you know, the points you made are fair and valid. however, i think what many people miss, or perhaps don't care about, is the philosophical differences between societal attitudes in the west, compared to singapore. singaporeans have a fear of authority deeply instilled into them, which has cascading effects like hindering creativity, i.e innovation. singaporeans have been trained to respect and obey authority through harsh deterrent punishments for non-compliance, and while i think it's actually a good thing because most people are idiots and would destroy the world accidentally if given the chance, it's not a good environment for startups.

source: me, true blue singaporean born and raised