, and Singapore demonstrate innovation despite poor performance in math and science tests. These countries share a culture of disrespect for authority, challenging hierarchies, and fostering self-confidence.

Balance of Respect and Disrespect:
Singapore strives to instill a culture of respect, which may conflict with the need for innovation. A balance is necessary, as leveling everything down to the lowest common denominator can lead to a loss of societal brilliance.

Intelligence and Respect:
Chinese labs exemplify the problem of stifled innovation due to excessive respect for authority, leading to the emigration of brilliant minds to countries like America.

Adapting to Changing Political Landscape:
Younger Singaporeans possess different aspirations and interests, driven by religious, green, and social causes. The political landscape will need to adapt to accommodate this new generation and their passions.

Maintaining a Core Leadership:
Leaders must emerge to marshal enough support from the younger generation to form a core leadership and majority support in the country.

Singapore’s Current Situation:
Singapore is in an environment where people have choices. Many Singaporeans are educated and have university degrees. Many doors are open for Singaporeans to explore opportunities outside of Singapore.

Maintaining Singapore’s Unity:
The key to keeping Singapore together is to ensure that people want to stay in the country. People will stay in Singapore if they can develop their aspirations, ambitions, and careers, raise a family, and feel that Singapore is their home.

Challenges to Singapore’s Unity:
Singapore faces the challenge of ensuring that people believe Singapore is their home. If people do not believe Singapore is their home, they may leave for other countries.

Singapore’s Social and Political Development:
Over the last 50 years, Singapore has experienced economic, social, and political development. Singapore has become a nation. Liberation theologians did not figure prominently in Singapore’s development.

Question from Audience Member:
An audience member asks about the shift in focus from arresting alleged communists and liberation theologians to minor players like a rude teenager and a chai tau kueh seller’s son. The audience member also asks if Singapore will allow more space for diverse views and growth in the future.

Lee Hsien Loong’s Response:
Lee Hsien Loong finds the question difficult to answer due to its many presumptions and assumptions. He clarifies that Singapore has experienced social and political development in addition to economic development over the last 50 years. He states that liberation theologians did not play a significant role in Singapore’s development.

Singapore Today:
Lee Hsien Loong emphasizes that Singapore has become a more stable, cohesive, and open society since its independence in 1965. He highlights the importance of addressing sensitive issues such as racial and religious differences, while recognizing the need for limits and legal remedies to address defamation.

Defamation and Public Discourse:
Lee stresses the necessity of legal recourse for defamation to protect individuals’ reputations and enable them to clear their names. He emphasizes that defamation laws should strike a balance between protecting individuals and allowing for open and robust public discourse.

Singapore as a Diplomatic Hub:
Lee expresses caution about Singapore becoming a diplomatic hub like Brussels, as it may lead to a disconnect between diplomats and the local society. He supports selectively hosting international organizations and events that align with Singapore’s interests and contribute to regional cooperation.

Lee’s Personal Aspirations:
Lee indicates his preference not to stay in power for another 10 years, recognizing the need for younger leaders to connect with and address the challenges faced by future generations.

ASEAN’s Role in Singapore’s Future:
Lee acknowledges the positive developments in ASEAN, including Indonesia’s stability, Malaysia’s good relations with Singapore, and the progress towards an ASEAN economic community. He emphasizes the importance of successful leadership transitions in regional countries and expresses concern about potential challenges in Myanmar and Thailand. Lee stresses the significance of ASEAN’s future trajectory for Singapore’s prosperity and well-being.

Singapore’s Long-Term Goals:
Lee hopes that Singapore will continue to prosper, remain united, and maintain its drive for improvement in the next 30 years. He emphasizes the importance of luck, opportunity, and the ability to demonstrate capabilities in achieving these goals.

Lee’s Determination and Dedication:
Despite being unwell with the flu, Lee demonstrates his dedication and commitment by attending the event and engaging in the discussions. Fareed Zakaria acknowledges Lee’s perseverance and thanks him for honoring the conference with his presence.