Singapore’s dearth of resources also allowed it to sidestep the resource curse, the paradox that countries rich in natural resources tend to experience conflicts over extraction and allocation. Countries in which commodity exports comprise a large portion of GDP are far more likely to experience armed conflict. (According to The World Bank, a country in which commodity exports comprise 5% of GDP has a 6% risk of conflict; meanwhile, the chance of conflict rises to 33% when exports are 25% of GDP). As a result, these countries tend to undergo economic stagnation and social unrest. In contrast, Singapore focused its energies on value creation rather than value extraction, because there were no natural resources over which to fight.
The city-state prioritized infrastructure from the very beginning to underscore its function as a sanctuary. When it was still struggling to make ends meet in the 1970s, Singapore upgraded its airport to be a world-class transportation hub, recognizing that it served as both a functional connection to the outside world and a symbol of the nation’s desire to join the international community. This costly investment extended past the airport terminal to every detail that foreigners might see during their travels through Singapore. The immigration counter is exactingly efficient, and the roads leading from the airport to the business district of the city are meticulously maintained and lined with shrubbery. Source.
LKY once said:
I thought the best way to convince them was to ensure that the roads from the airport to their hotel and to my office were neat and spruce, lined with trees and shrubs. . . . Without a word being said, they would know that Singaporeans were competent, disciplined, and reliable, a people who would learn the skills they require soon enough.