More giving than receiving

SINGAPORE gained its independence in a chaotic, Cold War era during which people were used to the maxim “there’s no such thing as a free lunch”. That meant if someone bought you one, there must be something you had to do in return. 

So a whole generation had grown up with this message of self-reliance deeply ingrained in its subconscious mind. Lee Kuan Yew saw no benefit in giving handouts to the poor.