Singapore is indeed a model of economic development, Notwithstanding the cultural differences that may account for their different paths, I wonder to what degree we are not comparing apples and oranges. Beside the fact that they are both fruit (tiny territories) and both have seeds (population) that hang from branches (British control) before they are picked, their respective histories post 1948 are very different, when 200.000 refugees ended up on the Gaza strip, with the attending misery in a war-torn land. Two years after Singapore gained its independence, Israel occupied the Gaza strip. 
There are many different factors to consider beside those two, so I don’t know whether it is a fair comparison. 
I am enclosing links as food for thought for fellow Steemians who might be interested in pursuing this Gaza-Singapore compare and contrast activity.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9965/gaza-strip-singapore

https://stngiam.wordpress.com/2014/07/28/if-the-gaza-attacks-took-place-in-singapore/

https://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/07/opinion/l-gaza-city-state-could-be-singapore-of-mideast-365688.html