Recorded from a speech made on February 22, 2008 at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

My latest political commentary, based on a speech on 15 February 2008, at the 5th Singapore Forum on Politics, at NUS, was offered to, but turned down, by the Straits Times

Summary: In the next decade or so, the PAP leaders are likely to continue to do what they have been doing for so long, that is, assiduously safeguard the existing hard-nosed model of governance laid down by Lee Kuan Yew because, despite its authoritarianism, it has been spectacularly successful, making Singapore one of the worldÂ’s most successful economies. Its controversial policy of suppressing political liberties will continue to be seen as a necessary condition for the economic success. But into the third decade, things may change with the emergence of a new breed of young, sophisticated, more demanding Singaporeans. Will the PAP leaders then be forced to deal with the long-standing issue of political freedom, and democratize at last? Not if China comes to their rescue. HereÂ’s a possible 2030 scenario: China rises to superpower status as the United States declines, and is in a position to offer an alternative to the discredited Western model of liberal democracy. In its skilful blend of authoritarianism and capitalism, the model is not unlike SingaporeÂ’s. If Singapore and China become thus twinned on the world stage, the Lee Kuan Yew model of governance will have achieved an international acceptance that the PAP could never have dreamt of. Read more