S'pore needs confidence and consensus to attain big achievements

IN the 1970s, when the International Air Transport Association regime required airlines to charge for food and beverages, one upstart broke the rules.

It was a bold and daring move which defied conventional wisdom. But breaking the mould and re-inventing itself on many other fronts worked for the young Singapore Airlines, which went on to become one of the top-rated carriers in the world.

The 1970s was an era of big ideas and bold initiatives not just for SIA, but also for the country it originated. It was big ideas and bold thinking that enabled Lee Kuan Yew and his team to chart young Singapore's transformation from a regional entrepot to a First World city state.