 The PAP 's victory was at first viewed with dismay by foreign and local business leaders because some party 's members were pro @-@ communists . Many businesses promptly shifted their headquarters from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur . Despite these ill omens , the PAP government embarked on a vigorous program to address Singapore 's various economic and social problems . Economic development was overseen by the new Minister of Finance Goh Keng Swee , whose strategy was to encourage foreign and local investment with measures ranging from tax incentives to the establishment of a large industrial estate in Jurong . The education system was revamped to train a skilled workforce and the English language was promoted over the Chinese language as the language of instruction . To eliminate labour unrest , existing labour unions were consolidated , sometimes forcibly , into a single umbrella organisation , called the National Trades Union Congress ( NTUC ) with strong oversight from the government . On the social front , an aggressive and well @-@ funded public housing program was launched to solve the long @-@ standing housing problem . More than 25 @,@ 000 high @-@ rise , low @-@ cost apartments were constructed during the first two years of the program . 
