It is typical LKY style when dealing with Foreigners, especially
with the British which he has vast experience due to his years in
Cambridge. His response will be quite different when the same
question is posed in an Asian setting.
It very much depends on the audience that his reply is intended,
never take him completely at his words - especially from someone
that is expert in moving goal posts.
Singapore's arrival as a First World status was never an accident,
not when Goh Chok Tong intended for Singapore to achieve a Swiss
Standard of Living by the time he steps down - as was his stated
goal when taking office in 1990.
Other then the external facade of a First World - with the
seemingly high standards of living as reflected in modern
transportation, high quality of buildings, high standards of
education, high quality of living conditions, and what else that
are viewed superficially - we should also look deeper into the
substance of the First World that Singaporeans are supposed to be
enjoying.
Are the substance of the modern transportation tangible and what
costs do Singaporeans pay or absorb with their wages ?
What price do Singaporeans pay for the Real Estate or Properties
that they own ?
What values and qualities has the seemingly high standard of
education produced in the graduates from the various levels of
educational institutions ?
What price do Singaporeans pay for the seemingly high standards of
living condition that we are supposed to enjoy ?
How do all these factor into the Quality of Life of Singaporeans
?
The First World Status that Singapore has been bestowed was a
result of the LARGE RESERVES that the Singapore Treasury has
accumulated, and which elevated the PER CAPITA INCOME of
Singaporeans to be second in Asia when compared to Japan.
However, the average PER CAPITA INCOME is not reflective of the
average Singaporean income.
Although the income has been regularly and annually pushed upwards,
it is hardly based on any real productive output similar to the
Swiss or the Japanese, both of which has a large capacity to be
innovative and technologically creative and productive.
Are we truly a First World material as matters stand, or are we
living in a Virtual Reality of a First World - which like a house
built from a deck of cards, seems to collapse at the slightest
sneeze from the environment ?
