How good is the Singapore banking setup?

[Thinking about things]

I do not live in Singapore, but visit as a tourist frequently.     It looks like my family might be coming into some money in the near future, and I'm looking at various asset protection mechanisms.  

How feasible is it to setup banking and investment accounts in Singapore as a foreigner?   Probably in US dollars, or Euros, something stable.    

If held in my name I assume I would be liable for Singapore taxes, how does being a foreigner impact tax?  

[local bank]

investment accounts may be subject to withholding unless held by a singapore corporation (which can be set up in foreign shareholder).

personal accounts will not subject you to singapore income tax (there are exemptions for non-residents).

i would recommend a local bank (DBS, UOB, OCBC) rather than a local branch of a foreign bank if you value privacy.  either that or a boutique swiss private bank.  this way you can be assured that your customer information will not be `horse traded` for political necessity down the road.  there are cases in china, HK, and switzerland where governments in US, China, etc. have successfully pressured foreign banks to release customer information.  some of these have been publicized, some have not.