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Taught to venerate, that's generally confusing. so what's the best thing about singapore and what's the worst thing about singapore? >> sudhir: i think best things are tolerance and efficiency, but you know, if you look around us right now, there's like a mosque over, there's a buddhist temple over there. there are a bunch of brothels over there, prostitutes walking the street legally. they're regulated by the government. and everyone has kind of accepted this quid pro qou situation. and it somehow works. >> anthony: okay, you were shaking your head no on some of the things he was saying. >> m...

For 30 years, he's responsible for much of the social engineering that holds singapore together, as well as the favorable economic policies that have allowed it to thrive. michael ma arrived in singapore to take advantage of its business climate, becoming an early pioneer of singapore's now famous nightlife. back then, in the beginning, at the very beginning, was it a favorable business climate in the sense that, did they look upon your early efforts generously or kindly? or were they not so sure about this guy? how was it? >> mike: oh, no, singapore is fantastic. >> anthony: and what time did...

♪ >> 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. originally created to fe

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 folw them like, i am taxi, i can't break any laws. >> anthony: so if a camera catches you? >> ...

Bak chor mee. fish ball noodle soup and beef satay. >> sudhir: i think one of the issues is that we're kind of a victim of our own success in many ways. we've grown so fast, and i guess expectations among the liberals and progressives have just gone so far ahead, including myself. because sometimes, we need a reality check about what pace society can move at. so i think that's the tension, it's that economic growth has happened so quickly and sometimes, social laws, social customs, might need to take a bit more time. >> anthony: you know, a place where everything works this well and a system s...