Big step forward

Newswise, these are great days. India has just signed a 10-year defence pact with the USA and a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) with Singapore — two countries which deserve our deepest regard. The USA remains the most open society, innovative, enterprising and bursting with new ideas. And though Singapore is often called a nanny state, ordinary people here enjoy the best of amenities. It may not be a welfare state, but as long as one has a job, one can live in reasonable comfort — even taxi drivers and shop assistants probably enjoy a better standard of living than junior executives in many countries. And we are talking not just of TV sets and mobile phones and holidays abroad, which most people here can afford, but the general environment: Singapore is safe, the public infrastructure is excellent. The public library system has branches all over the island, the schools have all manner of programmes to sharpen their students’ talents — this is a society which values education though it’s not a cultural hotspot. It’s a good home for ordinary people like me.

So I felt hurt when I read that someone here years ago said Singapore should welcome Indian professionals already settled in the West rather than Indians from India itself who were a "fractious" lot. It’s true there are differences between Indians in the West, who have adjusted to life abroad, and Indians at home. The speaker was right — just as he was right when he said it’s easier to invest in China than in India. He said he would prefer to invest in China, where one just had to "touch base" with the leaders, while investments in India could run into all kinds of problems because of graft and red tape. The speaker, who shall remain nameless because he is one of the men I most admire, was right: what he said made sense. China has attracted far more foreign investments than India, which can throw up all kinds of road blocks before endorsing a deal.

But while that has meant slower growth and development, India also escaped the 1997 Asian currency crisis. The economy is growing and India has more to offer to investors and as a business partner. In fact, The New Paper said Indian companies are already one of the biggest investors in Singapore.

Yes, the time is right for a closer partnership. Full credit to Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, who as prime minister did so much to bring the two countries closer together, and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong who has signed a major understanding. An agreement which will allow Indian architects, accountants and doctors to practise in Singapore, according to Asia Times Online. Indian professionals trained in India — and not in the West. Indians should be proud because Singapore wants only the best.