Real leaders don't promise a better future - They build the foundations that make it possible.

"Singapore stands as a symbol of how discipline, long-term planning, and economic openness can transform a small nation into a global success story."

Rejecting a C.I.A. Bribe

“The Americans should know the character of the men they are dealing with in Singapore and not get themselves further dragged into calumny. They are not dealing with Ngo Dinh Diem or Syngman Rhee. You do not buy and sell this Government.”_ Lee Kuan Yew

— Sept. 2, 1965, reacting to a $3.3 million bribe offered by the C.I.A. in exchange for the release of an agent.

"You know the cure for all this talk is really a good dose of incompetent government. You get that alternative and you'll never put Singapore together again... and your asset values will be in peril, your security will be at risk and our women will become maids in other people's countries, foreign workers." _(Explaining the necessity of paying competitive wages to retain capable leaders)