A culture of benchmarking to the best

SINGAPORE has been ranked Asia's Number One and the world's No 2 in a sustainability ranking study, results of which were released recently. That should be compared with the fact that 70 per cent of Asian cities finished at the bottom. It is another feather in the city-state's cap and a perfect example of how it embraces best practices ahead of others.

The remarkable story of the Republic's leap to a First World nation is, ironically, an oasis in South-east Asia. While the reasons for Singapore's stupendous achievement are well c…