Our population base is too small. We have succeeded in the past because we were the education center of the region. The British created this. People came here to become doctors, teachers and so on. Quite a few stayed on and became great contributors to our society.
Competition is now global.
SIA is not just having to compete against the regional airlines. American airlines are coming in, so are British Airways and Qantas. It's like going to the Olympics, no longer just the south-east Asian games. That's not for me to decide. It's a matter for the people of Singapore, and specifically the members of Parliament, whose winning or losing of their seats depends on having the right leader.