Books

Mr Lee Kuan Yew once famously said “when I project myself forward 100 years for Singapore, I cannot tell you that it will exist.” As a small island city-state in what has been hitherto a turbulent region, the fundamental question of “Can Singapore Survive?” will remain an eternal dilemma for Singapore.

This is why this revised and updated edition of Kishore Mahbubani’s 2015 collection of essays is as relevant as ever. The issues addressed in the first edition remain of concern – water, transportation, carbon emissions, education, economic development, globalisation, inequality, uncertainty.

This edition covers these topics and also discusses more recent developments in 16 new essays and a new preface. Indeed, since this first edition appeared in 2015, Singapore has experienced major challenges: the passing away of Mr Lee Kuan Yew; the major Covid-19 shock; the turbulence in neighbouring countries; the rising US-China geopolitical contest.

However, the biggest danger Singapore faces is complacency. One key goal of this book is to encourage the development of such a culture of constant reflection and self-examination.

For young Singaporeans who never experienced third-world Singapore or direct contact with the great founding fathers of Singapore, these essays may provide a glimpse of the hard-headed thinking that also explains Singapore’s exceptional success over the years.