Pakistan, July 28 -- History is replete with the stories of great leaders who have led their nations to higher heights and fulfilled their dreams of doing so. At the same time, there is no dearth of examples of leaders who have led their nations astray and fled the country when the chips were down.

In modern times, the name of Singapore's leader, Lee Kuan Yew (born September 16, 1923, and died March 23, 2015), comes to the fore. The success story of Singapore under a somewhat authoritarian rule appears to be a Hollywood movie. On August 9, 1965, through a unanimous Parliamentary vote, Malaysia removed Singapore, and it had to stand on its own feet. The tiny state was strategically located in the Malay Peninsula, dominating the Straits of...