The pioneer leaders helped PAP cement its reputation as a provider of all things good whether economic or social. The growth was shared by all strata of society. Leongsam's tale of his journey from a village of 50 sharing communal buckets to modern HDB sanitation was certainly no exaggeration and the pioneer generation will affirm that.
There were other factors leading to the rot. Lack of a free press, absence of political opposition and rule by the strong arm of the law made the PAP complacent. This in turn caused the dogma of yesteryears to become entrenched, making fundamental political change difficult. Another result is that the lower rungs of the political hierarchy operate like civil servants who have no clue about the political angle, whilst the upper rungs operate in an insular environment with closed walls aka ivory tower.
