Yes, Singapore under Lee Kwan Yew became a little authoritarian, and much of what once made it interesting was lost, but are the results not preferable to the “terminal decline and decadence” that Yew (who recently died at 91) observed about England?
The achievements of Singapore under Lee Kwan Yew are incontestable. Almost alone of all the countries in the word, it has developed a first-rate medical system that it can actually afford. The Singaporeans are among the healthiest people in the world. It has economic reserves that would be enviable for countries many times its size. All this is largely thanks to Lee Kwan Yew, who knew how to harness the energies of his people for their own good.