Quora Answer: Is Malaysia Better under Mahathir bin Mohammed Than Singapore under Lee Kuan Yew?

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “Has Malaysia been better under Mahathir bin Mohamed than Singapore under the Lee family?”

I am not sure of your intent in asking this question, or whether you live under a rock in the middle of the Sahara.  Have you ever been to Malaysia and walked around, and then to Singapore?  The differences are very stark.  Singapore is an example of social engineering on a massive scale, of an emphasis on meritocracy and multiculturalism.  Malaysia is a pseudo-feudal apartheid state where one race and one religion is preferred over others, and the law is not applied equally.  One is a developed nation, one of the wealthiest in the world, whereas the other is stuck in developing status, suffering a shrinking economy and losing international prestige the way the Hindenburg lost hydrogen.