How Singapore Went From Slum to Richest

How did Singapore get rich after being kicked out of Malaysia in 1965? A small island with water piped in from next door and a prime minister in tears on live TV. This is the story of the three decisions that turned it into one of the richest places on Earth, told through the families who lived it, and what critics say it cost. CHAPTERS 0:00 Expelled 1:10 Decision one 2:43 Decision two 3:56 Decision three 4:57 The price 5:58 What it adds up to SOURCES Separation and press conference, 9 Aug 1965: National Archives of Singapore transcript; CNA GDP per person (1965 and 2026 estimates): IMF, via Wikipedia ("Economy of Singapore"; "List of countries by GDP (nominal) per capita") National income per person (GNI, Atlas method, 2025): World Bank Housing before 1965: Ministry of National Development, "Our Early Struggles" Bukit Ho Swee fire, 1961: National Library Board Singapore (Infopedia); Wikipedia HDB, Home Ownership Scheme 1964, CPF for housing 1968: HDB; National Library Board Singapore Households in HDB flats and home ownership, 2025: Singapore Department of Statistics Unemployment in the 1960s and foreign share of manufacturing: Wikipedia ("Economy of Singapore") Albert Winsemius: National Library Board Singapore Economic Development Board, Jurong and "Goh's Folly": EDB; Roots.sg (Goh Keng Swee) British withdrawal and national service: National Library Board Singapore, "British withdrawal from Singapore" Prevention of Corruption Act 1960: CPIB; Singapore Statutes Online Corruption Perceptions Index 2025: Transparency International, via Wikipedia General election 2025: CNA Freedom in the World 2025: Freedom House Migrant worker dormitories in 2020: NUS Faculty of Law; Ministry of Health figures via PMC (NIH) Press Freedom Index 2023: Reporters Without Borders, via Wikipedia ("Singapore") Water agreements: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore; National Library Board Singapore NEWater: National Library Board Singapore; PUB PHOTOS AND FILM (via Wikimedia Commons) Lee Kuan Yew, 1965: Australian News and Information Bureau, public domain Lee Kuan Yew's press conference, 9 Aug 1965: Singapore Broadcasting Corporation, public domain The Straits Times front pages, 27 May 1961 and 10 Aug 1965: public domain "Kampong in Braddell Hill Singapore about 1964": Don Christie, CC BY-SA 4.0 "Singapore Marina Bay Dusk 2018-02-27": Benh LIEU SONG, CC BY-SA 4.0 The island plan in this video is a sketch, not to scale. #Singapore #Economics #History