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MY FIFTIETH ( 50th) WEEKLY COLUMN in VILLAGE VOICE
This is my FIFTIETH (50th.) Weekly Column in Village Voice, to date. Do remember my 1st Column was on CASH TRANSFERS on December 17, 2022. Also do remember, graciously informing, CEO & EDITOR, Mr. Lincoln Lewis, NO THANKS for HIS MOST GRACIOUS OFFER, for me to do A WEEKLY Village Voice, COLUMN.
The same day, I declined an offer to be President of a University in North Carolina, a 3 hours’ drive from our South Charlotte, residence. Mentioned my NO to Village Voice, to my Washington, Gulf Countries’ Ruling Families, and Inner Circles’ Friends, who ALL SAID, that I SHOULD DO,THE WEEKLY COLUMN, with constructive evaluation comments, with solutions and evidence. LESSON, Many Heads are better than ONE towards strategic decision making.
SINGAPORE is ONE of my MOST FAVORITE for developing countries, economic and social transformation. Singapore secured its independence from Malaysia on August 9, 1965. The first Independence Inaugural Day was with a parade of 23,000 participants, including women and children, which started at 9 AM, upon the arrival of the First President His Excellency Yusof Ishak.
Independence day’s festivities featured a spectacular 90-minute fireworks display at Fort Canning and a magnificent, illuminated sea dragon floating along NEARBY waterfront. Apart from the main parade, a variety of cultural performances, dinners, speeches, and other events were organized at community and state levels throughout the week to celebrate this historic and momentous occasion.
The flag of Singapore was adopted in 1959, the year Singapore became self-governing within the British Empire. It remained the national flag upon the country’s independence from Malaysia on 9 August 1965. The design is a horizontal bicolor of red above white, overlaid in the canton (upper-left quadrant) by a white crescent moon facing a pentagon of five small white five-pointed stars. The elements of the flag denote a young nation on the ascendant, universal brotherhood and equality, and national ideals.
The Chief Architect of Singapore is Lee Kuan Yew GCMG CH SPMJ DK, often referred to by his initials LKY, was a Singaporean statesperson and lawyer who served as the founding Prime Minister of Singapore between 1959 and 1990. His Excellency, Lew Kuan Yew in his autobiography mentions his fights with Communists and Malaysia who supported the ethnic Malays in Singapore. LKY was clear that Singapore was not going to be Communist Nation and made sure that the leadership of his country studied in the West.
Photo: Chief Architect of Singapore is Lee Kuan Yew, GCMG,CH, SPMJ, DK.
March 22, 2015. “ SINGAPORE — Lee Kuan Yew, (LKY) who transformed the tiny outpost of Singapore into one of Asia’s wealthiest and least corrupt countries as its founding father and first prime minister, died here on Monday. He was 91.His death, at the Singapore General Hospital, was announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Mr. Lee’s eldest son.
His Excellency, Lee Kuan Yew, served as Prime Minister from 1959, when Singapore gained full self-government from the British, until 1990, when he stepped down. Late into his life he remained the dominant personality and driving force in what he called a First World oasis in a Third World region.” “His Excellency Lee stepped down as Prime Minister in 1990, but remained in the Cabinet under his successors, holding the appointments of Senior Minister until 2004, “ From AGE 66 served for 34 years to AGE 90 in 2004 with death in 2005 at AGE 91.” AGE is just a NUMBER.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Kuan_Yew
Photo: Ambassadors of SINGAPORE and GUYANA, at SHUWAIKH PALACE in Kuwait for the Official Luncheon for the President of Singapore.
The current population of Singapore is 6,027,899 as of Sunday, November 5, 2023, based on Worldometer elaboration of the latest United Nations data
The millionaire population in Singapore stood at around 526.4 thousand in 2021 and is projected to increase to about 592 thousand in 2026. This estimated growth in the millionaire population reflects the trend of increasing household wealth in Singapore, which grew by more than 146 percent since 2000.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/785044/singapore-number-of-millionaires/
SINGAPORE’S remarkably Successful “ MPH” Model for BEST PRACTICES worthy of USING in Guyana with its abundance of OIL & GAS WEALTH.
3 KEYS. (MPH).
- MERITOCRACY > Best Persons to be Employed, Engaged, or Involved.
- PRAGMATISM > Use what works. Capitalism OR Socialism.
- HONESTY > NO Corruption. To Pay Salaries based on Responsibilities, Accountabilities, Deliverables, Outcomes and Achievements.
Singapore’s , Corruption Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) is with 2 layers for Approval to proceed with an Arrest, from the Prime Minister AND the President. CPIB goes Firstly to Prime Minister, and IF, NO GO AHEAD to CPIB, then CPIB can ask the President.
“ Singapore has the most powerful passport in the world, knocking Japan off the top of the list for the first time in five years. The Southeast Asian country, which took the top spot on the Henley Passport Index this week, has visa-free access to 192 destinations out of 227 around the world. Singapore was previously tied for second place with South Korea.
Japan, which had held the top spot on the list for five consecutive years, fell to third place with visa-free access to 189 destinations. Japan tied with Austria, Finland, France, Luxembourg, South Korea, and Sweden.”
https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/singapore-passport-world-most-powerful-travel-henley-index/
April 26, 2023. “ The top 10 wealthiest cities in the world, New York City, New York; Tokyo, Japan; The Bay Area, California; London, United Kingdom; Singapore, Singapore; Los Angeles, California; Hong Kong; Beijing, China; Shanghai, China and Sydney, Australia “
Singapore’s Businessmen are with personal stake to ensure Singapore places policies that supports growth with massive infrastructure development and investments in education, science, and technology, and the training of people with skills in IT, engineering, and the sciences, which will promote businesses, to create employment, generates growth and wealth accumulation.
The Singapore economy is built on two main foundations. Firstly, as a tax haven with a wide network of Double Taxation Agreements (DTA) negotiated many years ago that was favorable to Singapore because it leveraged itself as a developing country. Now it leverages on those DTAs an Multinational Corporations (MNC) from everywhere to record their regional or global profits in Singapore.
For example, Australian companies export coal to China but record the sale through their Singapore subsidiary to benefit from Singapore’s DTA with China and lower corporate tax rate in Singapore of 17%. This is incredible considering that Singapore has around 6 million population compared with 1 billion in China. USA’s MNCs routes sales to China via subsidiaries in Singapore rather than subsidiaries in China.
In the Chinese culture people only have an obligation to look out for their relatives but not the broader community. Accordingly, children, especially the eldest son have an obligation to look after their aged parents. But there is no obligation or tradition to look after people who are not related by blood or marriage. Consequently, it is fair game to cheat or rob others.
Photo: 3rd November 2019, OFFICIAL LUNCHEON BANQUET in KUWAIT for Her Excellency the PRESIDENT of SINGAPORE. Among the select invitees were the Ambassadors of Guyana, USA, Canada, and Switzerland with their Wives; Kuwait Ruling Families, and Senior Ministers.
Photo : 3rd. November 2019 Her Excellency the President of Singapore, Her Husband, and a Member of the Kuwait Ruling Family, at the Official Luncheon Banquet.
Photo: 3rd. November 2019 Her Excellency the President of SINGAPORE, OFFICIAL LUNCHEON at SHUWAIKH PALACE. Right to Left: Kuwait Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs; Amb Dr. Shamir Ally; Dr. Maryann Beebe Ally; and Kuwait Minister of Foreign Affairs
GUYANA in Comparison to SINGAPORE
Guyana’s Independence Day was on May 26, 1966. The public holiday commemorates Guyana’s independence from the British with celebrations featuring traditional food, arts, and a music festival, featuring fashion shows, music, food, dance, and other cultural activities.
Our Guyana is home to SIX ETHNIC GROUPS – Indigenous, East Indian, African, Portuguese, European and Chinese, WITH racial fears, distrust, and disharmonies, continuing to the present, due to marginalization, unequal treatment, and biases from the Government of the various periods. With respect, most will say, both major parties are guilty of these bad practices.
In comparison, Singapore is with FOUR ETHNIC GROUPS who, have ALL found the RECIPE to LIVE IN HARMONY and achieve together, spectacular, outstanding, and fantastic, economic, social, and infrastructural developments, and progress with verifiable deliverables and outcomes, with Singapore being a GLOBALLY, LOOKED TO, AS A NATION, for EMULATION.
One of the continuing problems, from comments and rumblings, from most of the Guyanese population and Citizens in the DIASPORA, is of the HIGH rate of CORRUPTION at ALL LEVELS in Guyana.
In Comparison, we can all visualize the possibility for A GUYANA with THE SINGAPORE’S MPH Model, put in practice by the current OR the next Government of Guyana.
Guyana is blessed with an abundance of natural resources, and Ambassador Dr. Shamir Ally, asked Minister of Business & Tourism, Hon. Dominic Gaskin, ( Owner of TOPAZ Jewelers in Guyana) for a list of natural resources in Guyana. Hon. Gaskin took about one year to submit a list, and Ambassador Dr. Shamir added “ OIL and the Headline, with 34 Minerals and an ABUNDANCE OF WATER”, and requested Dr. Maryann Beebe Ally, to design a photo, as hereunder, which was placed at the Embassy in Kuwait, entrance, as a key part of “ Show, Tell, and Know” Guyana, South America for Investments and Tourism promotions.
PHOTO: Created and Published by the Allys at the Guyana Embassy in Kuwait. A LIST of ALMIGHTY’S BLESSINGS of RESOURCES’ ASSETS, for the BENEFIT of ALL Guyanese in Guyana and the Diaspora.
Photo: May 31, 2019. 14 th. Islamic Summit & 50th. Organization of Islamic Cooperation ( OIC) Summit for 57 HEADS NATIONS or REPRESENTATIVES. His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Warmly Greeting Guyana Ambasssdor Dr. Shamir Ally, representing the 8th. Executive President of Guyana, His Excellency Brigadier David Arthur Granger, at Al Safa Royal Palace, Makkha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Onward & Upward towards One People, One Nation, One Destiny.
