Singapore is a country often spoken highly of, with frequent references to its wealth, growth and functioning low-tax free market system. Regardless of the various factors that allows Singapore to be especially prosperous, it is unquestionable that it is quite authoritarian. Criminal punishments are harsh, political speech is heavily restricted, and there is a strong personality cult centered on Lee Kuan Yew. This brings me to wonder what degree of injustice, suffering and oppression was caused by Yew's government, i.e., how oppressive was it, and how were those harsh policies justified? Were there systematic persecutions of groups in society, confiscation of property, re-writing of history, or a suffering underclass? How important was the country's wealth/growth in keeping citizens "happy"?

Thank you in advance!