As part of my work, I often speak to visiting delegations from Asia and Africa who are interested in learning from Singapore’s development experience. These are typically senior officials who look to Singapore as a model for economic development.

They are, of course, aware of differences in context between Singapore and their own countries. Without trying to replicate the Singapore model in its entirety, their aim is to distil the essence of what makes Singapore tick, to derive learning points to apply back home.