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Do you think that the singaporean success story is a rebuke to american and western values in some respect? >> donald: no, no. >> anthony: i mean, is free speech overrated? >> donald: i don't think we succeeded because the absence of free speech. >> anthony: it's a fact, though. >> donald: the values of free trade, the values of a liberal global order, these are western ideas. i mean, singapore did not invent them. the asian did not. >> anthony: i mean, look, it shouldn't work. it hasn't really worked like this anywhere else. and yet, it works. >> donald: i think my objection or my discomfort ...

Soon thereafter, singapore grew, quickly becoming a economic hub and regional capital for the british empire's new colony on the malayan peninsula. after world war ii, singapore clamored for independence, first becoming part of the malaysian federation, then a fully independent state in 1965. helmed by its first prime minister, lee kwan yeu, tiny singapore famously went from a third world outpost to a first world nation in a single generation. >> cab driver: in singapore, rules and regulations in singapore is very strict. we have to follow them. like, i am taxi, i can't break any laws. >> anth...

>> anthony: well, that's a good question. where are they going to come from? >> goh: there's a lot of insinuations of an answer, but no true answer. >> anthony: the answer is not from singapore, right? they're going to have to come in from china. >> goh: for the 15,000, or 20,000 food stalls like this we have in singapore, if it's public run like this one, you can't hire foreigners. it's meant for singaporeans. >> anthony: but isn't the beginning of all of this was people from china, india. >> goh: that's what i keep saying, our food came from the rest of the world. yeah, we had nothing. and i...

>> anthony: to many, singapore is the land of opportunity. people from all over the world come here to get a good job, to find a better life. >> mike: as an overseas chinese, we have been discriminated in laos, thailand, vietnam, indonesia, malaysia, in america, australia, all over the world. suddenly, you got this guy called lee kuan yew. there's nowhere else in the chinese world have a real leader as big as lee kuan yew. >> anthony: much of singapore's success is often credited to its first prime minister, lee kuan yeu, a singaporean of chinese decent considered the founding father of modern...

♪ >> anthony: one last trip straight back to where it all started for me. a simple good thing, in this case, one of my favorite things. oh, here it is, the mighty char kway teow. ordinarily, this is a breakfast, i eat it every time i'm in singapore. it's just about the unhealthiest breakfast you could have. i mean, it's literally like lard, crispy lard bits, healthy cockles, shrimp paste and a whole lot of noodles. and it's like legendarily fattening.