The Editor, Sir:

Today September 16, is the 86th birthday of Lee Kuan Yew, the founding prime minister of Singapore (1965-1990). He transformed his country from a per capita income of US$400 in 1965 to US$22,000 in 2000. Mr Lee set a system of governance and order in place such that Singapore enjoys the lowest infant mortality rate in the world. Rated as the easiest country in the world to do business, Singapore is consistently rated among the three least corrupt nations in the world and is ranked among the highest number of millionaires per capita.

Compare this to Jamaica which has wasted its opportunity in the past 40-odd years of Independence, which was light years ahead of Singapore in the 1960s. Compared with Singapore, Jamaica's per capita income in 1965 was about equal with large natural resources with Singapore having none. (Singapore even had to source, pipe and purchase potable water from neighbouring Malaysia).

learn from him

In 2000 Jamaica had a per capita income of US$3,500. The World Bank per capita estimates in 2008 put Jamaica at US$7,400 vs Singapore US$49,288!

I put it to our leaders that given Mr Lee's age we have very little time left to learn from him. He should be brought to Jamaica in an advisory capacity for a month to sit at Bruce and Audley's sides to advise them as to the way forward.

He should be honoured by the Government with an Order of Excellence or Order of Jamaica for his exploits in transforming the lives of his people. (I find it interesting that Mr Robert Gabriel Mugabe of Zimbabwe has an OJ which we refuse to rescind.) The UWI should bestow an honorary doctorate upon him and use his expertise as a distinguished fellow in the Department of Government.

We could draw divergent paths in the progress of our two nations and the principles of governance and fiscal management that guided Singapore into prosperity and left Jamaica languishing among the worst.

Mr Lee won't be on Earth much longer, I think it's time we seriously started taking lessons from him.

I am etc.,

Dr Stefan C. Hemmings

kcheadboy96_97@yahoo.com

Darlington Avenue

Kingston