Abu Dhabi: The UAE may make use of Singaporean public and national development experience which turned the country into a developed nation in a short time following its independence in 1965, said Kishore Mahbubani, professor and dean in practice of public policy at the National University of Singapore.
Delivering a lecture at Majlis Mohammad Bin Zayed, Mahbubani explained that after independence, Singapore was poor in natural resources unlike the UAE, which is rich in natural resources. This could make it easier for the UAE to copy the experience of the Singaporeans in public service and national development. He urged the UAE to focus on the fields of education and improving of the salaries of teachers to encourage the talented ones to join this field.
He confirmed that Singapore could not have made it without depending on three main principles: meritocracy, pragmatism and honesty. He warned UAE to guard against traditionally inherited ills of Asian societies such as corruption, nepotism and cronyism that are still prevalent in the developing world.
"Meritocracy refers to searching for the talented in all fields and walks of life at all levels and classes of people which resulted in developing Singapore in a short time. This can be replicated by the UAE; yet cultural differences should be taken into consideration," Mahbubani said. With regard to pragmatism, Mahbubani said Singapore sent many students on scholarships to the West, to China, and other countries. They returned to apply the technologies and experiences that match the Singaporean culture. This helped boost the country's economy and status worldwide.
Social illnesses
He confirmed that there are many social illnesses in any community such as corruption, bribery, nepotism and many others. Once they are eradicated from any society, the community becomes one of the best.
"Health-care system and education in Singapore are among the best in the world because the country combats corruption, bribery, nepotism and cronyism," according to Mahbubani.
He said the 21st century will be very different from the 19th and 20th centuries and noted that China and India will have the most powerful economies before 2050. He urged the people to reshape their thinking about the future.
For two centuries Asians have been bystanders in world history, reacting defenselessly to the surges of Western commerce, thought, and power. That era is over. Asia is returning to the centre stage it occupied for eighteen centuries before the rise of the West. "Whereas during the 19th and 20th centuries, the voice of the West dominated the flow of history, things will be different in the 21st century."
