ABOUT half a century ago, Singapore was viewed as a poor nation. Per capita income was only US$443, about one-third of what Indonesias currently is. When England handed over power in June 1959, the Peoples Action Party (PAP) inherited a bureaucracy that was corrupt and ineffective. Low wages and high inflation meant corruption had been rampant since the end of the Second World War.

The way Singapore is viewed today has changed dramatically. The an