ABSTRACT
The political commitments of the replacement elite were social democratic; their early programme embraced demands for an end to colonial rule, the formation of a unitary Malayan state, and economic development. The dissolution of European and American empires plus the destruction of the Imperial Japanese Empire saw large multi-ethnic territorial holdings re-made in the form of states. It was a radically disruptive process, for as one political system dissolved away replacements had to be put in place. The pursuit of development with its mix of economic growth and social welfare was central to the work of the People’s Action Party (PAP) as the party had inherited a key nexus in global trade. The post-independence development trajectory of Singapore has been determined by the PAP controlled state machine and the record is one of planned success. The PAP regime in all its incarnations over some 50 plus years has been assiduous in pursuing growth and welfare.
