Turmoil and transition for region in 2014

[SINGAPORE] It will be a year of middling fortunes for the economic powerhouses of South-east Asia come 2014, according to The Economist's South-east Asia editor, Richard Cockett.

Singapore, which is already seeing small growth this year, is expected to see more of the same once the New Year's Day streamers come down in 2014.

"Singapore is trying to adjust to weaning itself off low-cost labour and it's proving to be a rather painful transition. As always, when you're trying to move from one growth model to another, there will be casualties," Mr Cockett told The Business Times in a phone interview.