Part 3:
Lee Kuan Yew´s strong views did not impede the use of most traditional
types of technical assistance. According to Lee: "We placed our hopes on
the United Nations Development Programme that arrived in October to survey
a proposed industrial site at Jurong and advise on the types of industry
suitable for it. We were fortunate in the choice of the leader, Dr.Albert
Winsemius. A Dutch industrialist, he spent three months in Singapore and
made the first of his many contributions that were to be crucial to
Singapore´s development. He was a practical businessman with a grasp of the
economics of the post world war two Europe and America. He was in fact to
play a major role in our later economic planning."
Dr. Winsemius served as economic adviser to Singapore for 23 years until
1984. In order to overcome Singapore´s disadvantages, Lee came up with an
arbitrary strategy. The first step, of leapfrogging the region, was
suggested to him by UNDP expert who had visited Singapore in 1962 and then
met with Lee again in Africa in 1964. He had described to the Singapore
leader the Israeli experience with export-led growth. Similarly,Singapore
could avoid its not so well-intentioned neighbors and link up with America,
Europe and Japan, " and attract their manufacturers to produce in Singapore
and export their products to the developed countries."
"If Singapore could establish First World standards in public and personal
security, health, education, telecommunication, transportation and services,
it would become a base camp for entrepreneurs, engineers, managers and other
professionals who had business to do in the region. This meant we had to
train our people and equip them to provide First World standards of
service. I believed this was possible, that we could re-educate and
reorientate our people with the help of schools, trade unions, community
centers and social organizations."
Lee concluded that "without foreign talent, we would no have done as well."
As is clear by the attributions of the engineer of Singapore´s miraculous
growth, even the most traditional role of technical assistance, provided the
first years of the country´s establishment, served an important role for
the take-off of Singapore´s economic growth.
Since ex-president Jawara´s intentions were to turn Gambia into another
Singapore but failed, is it possible to assume that president Jammeh could
make this dream into reality by being another LEE KUAN YEW ?
This was the final part the story about the economic growth of Singapore. I
just hope that Gambia will discover one Lee Kuan Yew and a good e-lite that
is ready to sacrifice and work hard for a nation like Singapore in the
future.
Thanks for sharing!
SS.Jawara
Stockholm, Sweden.
SS.Jawara
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