"Given its size and colonial history, Singapore lacks an aristocracy – landed or otherwise – which has been important for Singaporean politics. It has an urbanization rate of 100 percent, and the ethnic composition of its population is approximately 75 percent Chinese, 15 percent Malay, and 8 percent from the Indian subcontinent. Prior to independence, Singapore also lacked large capitalists or business interests and, since independence, the largest capitalists involved in Singapore are foreigners, who are seemingly promoted by the PAP at the expense of indigenous business interests. Founded by English-educated professionals and middle-class people, the PAP recruits its politicians from the professions and the civil service, not through party members. Indeed, the party exists mostly as an electoral machine; otherwise, it works through the government rather than through some independent grassroots organization. Lee Kuan Yew said in 1984, “I make no apologies that the PAP is the Government and the Government is the PAP” (quoted in Milne and Mauzy 1990, p. 85). Overall, we see that Singapore moved to democracy and independence as its citizens protested against British colonial rule, but the PAP rapidly established one-party rule after 1963. Since then, the economy has boomed, inequality has been low, and the PAP has maintained power through relatively benign means, fostering popularity through extensive social welfare programs as well as engaging in threats and coercion. Although there has been imprisonment and harassment, there have been no “disappearances” and there is apparently little opposition to PAP rule and little pressure for political change."