Iraq weighs Singapore-style anti-corruption approach as arrests widen

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq is considering the strict anti-corruption model pioneered by Singapore's founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew as Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani's government presses ahead with a broad crackdown that has led to the arrest and detention of senior officials and major contractors. Lee Kuan Yew built an independent judiciary and tight oversight machinery in 1960s Singapore by prosecuting even close associates for bribery, an approach now being discussed in Iraqi policy circles as Baghdad tries to root out graft. The recent operations have brought financial and politically connected figures, previously considered beyond legal reach, into the accountability process, signaling a new phase in Iraq's anti-corruption campaign. Officials and analysts note, however, that Iraq's power-sharing and coalition-based political system makes it difficult to sustain the centralized, uncompromising stance Singapore once adopted. Experts cited in the discussions say the government needs to move beyond temporary detentions by strengthening judicial independence, tracing corruption to its sources and lifting political immunities. Public response to the arrests has been positive, but observers caution that sustained political will and completed institutional reforms will determine whether the campaign produces lasting results.