Over the years, Singapore has developed a good reputation for sound government. International rating agencies, such as IMD, Transparency International and PERC, have consistently given the Singapore Government high ratings for its efficiency, rule of law and lack of corruption.

Singapore's successful transformation from a small fishing village into a modern metropolis has attracted much international attention. Good governance has been a key factor. However, many will be surprised to learn that the Singapore Government does not follow a prescribed model of governance. Our system of governance is unique to our circumstances.

What is so unique about Singapore's governance context? We believe the principles are shaped by three key elements:

a.     Unique Nation: This relates to our physical constraints - our size, lack of natural resources, and a multi-racial society;

b.    Unique Environment: his relates to fundamental forces in our external environment that influence our existence; and

c.     Unique Government: This relates to the unique features of our political system, including the legacy of the PAP Government.

Together, these elements make us unique as a country to govern. However, each of these elements is not mutually exclusive but interacts with one another. For example, our physical constraints compel us to leverage on our external environment. Internal and external forces in turn, shape the role of our government.

From this context, four key tenets have been distilled as characteristics of our principles of governance. They are:

The overall framework can be illustrated as follows: