An article published in the largest Chinese-language newspaper in Southeast Asia, Lianhe Zaobao, once expressed the sentiments of a Malaysian media person: "From the perspective of Malaysians across the strait, Singapore is well-fed and clothed, politically stable, with good public safety and no ethnic conflicts. What more could one be dissatisfied or unfulfilled with in this country?" This article articulates the voices of many people from developing countries who are optimistic about the Singapore model.
Singapore, leading the "Four Asian Tigers," has achieved remarkable success under the leadership of its founding father, Lee Kuan Yew, and his colleagues, establishing the Singapore model. The 2015 Prosperity Index released by the Legatum Institute in London shows that Singapore has reached unprecedented levels economically, with its economic index ranking first in the world within the prosperity index.
In terms of social welfare systems, Singapore established a universal participation "Central Provident Fund" system in the late 1960s, while healthcare coverage has achieved universal access, and the public housing system has also been perfected.
Singapore has a land area of only 719 square kilometers and a total population of 5.54 million. However, according to World Bank data, Singapore's GDP per capita exceeded that of the United States in 2013. Vu Minh Khuong from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore indicated in his research that Singapore's economic growth relies more on the input of production factors rather than technological advancement. Specifically, 59% of economic growth comes from capital investment, 34% from increased labor input, and approximately 8% from technological progress.
Perhaps it is this development model, which differs from that of Western developed countries and relies more on the input of production factors, along with characteristics such as limited land area, high population density, and convenient transportation, that has promoted the popularity of the on-demand economy in Singapore. (Source: Yiou.com)