timelets

Singapore Prime Minister writes:

First, we inherited a clean and working system from the British colonial government.
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Second, when the British left, our pioneer leaders were determined to keep the system clean. ...what decided the issue for Mr Lee Kuan Yew, our founding Prime Minister, and his team was the overriding need to prevent the public service from going corrupt.
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Third, ... we institutionalised a robust, comprehensive anti-corruption framework that spans laws, enforcement, the public service and public outreach. ... Any unexplained wealth disproportionate to known sources of income is presumed to be from graft and can be confiscated.
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Fourth, we have over time developed a society and culture that eschews corruption. Singaporeans expect and demand a clean system... They readily report corrupt practices when they encounter them.
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There is a Chinese proverb: "If the top beam is askew, the bottom beams will be crooked."

Trust is slow to build, but fast to lose. We have spent more than 50 years building up confidence in Singapore.

The trust has made Singapore an ideal middleman in logistics, manufacturing and finance. Especially, in Asia where graft is ubiquitous and people don't trust others.