Benevolent dictatorship: why not Singapore?

Tun Dr. Mahathir could have used Singapore as an example instead of China. Was it too close for comfort that his style of authoritarianism failed to uplift the living standards of Malaysians as compared with Singapore under his arch-rival Lee Kuan Yew?

"Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad cited China as an alternative to democracy saying that dictatorship could very well be the model of success where democracy had failed. He said that the Beijing Consensus which was authoritarian was more effective as compared to the democratic model of Washington Consensus and it has brought China to the forefronts of the global economy. Dr Mahathir was speaking at the Umno organized event entitled ‘Creation of the Global Citizen: Media Liberisation and the New Political Realities’."

Many people have pointed out that China never hesitate to use their firing squads on citizens convicted of corruption.

Singapore used the law to bankrupt political opponents.
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