Singapore: A Leviathan?

When one reads Hobbes, the typical reaction is to be impressed by his innovative technique (at least in the context of 17th-century political theory) and but discard his conclusion that an all-powerful sovereign is the best form of governance. Given the political background of an American in the early 21st century, this attitude is not surprising, but is it an accurate one? While I suspect that it is generally correct, Singapore provides one extremely interesting counterexample.

By most measures, Singapore is not a very free state. Though nominally a democracy, free speech is actively discouraged, there is only one major political party, and law enforcement is repressive. Petty theft is dealt with harshly, and the government sentences an astonishing number of people to death. In fact, Singapore executed 13.57 people per million to death between 1994 and 1999. The next highest country was Saudi Arabia, with 4.65 executions per million people. I am no expert on the status of Singaporean civil liberties, but numerous sources appear to have a low opinion of them.

On the other hand, Singapore is an incredibly successful nation. Its GDP per capita and human development index is the highest in Asia for a non-oil-producing nation. They have an excellent education system and remarkably low crime. It is even rated as one of the least corrupt governments in Asia, despite its oppressive policies. Apparently transparency and oppression are not entirely inconsistent. And apparently the Leviathan might exist somewhere.