Lee Kuan Yew talks about "Singapore Model": How do we fight corruption?

We will accept those American-style systems and practices that can make the country work better, but we must also keep ourselves. In this changing world, people who stand still will fail. For example, we have abolished polygamy, all women have received education, obtained fair employment opportunities, and men and women are equal. However, in this process, new problems have emerged. Because of equality, women don't have to get married or earn more money than men. 30% of men and women are unmarried, and the average married couple has only 1.2 children. So, we emigrated from the whole region, from India and China. However, once these immigrants stay and become Singapore citizens, they will only have 1.2 children on average. We must further adapt to the new social structure of equal opportunities for men and women. Lee Kuan Yew: I disagree. If we are a company, the goal is to make a profit. The goal of Singapore society is to maximize economic development and achieve prosperity, so as to build a more just and equal society, a society that is friendly, polite and helpful to all our friends. Look at the United States, its economy is very dynamic, and its system is winner takes all. If you are a tennis champion, golf champion or basketball star, you can earn millions of dollars. Tiger woods became a billionaire not only because he won the prize money, but also because he could sell the naming rights of various consumer goods. We encourage this practice. The difference is that in America, if you are a loser, you will be reduced to the bottom of society; In Singapore, even if you lose, the government will guarantee you a decent life and that all your children will get the same opportunities as others in the future. Lee Kuan Yew: We believe in free market economy. However, the benefits of a free market economy cannot be distributed in a laissez-faire manner. Through the tax system, we redistribute income and let residents own their own houses; Children can receive education equally (whether rich or poor, they go to schools with the same teaching quality); If you go to a hospital or clinic, you can get the same basic medical services, but pay different prices; We also have national entertainment facilities. But we are not a completely equal society. In a completely equal society, no one will do his best and society will suffer losses. Lee Kuan Yew: China is facing a serious corruption problem. Because throughout the history of China, officials have always been privileged. The China Communist Party and the China government have created a new system, and money can't buy everything. Shops are empty, people can't buy anything with money, and they can only get goods and services by the ranks in the cadre series. After the reform and opening up in Deng Xiaoping, money can buy things soon, and there are many kinds of goods, which are imported from China in large quantities, so many businessmen become rich. Officials issue licenses to people who earn big money. They only live in small houses and earn several hundred yuan. So some officials began to seek their own interests, which led to what everyone saw today. The same problem also appeared in Russia and Vietnam. How does Singapore deal with corruption? First of all, we have never experienced a social system in which money is not important. Secondly, when we saw a lot of corruption in Singapore, we decided to eliminate it. Our anti-corruption approach is top-down. We have successfully eliminated many criminal gangs. The underworld in China is engaged in smuggling, kidnapping, prostitution and drug abuse. We have also made strict laws. Anyone who finds the crime of corruption will go to prison. If you have wealth, but you can't prove that it comes from a normal source of income, you are considered suspected of corruption. The most important thing is that leaders should be strict with themselves. On one occasion, a Chinese minister in Singapore committed suicide because he took bribes of $6,543,800+when transferring government land, and will be prosecuted. Another minister was sentenced to five years in prison for acquiring a mansion from a developer. From these lessons, people began to know that corruption was unacceptable. Anti-corruption is still very difficult, because our businessmen want to invest and do business overseas, and it is difficult to carry out business smoothly without giving gifts. However, they must remember that if they still do this after returning to Singapore, only the prison will wait for them. Lee Kuan Yew: How can we prevent officials from taking bribes now? Pay them market-level salaries. Lawyers, doctors and officials employed by the government can all get 80% of the salary of employees of the same level in private enterprises. We know the personal income of the private sector through income tax data, and the highest 5% income tax paid by six industries is weighted average. The government wants to hire people of this level. Therefore, in Southeast Asia, our ministers and officials are the highest paid, but they are also the poorest. But in Singapore, if you accept bribes, you will ruin your future and your life. Lee Kuan Yew: Good governance is not driven by ideology. It needs to be very pragmatic and adapt to a country's national conditions and culture. What works for China may not work for India. China should find its own way. In fact, it is the good governance environment that makes Singapore a global financial center. Fund managers manage a total of $720 billion here, of which 80% are offshore funds and 80% are invested outside Singapore. Good governance is not only beneficial to us, but also to Asia and the rest of the world. In the context of globalization, in order to maintain rapid growth, we must attract overseas talents and expand the local talent team. Capable people can choose where is more suitable for themselves and their families. Good governance helps attract talents, such as a safe environment, equal opportunities, good education and medical conditions, a high-quality and efficient public service system and a vibrant social environment. Singapore's state-owned enterprises are managed by Temasek, our core holding company. In the 1960s, the government actively set up various companies, taking the lead in entering areas that private enterprises did not want to enter. By the 1980s, Temasek's subsidiaries had matured, gradually privatized and listed. In recent years, Temasek has made venture capital overseas, and its long-term goal is to build a portfolio, so that one third of its assets are in Singapore, one third in developed countries and one third in other Asian countries. Singapore's Ministry of Finance is the sole shareholder of Temasek. The Ministry of Finance should ensure that there is a competent board of directors to manage Temasek. The government will not interfere with the daily management of Temasek and its subsidiaries, nor will it give Temasek and its subsidiaries any special care. Temasek operates on commercial principles, freely chooses local or foreign partners, and must compete for government projects like other companies.