Singapore — From “Red Dot” to “Shining Star”

I was privileged to serve as South Africa's High Commissioner to Singapore from 2000 to 2004. Prior to my departure, most of the literature and experts I consulted sang the praises of Singapore as one of the “Asian Tigers”. A few others condescendingly referred to it as the “red dot”, huddled between the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean, trying to punch above its weight among the real tigers…