Tony Kwok says Hong Kong has fallen a long way from its lofty perch in the 1970s when it was held in high esteem by many Singaporeans. It should aim not just to catch up, but try to leapfrog Singapore in the major international rankings
When I visited my relatives in Singapore in the 1970s, they would grill me at length on everything about Hong Kong, comparing it with Singapore. You could feel from their tone how much they envied Hong Kong’s achievements and how eager they wanted to catch up with Hong Kong. Now, of course, Singaporeans no longer feel this way, simply because they do not consider Hong Kong to be in the same league.
As recently as 1997, Hong Kong’s gross domestic product was above that of Singapore. But now, Singapore’s GDP per capita is US$51,855, compared with Hong Kong’s US$36,173, according to the World Bank. This is in line with the International Labour Organisation’s comparison of monthly wages in Asia and the Pacific, which puts Hong Kong behind Singapore.
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With a new administration under Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor taking the helm this weekend, it is time for Hong Kong to catch up with Singapore. One way is to aim to improve Hong Kong’s international rankings in areas where they fall behind Singapore’s.
Housing blocks in the Bedok residential estate in Singapore. While Singapore has less land than Hong Kong, the average Singaporean’s living area is 270 sq ft, compared with a Hongkonger’s 170 sq ft. Photo: Bloomberg
The Mercer Quality of Living Survey this year placed Singapore as No 1 in Asia, while Hong Kong was No 7. In the UN World Happiness Report this year, Hong Kong is in a poor 71st position, while Singapore is 26th. To improve on these two rankings, we need to solve Hong Kong’s top problem – housing. This is where we should try to learn from Singapore. While it has less land than Hong Kong, the average Singaporean’s living area is 270 sq ft, compared with a Hongkonger’s 170 sq ft – 58 per cent more spacious. No wonder they are happier people.
Students in a Hong Kong school attend class in May. According to the OECD’s Pisa rankings, Hong Kong students are ninth in science, and second in both reading and maths. Singaporean students are ranked first in all three measures. Photo: Xinhua
Another important factor in quality of living is education. According to the latest findings of the influential Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa), run by the OECD, which are based on tests taken by 15-year-olds in more than 70 territories, Singapore tops all three measures, ranking first in science, maths and reading. Hong Kong, meanwhile, is ranked ninth in science, and second in both reading and maths.
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In higher education, the National University of Singapore (NUS) is rated first in Asia by both the Times Higher Education and the QS rankings, beating the University of Hong Kong, which lies fifth and second respectively.
