SINGAPORE (AP) – Singapore threw a big party Sunday for the 50th anniversary of independence and unrivaled economic success in a region struggling with poverty and political instability, even as the city-state began feeling the pinch of a midlife crisis.
As fighter jets screamed through the sky, nationalist songs blaring, leaders made speeches and people took advantage of free rides on trains and buses. While marveling at the island’s leap from a poor colonial port to a wealthy metropolis, Singaporeans are also grappling with a growing resentment over political restrictions, an influx of foreign labor and rising cost of living.
“This is a milestone. Coming from an older generation that has seen Singapore through the early years of independence, I know it took hard work by our leaders to get here,” said William Nathan, 70.
The weekend of celebrations culminates with fireworks after a military parade on Sunday. The sense of unity and pride in Singapore’s achievements was reinforced with a tribute video dedicated to its founder and longest serving leader, Lee Kuan Yew, who died in March at age 91, after running a virtually one-party state.
To Lee and his cohort of leaders, setting Singapore on the path of economic success meant putting in place tough policies to try to harmonize a racial mix of majority Chinese and minority Malays and Indians.