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sɪɴɢᴀᴘᴏʀᴇ ᴘʀɪᴍᴇ ᴍɪɴɪsᴛᴇʀ, ʟᴇᴇ ᴋᴜᴀɴ ʏᴇᴡ sᴀɪᴅ “ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴛᴡᴏ ᴏᴘᴛɪᴏɴs ғᴏʀ ᴍᴇ” :

ᴇɪᴛʜᴇʀ….. ɪ ɢᴇᴛ ᴄᴏʀʀᴜᴘᴛᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ᴘᴜᴛ ᴍʏ ғᴀᴍɪʟʏ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ғᴏʀʙᴇs ʟɪsᴛ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ʀɪᴄʜᴇsᴛ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇ ᴍʏ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ.

ᴏʀ…. ɪ sᴇʀᴠᴇ ᴍʏ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛʀʏ, ᴍʏ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʟᴇᴛ ᴍʏ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛʀʏ ʙᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪsᴛ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇsᴛ ᴛᴇɴ ᴇᴄᴏɴᴏᴍɪᴇs ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ.

ɪ ᴄʜᴏsᴇ ᴛʜᴇ sᴇᴄᴏɴᴅ ᴏᴘᴛɪᴏɴ.

Malaysian ᴘᴏʟɪᴛɪᴄɪᴀɴs sᴀɪᴅ, “ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴛᴡᴏ ᴏᴘᴛɪᴏɴs ғᴏʀ ᴜs ᴛᴏᴏ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ sᴇᴄᴏɴᴅ ᴏᴘᴛɪᴏɴ ᴡᴀs ᴀʟʀᴇᴀᴅʏ ᴛᴀᴋᴇɴ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ sɪɴɢᴀᴘᴏʀᴇ ᴘʀɪᴍᴇ ᴍɪɴɪsᴛᴇʀ”. …. ᴡᴇ ʜᴀᴅ ɴᴏ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴄʜᴏɪᴄᴇ…

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medium.com

Lee Kuan Yew on Beating Corruption

Lance Ng
Mar 18, 2019 · 6 min read

The political legend who built modern Singapore on how nations can overcome corruption to give its citizens a better life and equal opportunities.

“I have had the privilege of meeting many of the world’s leaders over the past 40 years. None has shown greater insight, imagination and creativity than Lee Kuan Yew.”

— Henry Kissenger, August 2nd, 2011

When I was in my teens I heard about a political study. It found that while Singapore paid its civil servants one of the highest salaries in the world, they also had the least amount of money in their bank accounts among politicians in the region. That was because corruption was almost non-existent in this island nation of mine when I was growing up.

Truth be told, I’m a fiercely independent thinker. On more than one occasion I’ve found myself disagreeing intellectually with some of my government’s policies. But I can’t deny that without Lee and his founding team of statesmen who believed in meritocracy, this resource scarce island would never have gone from third world to first in 30 years. My brothers and I may not even have been able to afford our education!

For more:

https://medium.com/@lancengym/lee-kuan-yew-on-beating-corruption-f0b740d80ca5

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Excerpts from:

The Straits Times

Fight against corruption: Singapore’s experience

Lee Hsien Loong

PUBLISHEDMAY 14, 2016, 5:00 AM

In an essay for an anthology compiled for the inaugural Anti-Corruption Summit held in London this week, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong identifies four factors key to the Republic’s share of success on this score

Corruption is a scourge that can never be tolerated. Countries have tried all ways to combat it. They create anti-corruption agencies. They pass strong laws. They promulgate codes of conduct for public officials. Companies pledge to conduct business cleanly. Yet often corruption remains endemic, a cancer in the society. How then has Singapore achieved some measure of success in eradicating corruption? I put it down to four factors.

First, we inherited a clean and working system from the British colonial government. 
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Second, when the British left, our pioneer leaders were determined to keep the system clean.
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Third, with strong political will, we institutionalised a robust, comprehensive anti-corruption framework that spans laws, enforcement, the public service and public outreach. We enacted the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA), which puts the burden of proof on the accused to show that he acquired his wealth legally. Any unexplained wealth disproportionate to known sources of income is presumed to be from graft and can be confiscated.
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Fourth, we have over time developed a society and culture that eschews corruption. Singaporeans expect and demand a clean system. They do not condone giving or accepting “social lubricants” to get things done. They readily report corrupt practices when they encounter them. Singaporeans trust that the law applies to all and that the Government will enforce the laws without fear or favour, even when it may be awkward or embarrassing. 
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Trust is slow to build, but fast to lose. We have spent more than 50 years building up confidence in Singapore. The integrity of the Government, the system and the men and women in charge has been key to Singapore’s success. We are determined that that integrity and reputation must never be undermined and will long remain a competitive edge and a source of pride for Singapore.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on May 14, 2016, with the headline ‘Fight against corruption: S’pore’s experience’.

https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/fight-against-corruption-singapores-experience

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