To the man who placed us on the map

Today, at 3.18 am, Mr Lee Kuan Yew was passed away peacefully at Singapore General Hospital. A man that many people regarded deeply as a visionary and revolutionist, he is also known as one of Singapore's founding fathers. Not only viewed nationally, but also internationally. To put it simply, he was the one who placed Singapore, a little red dot, on the map.

A man of great determination and mettle, he led the pioneer generation of Singaporeans in laying the foundations of the current vibrant and prosperous country. He faced many obstacles of a developing nation: Communism, lackluster economy due to the British pull-out and an uncompetitive workforce. He overcame these numerous setbacks and emerged successful, bringing Singapore to a first-world nation, all within one generation. Few men are able to achieve such results but rare is one who is able to sustain it, when left beyond his control. Many great leaders that brought their nations to new heights often failed to consider succession plans, after which, the country tumbled back to obscurity. However, this man envisioned further that the next Singapore leaders must be able to continue his legacy and put in place a system where he act as an advisor and advocate on the policies of the new generation. This, I believe, is the greatest of all his contributions from Mr Lee.

You might think what is the relevance of a man to an investment and finance blog? 

As an investor, one of the factors to focus on is the stability and soundness of the institutions in the country. It can be the government or the system in place to ensure that investment can take place smoothly. If one has foresight and conviction on the country's stability, coupled with sound investment fundamentals, he can then take a leak of faith and invest in that country. This has proven to be rewarding for those who foresaw the capabilities of Singapore. It is evident in its progress from a third world country to a first world nation. This is also an important characteristic that one must have when investing, the foresight to consider factors or trends that others tend to miss out.

While the nation mourn for its loss of its greatest leader, we must also appreciate the opportunities that he has brought us, making investment product and services available to retailers like us, as well as opening up resources that allows us to learn and improve in whichever niche that we seek.