Features
Need of the hour for Sri Lanka: The ‘MPH Formula of Singapore
By Praying Mantis
It is often said that in the 1940s and 50s, Singapore was way behind Sri Lanka in all respects. Lawlessness and crime were rife in Singapore and corruption were at the highest level. There were ghettos everywhere in that country. Sri Lanka on the other hand, was a real paradise with a populace that was surging forward in many aspects of life.
Several decades later, today, Singapore is a proud member of the First World whereas Sri Lanka has sunk into a spiral of descent into the mire of the lowest third-world status. There must be something that Singapore did right, compared to us, for this striking difference in the progress of the two countries. With hardly any natural resources worthy of note, Singapore has relentlessly forged ahead, leaving us languishing in the doldrums of despair; very definitely, a paradise lost.
Professor Kishore Mahbubani is a born and bred Singaporean, of Indian ancestry, a civil servant, a career diplomat and an academic. During his stint at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Singapore, from 1971 to 2004, he served as Singapore’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and held the position of President of the United Nations Security Council, as well. From 2004 to 2017, he served as Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore. In an exclusive interview, he outlined Singapore’s formula for success in the world. What he called the ‘secret formula’ adopted by Singapore, was known by the English acronym MPH. He clearly stated that any country that adopts and implements this strategy will succeed.
He said that the ‘M’ in MPH stands for Meritocracy, the ‘P’ is for Pragmatism and the ‘H’ is for Honesty. He then went on to explain how this principle works. He said that meritocracy means that you select the best people to run the country. He added that what brings many countries down, especially in the Third World, is that when it comes to selecting their finance minister, or the economics minister, or any other ministerial guardian of the legislature, they will give those jobs to their brothers, their cousins, their uncles, their relatives and NOT to the best people. These are his words; not mine.
Singapore did the exact opposite. In Singapore, their top jobs, not only of the Cabinet of Ministers but in every walk of life, were, and still are, given to the very best people, the most qualified and those with a proven track record. The current Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, is Lee Kuan Yew’s eldest son. When Loong went to study at the Cambridge University, he was a top student in the class and the university. The Professors were so impressed that they said that he should become a mathematician because he will become a world-class mathematician. Then he went to study at another great university, Harvard Kennedy School. There, he was one of the very few students to get an article published in a tier-one economics journal. Hardly any students get articles published in tier-one economics journals. He is incredibly brilliant. Then, if the best man for the job is Lee Kuan Yew’s son, he would be selected; not on the basis that he is the Prime Minister’s son, but because he is the best person for the job. So, meritocracy is the first pillar of Singapore’s Successful Formula.
The second pillar is ‘P’. It stands for pragmatism. Pragmatism is an English concept but the best definition of pragmatism was given by China’s leader, Deng Xiaping. He said, “it does not matter whether a cat is black or a cat is white. If the cat catches mice, it is a good cat”. So, in the same way, it does not matter what your ideology is; if it works, others could use it. So, Singapore was very pragmatic. It would take some capitalist policies, and some policies that are socialist, and even mix them up. That is what pragmatism is all about. You are not tied down by any political ideology.
Then the good Professor said that the third pillar, the ‘H’, is the hardest to achieve. It stands for honesty. He emphasised that what has brought most Third World countries down, and what has led to their failure in development, is corruption. So, Lee Kuan Yew after he became Prime Minister, made it a point to punish not the junior people but the very senior people. A Deputy Minister went on holiday with his friend, a businessman. When he came back to Singapore, he was arrested. He asked why he was being arrested and he was told, “you went on holiday with a businessman and the latter paid all your expenses and that is corruption. You will go to jail”. So, when a Deputy Minister is sent to jail then everybody says ‘oops., I got to be careful. I can also go to jail’. That honesty factor is one critical feature why Singapore has been exceptionally successful.
Now then…, here is the crux of this article of mine and for quoting the above interview. How does this scenario compare with what you get in our Pearl of the Indian Ocean? My considered opinion is that if you need to have the exact opposite of the secret formula for success in Singapore, you have it right here on our beautiful little island.
Singapore was way behind Ceylon in the 1940s. Even their enigmatic, compelling and famous Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, looked up to us. Even at that time, the MPH formula, or a similar recipe was not there as a total commitment in Ceylon but some things were done that fitted the bill, even just a little bit; a partial MPH. That was enough to keep us above most other Asian countries, given the natural resources of our splendid Motherland and the quality of its people.
Then over 70 odd years, even this partial MPH formula in Ceylon, and later in Sri Lanka, was eroded, knocked down, taken apart, emasculated and generally destroyed by all the regimes that came to power. We gradually drifted into an abyss of the ultimate denunciation of this wonderful formula. Henchmen as well as henchwomen and sparsely educated misfits were given top positions, year in and year out. They worked on personal agendas and not for the benefit of the country. Far from being patriots, they were scoundrels of the highest order.
The best people were repeatedly side-lined. Even some of the top-class people, who had made a name for themselves internationally while being here, were rudely ignored. As a result, some of our decent products and some really good brains left the country for good, only to do superbly well in their adopted countries.
Now we are content to sing hosannas and try to bask in the glory of those Sri Lankans, who have made a name for themselves in their adopted foreign countries. This is so, while the powers-that-be over here continue to suppress even some of the most brilliant ones who are still here. Those Sri Lankans, who are now citizens of other countries, were only born here. Now they are “foreigners”. Their so-called achievements are not as Sri Lankans. It annoys and discourages this writer to see these Sri Lanka-born foreigners being featured in the media as God’s own gift to mankind. It is also ironic that some of our top leaders have the ludicrous audacity to invite them to come back to serve our resplendent island. To say the least, that is sheer wishful thinking. They are not real Sri Lankans anymore. They will never come back for good.
The second pillar, pragmatism is quite prominent by its very absence in this paradise isle. Politicians of successive regimes could not see something that worked. They would try their best to put a spanner in the works. If something that worked was the brainchild of the previous regime, it simply had to be scuttled by their successors. Their ideologies are fixed and they are totally against any kind of compromise or being even a little bit flexible. Rationality, practicality, logicality and uncomplicatedness; the synonyms of the word pragmatism, are not there in their foolish philosophies and their vocabulary.
The last one of MPH, but certainly the most important; honesty, is completely non-existent in Sri Lanka. Ministers and top officials lie through their back teeth, enrich themselves with loads of filthy lucre and be dishonest to the core. The lower ranks follow the so-called leaders. If the featured Singaporean Deputy Minister went on a holiday paid for by a businessman, the indiscretions or forays of our comparable worthies defy even our imagination.
Commissions are paid, money exchanged under the table or in car parks, and all kinds of shady dealings are the order of the day. If Lee Kuan Yew was alive and was asked to sort out the current situation over here, he would probably have filled up our jails in no time. Knowing the cowards over here, it would need only just a few miscreants to be jailed for the others to fall in line; rather nicely as well.
As exemplified by Singapore, the MPH Formula works. Singapore and its charismatic leader Lee Kuan Yew, conscientiously and steadfastly, stuck to it, as if that was the gift from providence that would make a difference. It did make a supremely effective difference; Singapore has become a First World Country and soared way above us in this magnificent isle, while we are quite content to remain in the pits of the world, shamelessly boasting of our over 2500-year-old heritage. Given the resources that we have in plenty, the educational opportunities available to us and the natural aptitudes of our people, we should be flying way higher than Singapore. But sadly, our downfall has been orchestrated by some of our very own people.
Yet for all this, what rankles most is that for us, there is no light at the end of the tunnel. We do not see a benevolent but strict and honest statesman or stateswoman on the horizon. Only a real patriot, who would be willing to put the entire house in order, could use this wonderful MPH Formula to good use to pull us up from the hole that we have been forced to creep into. We desperately need such a person who could take this country by the scruff of its neck, shake some sense into it and take us to an entirely different landscape of a promised land.
We should be most grateful to Professor Kishore Mahbubani for revealing the secret formula for Singapore’s success! The humble and modest man that he is, he did not boast about how brilliant he was. Being a top rung flyer, he was indeed the very best man for all the positions he held. Lee Kuan Yew probably hand-picked that man. In addition, what Professor Mahbubani did not say is that the acronym MPH also stands for miles per hour; a metric of speed. The Singapore MPH Formula has also shown that by using it, results would be obtained with considerable speed.
The need of the hour for Sri Lanka is this tried and tested Singapore formula for success–the MPH.
by Dr Gotabhya Ranasinghe
Senior Consultant Cardiologist
National Hospital Sri Lanka
When we sought a meeting with Hon Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Minister of Health, he graciously cleared his busy schedule to accommodate us. Renowned for his attentive listening and deep understanding, Minister Pathirana is dedicated to advancing the health sector. His openness and transparency exemplify the qualities of an exemplary politician and minister.
Dr. Palitha Mahipala, the current Health Secretary, demonstrates both commendable enthusiasm and unwavering support. This combination of attributes makes him a highly compatible colleague for the esteemed Minister of Health.
Our discussion centered on a project that has been in the works for the past 30 years, one that no other minister had managed to advance.
Minister Pathirana, however, recognized the project’s significance and its potential to revolutionize care for heart patients.
The project involves the construction of a state-of-the-art facility at the premises of the National Hospital Colombo. The project’s location within the premises of the National Hospital underscores its importance and relevance to the healthcare infrastructure of the nation.
This facility will include a cardiology building and a tertiary care center, equipped with the latest technology to handle and treat all types of heart-related conditions and surgeries.
Securing funding was a major milestone for this initiative. Minister Pathirana successfully obtained approval for a $40 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank. With the funding in place, the foundation stone is scheduled to be laid in September this year, and construction will begin in January 2025.
This project guarantees a consistent and uninterrupted supply of stents and related medications for heart patients. As a result, patients will have timely access to essential medical supplies during their treatment and recovery. By securing these critical resources, the project aims to enhance patient outcomes, minimize treatment delays, and maintain the highest standards of cardiac care.
Upon its fruition, this monumental building will serve as a beacon of hope and healing, symbolizing the unwavering dedication to improving patient outcomes and fostering a healthier society.We anticipate a future marked by significant progress and positive outcomes in Sri Lanka’s cardiovascular treatment landscape within the foreseeable timeframe.
by Fr. Emmanuel Fernando, OMI
Jesuit Fr. Aloysius Pieris (affectionately called Fr. Aloy) celebrated his 90th birthday on April 9, 2024 and I, as the editor of our Oblate Journal, THE MISSIONARY OBLATE had gone to press by that time. Immediately I decided to publish an article, appreciating the untiring selfless services he continues to offer for inter-Faith dialogue, the renewal of the Catholic Church, his concern for the poor and the suffering Sri Lankan masses and to me, the present writer.
It was in 1988, when I was appointed Director of the Oblate Scholastics at Ampitiya by the then Oblate Provincial Fr. Anselm Silva, that I came to know Fr. Aloy more closely. Knowing well his expertise in matters spiritual, theological, Indological and pastoral, and with the collaborative spirit of my companion-formators, our Oblate Scholastics were sent to Tulana, the Research and Encounter Centre, Kelaniya, of which he is the Founder-Director, for ‘exposure-programmes’ on matters spiritual, biblical, theological and pastoral. Some of these dimensions according to my view and that of my companion-formators, were not available at the National Seminary, Ampitiya.
Ever since that time, our Oblate formators/ accompaniers at the Oblate Scholasticate, Ampitiya , have continued to send our Oblate Scholastics to Tulana Centre for deepening their insights and convictions regarding matters needed to serve the people in today’s context. Fr. Aloy also had tried very enthusiastically with the Oblate team headed by Frs. Oswald Firth and Clement Waidyasekara to begin a Theologate, directed by the Religious Congregations in Sri Lanka, for the contextual formation/ accompaniment of their members. It should very well be a desired goal of the Leaders / Provincials of the Religious Congregations.
Besides being a formator/accompanier at the Oblate Scholasticate, I was entrusted also with the task of editing and publishing our Oblate journal, ‘The Missionary Oblate’. To maintain the quality of the journal I continue to depend on Fr. Aloy for his thought-provoking and stimulating articles on Biblical Spirituality, Biblical Theology and Ecclesiology. I am very grateful to him for his generous assistance. Of late, his writings on renewal of the Church, initiated by Pope St. John XX111 and continued by Pope Francis through the Synodal path, published in our Oblate journal, enable our readers to focus their attention also on the needed renewal in the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. Fr. Aloy appreciated very much the Synodal path adopted by the Jesuit Pope Francis for the renewal of the Church, rooted very much on prayerful discernment. In my Religious and presbyteral life, Fr.Aloy continues to be my spiritual animator / guide and ongoing formator / acccompanier.
Fr. Aloysius Pieris, BA Hons (Lond), LPh (SHC, India), STL (PFT, Naples), PhD (SLU/VC), ThD (Tilburg), D.Ltt (KU), has been one of the eminent Asian theologians well recognized internationally and one who has lectured and held visiting chairs in many universities both in the West and in the East. Many members of Religious Congregations from Asian countries have benefited from his lectures and guidance in the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) in Manila, Philippines. He had been a Theologian consulted by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences for many years. During his professorship at the Gregorian University in Rome, he was called to be a member of a special group of advisers on other religions consulted by Pope Paul VI.
Fr. Aloy is the author of more than 30 books and well over 500 Research Papers. Some of his books and articles have been translated and published in several countries. Among those books, one can find the following: 1) The Genesis of an Asian Theology of Liberation (An Autobiographical Excursus on the Art of Theologising in Asia, 2) An Asian Theology of Liberation, 3) Providential Timeliness of Vatican 11 (a long-overdue halt to a scandalous millennium, 4) Give Vatican 11 a chance, 5) Leadership in the Church, 6) Relishing our faith in working for justice (Themes for study and discussion), 7) A Message meant mainly, not exclusively for Jesuits (Background information necessary for helping Francis renew the Church), 8) Lent in Lanka (Reflections and Resolutions, 9) Love meets wisdom (A Christian Experience of Buddhism, 10) Fire and Water 11) God’s Reign for God’s poor, 12) Our Unhiddden Agenda (How we Jesuits work, pray and form our men). He is also the Editor of two journals, Vagdevi, Journal of Religious Reflection and Dialogue, New Series.
Fr. Aloy has a BA in Pali and Sanskrit from the University of London and a Ph.D in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Sri Lankan, Vidyodaya Campus. On Nov. 23, 2019, he was awarded the prestigious honorary Doctorate of Literature (D.Litt) by the Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, the Most Venerable Welamitiyawe Dharmakirthi Sri Kusala Dhamma Thera.
Fr. Aloy continues to be a promoter of Gospel values and virtues. Justice as a constitutive dimension of love and social concern for the downtrodden masses are very much noted in his life and work. He had very much appreciated the commitment of the late Fr. Joseph (Joe) Fernando, the National Director of the Social and Economic Centre (SEDEC) for the poor.
In Sri Lanka, a few religious Congregations – the Good Shepherd Sisters, the Christian Brothers, the Marist Brothers and the Oblates – have invited him to animate their members especially during their Provincial Congresses, Chapters and International Conferences. The mainline Christian Churches also have sought his advice and followed his seminars. I, for one, regret very much, that the Sri Lankan authorities of the Catholic Church –today’s Hierarchy—- have not sought Fr.
Aloy’s expertise for the renewal of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka and thus have not benefited from the immense store of wisdom and insight that he can offer to our local Church while the Sri Lankan bishops who governed the Catholic church in the immediate aftermath of the Second Vatican Council (Edmund Fernando OMI, Anthony de Saram, Leo Nanayakkara OSB, Frank Marcus Fernando, Paul Perera,) visited him and consulted him on many matters. Among the Tamil Bishops, Bishop Rayappu Joseph was keeping close contact with him and Bishop J. Deogupillai hosted him and his team visiting him after the horrible Black July massacre of Tamils.
Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement
By Gomi Senadhira
senadhiragomi@gmail.com
“You might tell fairy tales, but the progress of a country cannot be achieved through such narratives. A country cannot be developed by making false promises. The country moved backward because of the electoral promises made by political parties throughout time. We have witnessed that the ultimate result of this is the country becoming bankrupt. Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet.” – President Ranil Wickremesinghe, 2024 Budget speech
Any Sri Lankan would agree with the above words of President Wickremesinghe on the false promises our politicians and officials make and the fairy tales they narrate which bankrupted this country. So, to understand this, let’s look at one such fairy tale with lots of false promises; Ranil Wickremesinghe’s greatest achievement in the area of international trade and investment promotion during the Yahapalana period, Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA).
It is appropriate and timely to do it now as Finance Minister Wickremesinghe has just presented to parliament a bill on the National Policy on Economic Transformation which includes the establishment of an Office for International Trade and the Sri Lanka Institute of Economics and International Trade.
Was SLSFTA a “Cleverly negotiated Free Trade Agreement” as stated by the (former) Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate on the SLSFTA in July 2018, or a colossal blunder covered up with lies, false promises, and fairy tales? After SLSFTA was signed there were a number of fairy tales published on this agreement by the Ministry of Development Strategies and International, Institute of Policy Studies, and others.
However, for this article, I would like to limit my comments to the speech by Minister Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate, and the two most important areas in the agreement which were covered up with lies, fairy tales, and false promises, namely: revenue loss for Sri Lanka and Investment from Singapore. On the other important area, “Waste products dumping” I do not want to comment here as I have written extensively on the issue.
1. The revenue loss
During the Parliamentary Debate in July 2018, Minister Samarawickrama stated “…. let me reiterate that this FTA with Singapore has been very cleverly negotiated by us…. The liberalisation programme under this FTA has been carefully designed to have the least impact on domestic industry and revenue collection. We have included all revenue sensitive items in the negative list of items which will not be subject to removal of tariff. Therefore, 97.8% revenue from Customs duty is protected. Our tariff liberalisation will take place over a period of 12-15 years! In fact, the revenue earned through tariffs on goods imported from Singapore last year was Rs. 35 billion.
The revenue loss for over the next 15 years due to the FTA is only Rs. 733 million– which when annualised, on average, is just Rs. 51 million. That is just 0.14% per year! So anyone who claims the Singapore FTA causes revenue loss to the Government cannot do basic arithmetic! Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I call on my fellow members of this House – don’t mislead the public with baseless criticism that is not grounded in facts. Don’t look at petty politics and use these issues for your own political survival.”
I was surprised to read the minister’s speech because an article published in January 2018 in “The Straits Times“, based on information released by the Singaporean Negotiators stated, “…. With the FTA, tariff savings for Singapore exports are estimated to hit $10 million annually“.
As the annual tariff savings (that is the revenue loss for Sri Lanka) calculated by the Singaporean Negotiators, Singaporean $ 10 million (Sri Lankan rupees 1,200 million in 2018) was way above the rupees’ 733 million revenue loss for 15 years estimated by the Sri Lankan negotiators, it was clear to any observer that one of the parties to the agreement had not done the basic arithmetic!
Six years later, according to a report published by “The Morning” newspaper, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) on 7th May 2024, Mr Samarawickrama’s chief trade negotiator K.J. Weerasinghehad had admitted “…. that forecasted revenue loss for the Government of Sri Lanka through the Singapore FTA is Rs. 450 million in 2023 and Rs. 1.3 billion in 2024.”
If these numbers are correct, as tariff liberalisation under the SLSFTA has just started, we will pass Rs 2 billion very soon. Then, the question is how Sri Lanka’s trade negotiators made such a colossal blunder. Didn’t they do their basic arithmetic? If they didn’t know how to do basic arithmetic they should have at least done their basic readings. For example, the headline of the article published in The Straits Times in January 2018 was “Singapore, Sri Lanka sign FTA, annual savings of $10m expected”.
Anyway, as Sri Lanka’s chief negotiator reiterated at the COPF meeting that “…. since 99% of the tariffs in Singapore have zero rates of duty, Sri Lanka has agreed on 80% tariff liberalisation over a period of 15 years while expecting Singapore investments to address the imbalance in trade,” let’s turn towards investment.
Investment from Singapore
In July 2018, speaking during the Parliamentary Debate on the FTA this is what Minister Malik Samarawickrama stated on investment from Singapore, “Already, thanks to this FTA, in just the past two-and-a-half months since the agreement came into effect we have received a proposal from Singapore for investment amounting to $ 14.8 billion in an oil refinery for export of petroleum products. In addition, we have proposals for a steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million), sugar refinery ($ 200 million). This adds up to more than $ 16.05 billion in the pipeline on these projects alone.
And all of these projects will create thousands of more jobs for our people. In principle approval has already been granted by the BOI and the investors are awaiting the release of land the environmental approvals to commence the project.
I request the Opposition and those with vested interests to change their narrow-minded thinking and join us to develop our country. We must always look at what is best for the whole community, not just the few who may oppose. We owe it to our people to courageously take decisions that will change their lives for the better.”
According to the media report I quoted earlier, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Chief Negotiator Weerasinghe has admitted that Sri Lanka was not happy with overall Singapore investments that have come in the past few years in return for the trade liberalisation under the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. He has added that between 2021 and 2023 the total investment from Singapore had been around $162 million!
What happened to those projects worth $16 billion negotiated, thanks to the SLSFTA, in just the two-and-a-half months after the agreement came into effect and approved by the BOI? I do not know about the steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million) and sugar refinery ($ 200 million).
However, story of the multibillion-dollar investment in the Petroleum Refinery unfolded in a manner that would qualify it as the best fairy tale with false promises presented by our politicians and the officials, prior to 2019 elections.
Though many Sri Lankans got to know, through the media which repeatedly highlighted a plethora of issues surrounding the project and the questionable credentials of the Singaporean investor, the construction work on the Mirrijiwela Oil Refinery along with the cement factory began on the24th of March 2019 with a bang and Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his ministers along with the foreign and local dignitaries laid the foundation stones.
That was few months before the 2019 Presidential elections. Inaugurating the construction work Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the projects will create thousands of job opportunities in the area and surrounding districts.
The oil refinery, which was to be built over 200 acres of land, with the capacity to refine 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, was to generate US$7 billion of exports and create 1,500 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs. The construction of the refinery was to be completed in 44 months. Four years later, in August 2023 the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to cancel the agreement with the investors of the refinery as the project has not been implemented! Can they explain to the country how much money was wasted to produce that fairy tale?
It is obvious that the President, ministers, and officials had made huge blunders and had deliberately misled the public and the parliament on the revenue loss and potential investment from SLSFTA with fairy tales and false promises.
As the president himself said, a country cannot be developed by making false promises or with fairy tales and these false promises and fairy tales had bankrupted the country. “Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet”.
(The writer, a specialist and an activist on trade and development issues . )
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