ELI5: How does Singapore handle corruption?

Singapore stops corruption by making it very hard to cheat and giving people good reasons to be honest.

Imagine your school has a candy shop.

• If the shopkeeper (a government worker) can secretly sell candies for extra money and keep the profit (that's corruption), they might sell you less candy for the same price!

• High Salaries: The shopkeeper gets paid a good salary. They don't need to cheat to make ends meet, like a shopkeeper earning very little. It is like having enough pocket money so you are not tempted to steal from your sibling's piggy bank.
• Strict Rules: There are very clear rules about how the shopkeeper must sell the candy. Every transaction is recorded. It is like having a camera in the candy shop.
• Strong Punishment: If the shopkeeper is caught cheating, they get into BIG trouble. This might mean jail or losing their job forever. This is like getting detention and your parents being called if you are caught stealing candy.
• Independent Investigation: There is a special group of people (the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau, or CPIB) whose job is to watch the shopkeepers and make sure they are following the rules. They are like detectives who look for clues that someone is cheating. They are not connected to the other shopkeepers, so they are not biased.
• Education & Awareness: Everyone is taught that cheating is wrong and bad for everyone. This is like your teacher teaching you about honesty and fairness.