Hong Kong, a city that is often compared to the island-republic, has made even more impressive economic gains than Singapore. And yet, the praises of the colonial government that administered the Fragrant Harbour until 1997 were not sung as loudly as those of the PAP. The mass media in Hong Kong, unlike their counterparts in Singapore, have not been interned and rehabilitated by the authorities on which they report. The people of Hong Kong have always been given due credit for the progress they have made. In Singapore, by contrast, the PAP thrusts itself into the front, back, and centre of the country's achievements.

Japan is another example. Decimated during World War II, it was rebuilt and became the world's second greatest economy. Compared with the engineering powerhouses of Taiwan and South Korea, Singapore's manufacturing industry looks decidedly second-rate, and the PAP's role looks even less exceptional. Economist Paul Krugman aptly summed up the myth about the PAP leadership:

When Asian economies delivered nothing but good news...it is easy to assume that so-called planners knew what they were doing. It is easy for government policymakers to look competent in a prosperous economy. But they may not have a clue!...And as regards economic growth, a lot can be achieved by increasing labor force participation and tripling the investment share of the GDP. But these are one-time unrepeatable changes. It means that sooner or later Asia's growth will slow down. It will be sooner than later for original tigers like Singapore...

Although the injection of capital from multinational companies gave Singapore the start it needed for economic growth in the 1960s, the PAP has used it as justification for continuing its authoritarian practices. Singaporeans are wrongly led to believe that denial of their political rights and civil liberties is essential for the political stability needed to boost investor confidence.

In fact, the opposite seems to be true. Nobel laureate in economics, Amartya Sen, notes that 'there is rather little general evidence that authoritarian governance and its suppression of political and civil rights are really beneficial in encouraging economic development'. Without democratic reform, the economic and social health of Singapore will continue its downward slide. Watch point: The PAP's continued use of laws, and the introduction of new legislation, to ensure political dominance cannot but spell trouble for the future of the country.