Part 3: Lee Kuan Yew´s strong views did not impede the use of most traditional types of technical assistance. According to Lee: "We placed our hopes on the United Nations Development Programme that arrived in October to survey a proposed industrial site at Jurong and advise on the types of industry suitable for it. We were fortunate in the choice of the leader, Dr.Albert Winsemius. A Dutch industrialist, he spent three months in Singapore and made the first of his many contributions that were to be crucial to Singapore´s development. He was a practical businessman with a grasp of the economics of the post world war two Europe and America. He was in fact to play a major role in our later economic planning." Dr. Winsemius served as economic adviser to Singapore for 23 years until 1984. In order to overcome Singapore´s disadvantages, Lee came up with an arbitrary strategy. The first step, of leapfrogging the region, was suggested to him by UNDP expert who had visited Singapore in 1962 and then met with Lee again in Africa in 1964. He had described to the Singapore leader the Israeli experience with export-led growth. Similarly,Singapore could avoid its not so well-intentioned neighbors and link up with America, Europe and Japan, " and attract their manufacturers to produce in Singapore and export their products to the developed countries." "If Singapore could establish First World standards in public and personal security, health, education, telecommunication, transportation and services, it would become a base camp for entrepreneurs, engineers, managers and other professionals who had business to do in the region. This meant we had to train our people and equip them to provide First World standards of service. I believed this was possible, that we could re-educate and reorientate our people with the help of schools, trade unions, community centers and social organizations." Lee concluded that "without foreign talent, we would no have done as well." As is clear by the attributions of the engineer of Singapore´s miraculous growth, even the most traditional role of technical assistance, provided the first years of the country´s establishment, served an important role for the take-off of Singapore´s economic growth. Since ex-president Jawara´s intentions were to turn Gambia into another Singapore but failed, is it possible to assume that president Jammeh could make this dream into reality by being another LEE KUAN YEW ? This was the final part the story about the economic growth of Singapore. I just hope that Gambia will discover one Lee Kuan Yew and a good e-lite that is ready to sacrifice and work hard for a nation like Singapore in the future. Thanks for sharing! SS.Jawara Stockholm, Sweden. SS.Jawara ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~