Letter of the Day | Singapore was built on people – not political illusions

THE EDITOR, Madam:

A participant in a recent social media discussion made a telling observation: there appears to be no one left in Jamaica willing to tell the emperor that he is naked. The comment was directed at Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness and his frequent comparisons between Jamaica, Singapore, and Dubai.

That observation captures my concern exactly. This is not about tearing down the prime minister, but about asking whether the vision being sold to Jamaicans is grounded in reality or merely political performance dressed up as development.

Singapore was not built on speeches, skylines, or slogans. It was built on people — education, discipline, public order, merit, accountability, and the serious elimination of corruption. Jamaica cannot invoke Singapore while ignoring the foundations that made it possible.

The most glaring omission in Dr Holness’ argument is human capital. Singapore did not become wealthy by first constructing glittering infrastructure. Those were outcomes of a strategy centred on education, skills, productivity, and civic discipline. No country becomes First-World with an under-educated population.

Jamaica’s leaders, by contrast, speak constantly about logistics hubs, highways, and technology parks, yet far less convincingly about the crisis in our schools, where many students lack the literacy, numeracy, and technical competence needed to compete. That is not a minor failure — it is a national emergency.

Corruption is another fault line. In Jamaica, it is often hidden in plain sight — through procurement scandals, delayed reports, and stalled investigations. The measure of true accountability is whether powerful individuals face consequences.

Singapore’s transformation was anchored in such accountability. Public office was not a route to personal enrichment, and breaches of trust carried real penalties. Can Jamaica say the same?

Housing further exposes the gap. Singapore made affordable housing central to national stability. In Jamaica, despite National Housing Trust contributions, many workers remain locked out of homeownership.

Infrastructure matters, but development must be measured by who benefits, who is included, and who is held accountable. Nations rise no higher than the people they invest in — and fall no lower than the corruption they tolerate.

Levar McLeod