ABSTRACT
On June 3, 1959, when Singapore attained self-government after nearly 140 years of British colonial rule, it had a population of 1.58 million that was growing at the rate of 4 percent annually, an economy based on entrepôt trade and an unemployment rate of 5 percent. Housing was a serious problem, with half of the population living in squatter huts and only 9 percent in public housing. Its per capita GNP in 1960 was only S$1,330 or US$443.1 In short, Singapore had the classic features of a developing country.
