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S’pore must know the world to survive

I refer to Mr Amos Lee’s letter “Saudi example not a good counter to issue of Western bias” (Nov 27).

I refer to Mr Amos Lee’s letter “Saudi example not a good counter to issue of Western bias” (Nov 27).

While Mr Lee is correct to assert that the lack of global knowledge is not unique to Singapore, he forgets one crucial fact: Singapore is a mere red dot on the world map.

As a Singaporean, I am proud of what this red dot has achieved in the past 50 years, but we need to be aware of the simple fact that we need the rest of the world more than the rest of the world need us.

Recognising this fact is not playing down Singapore but the essence of what has made Singapore. We thrived and survived because our leaders at the time made it a point to know the world and know how to make Singapore relevant to a global audience.

Our late founding prime minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, made it a point to understand the way American and European societies functioned and how their leadership played a role in those societies. This made it possible for us to benefit from investments by Western countries and manage tensions when they arose.

It does not matter if United States citizens cannot find Singapore on a map, but it matters if they do not know that we are a major trade hub.

Knowledge of the world is even more important today, as we seek investment from even more nations. Places that were once written off as “Third World” are now being recognised as essential markets to be in.

Just as we sought to understand the US and Europe in the early days, it is essential that we get to know other societies around the world if we are to do business with them.

Take Saudi Arabia as an example. Mr Amos Lee rightly pointed out that Saudi Arabia has strong geopolitical influence thanks to its oil and financial reserves, and its position as custodian of two of Islam’s most sacred sites.

It is also a country that can enrich us. How we manage a country like Saudi Arabia matters, and the only way we can do that is by understanding Saudi society. We need to be smarter than the rest of the world because this is how we survive.

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