Singapore: Lost in Transition – From Lion City to Layover Land

When I first touched down in Singapore more than 20 years ago, it wasn’t just the palm trees or chilli crab that caught my eye—it was Lee Kuan Yew’s vision. A man who didn’t just dream of the future but built it. Sure, he was strict, perhaps a touch overbearing, but he was undeniably a man who saw things as they could be, not just as they were.

Back then, Singapore was electric—a land of possibility. The kind of place where dreams didn’t just stay in your head; they came alive. For me, Singapore wasn’t meant to be permanent—a mere layover en route to grander dreams. But life has a funny way of rewriting scripts.

After years as a political journalist in Malaysia, a women’s magazine editor, and a part-time scriptwriter for a U.S. animation studio, I landed here with two suitcases and a husband, seeking a place where merit mattered more than who your grandparents were.

And Singapore delivered. This Little Red Dot let me thrive. Eight years in advertising, international awards, a burgeoning career in an industry I never expected to love, and two kids later—I made it home. What started as a layover grew roots.

But roots don’t stop the seasons from changing, and as the years passed, I’ve watched Singapore shift. When I arrived, it felt alive with opportunity—a country buzzing with a palpable sense of momentum, where hard work translated into results, and possibility was a currency. Now? The electricity feels dimmer.

The Fading Spark

Fast forward to today. My kids are teenagers. Lee Kuan Yew is no longer with us. And Singapore? It feels… safe. But safety isn’t a destination; it’s a parking spot. My expat friends are leaving—not because it’s unsafe here, but because safety doesn’t grow your money or your spirit. They’re looking for opportunity. And Singapore, once a beacon of dynamism, has plateaued.

Elon Musk recently remarked that Singapore, along with many other countries, is "going extinct" due to its low birth rate. (tnp.straitstimes.com) A shocking statement, yes, but think about it. We’ve lost our ‘why.’ A nation can’t survive on nostalgia or its greatest hits.

Take our education system: brilliant at producing test-takers but not risk-takers. Singapore schools churn out what the government needs—like a well-oiled assembly line. But where’s the room for thinkers, dreamers, rebels? As Albert Einstein said, “The mind that opens to a new idea never returns to its original size.” And yet, our system prefers to keep minds neatly boxed and stackable.

Even our reputation as “safe” is wearing thin. Top in online crimes—who’d have guessed? When did the safest country lose the sense of security that built its name?

What Are We Missing?

Singapore needs a rebrand. Right now, we feel like a corporate entity more than a country. We’ve perfected the art of the ‘status quo.’ But as Steve Jobs said, “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” And frankly, we’re not leading anymore.

Where’s the big vision? The moonshot thinking? The audacity to dream of what doesn’t yet exist? We need to stop managing decline and start imagining greatness. A nation isn’t just a place—it’s an idea. And right now, we’re losing ours.

Let’s address the obvious. Cost of living is choking us. Basic needs—housing, education, food—feel like luxury items. My kids joke that in Singapore, even air seems taxable. Education? It must evolve beyond rote memorisation. The world doesn’t reward regurgitation; it rewards reinvention.

We need to value currencies beyond money. Purpose. Identity. Culture. If our children grow up without these, they’ll have nothing to stand on when the world shakes beneath them.

What Should We Do?

1. Reimagine Education: Let’s not just teach kids to survive; let’s teach them to thrive. Finland’s education system emphasises critical thinking and creativity over drilling facts. Why can’t we?
2. Affordability Matters: Stop pricing basic needs like commodities. Education, food, healthcare—these should be accessible to all, not just the privileged few. A truly sustainable nation invests in its people, not just its GDP.
3. Foster Opportunity: As Henry Ford said, “The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.” Let’s create a system that celebrates trial and error. A society where every failure is a step closer to success, not a life sentence of mediocrity.
4. A Bigger Identity: Shed our insular habits. Stop seeing ourselves as the ‘small country.’ Think bigger, broader, bolder. As JFK challenged a nation to land on the moon, Singapore needs its next big, bold goal.

A Call to Leaders

Leaders, remember this: “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” Right now, Singapore is wandering. But we can find our way back.

Stand for something more than spreadsheets. Build a nation where people live, not just survive. Redefine what it means to be Singaporean—not by our passports, but by our purpose. If we don’t, we risk becoming a relic—a country people remember fondly, but not one they look to for the future.

The Little Red Dot doesn’t have to fade. But it does need a spark.