Singapore fling
So, it’s farewell to Singapore (above, below). 24 hours in the country/city/island, courtesy of D’s uber-generous hospitality - thank you again, sir - and the verdict?
Well, as we were driving down the main shopping boulevard (and it was definitely a boulevard, not a street) last night, I suddenly put my finger on how to describe the place.
Singapore feels like The Truman Show.
I was looking through the car window at the shops, the trees, the people, the traffic moving down the streets, the Gap and HMV and Gucci signage and… well, it all looked normal. But then it hit me. Singapore feels more like the appearance of normality than normality itself.
Now, this could be down to the place being famously clean, and modern, and safe, and well-functioning. Because in fact, Singapore is more than just ‘normal’ - it’s too normal. It’s perfect (in a capitalist, developed way). Which would lead some to say that it ‘lacks soul’. But… no, it’s even more indefinable than that.
Singapore just doesn’t feel real.
It feels like a film set. No, scrub that. New York feels like a film set, and yet it’s also very real. No, Singapore doesn’t look and feel like a film or TV set. Singapore looks and feels like those little 3D models which architects/town-planners make of new shopping centres/airports/public spaces. Complete with little model cars and trees and people. Yes, that’s Singapore. Only slightly larger, of course.
(Btw, I’m writing this on the flight, and the cabin crew have just announced that drug-trafficking can result in capital punishment in Malaysia and can we return to our seats now, please.)
One final thought: Singapore is also a curious mixture of the liberal and illiberal.
The Singaporean government - which, like the Malaysian one, has been in power for decades, ever since independence - is socialist. And in many ways, Singapore is a fantastic example of a modern, socialist society in which everybody is housed (in fact, Singapore has the highest percentage of home-owners in the world), people are generally well-off, the public transport system is second-to-none and unemployment is very low. And yet I defy you to walk around a city that feels more capitalist - with the exception of Times Square in New York, perhaps - being, filled, as it is, with high-rise corporate headquarters, banks and shopping boulevards (there they are again).
And in terms of its values, Singapore’s liberal, socialist stance on certain things - prostitution is legal, housing is a right - contrasts jarringly with the country’s at best conservative, at worst, massively illiberal, side: state-owned media, regulated internet, the death penalty, and the criminalisation of homosexuality.
Mind you, even chewing gum is illegal in Singapore. See what I mean about place not really being normal?
March 17th, 2008 at 8.42pm
I don’t know if you could call it socialist really. It is more statist-communitarian, which has elements of social cohesionist and Asian Confucian conservatism mixed in with it. It is kind of what China the Chinese Communist Party will become in about 20 years (if they survive! - if any of survives the massive economic depression about to hit land!) Statist, confucian, conservative, authoritarian and free merket capitalist. The social conservatism is kind of a reaction to the degenerate anarchy which pure free markets stend to create in the West. What a dismal prospect! Plague or Cholera: Choose Now!
March 17th, 2008 at 10.18pm
good grief. well, that explains why Singapore doesn’t really *feel* socialist, then…
March 17th, 2008 at 10.19pm
and here’s more about the ruling party:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People%27s_Action_Party
March 17th, 2008 at 11.49pm
yep besides……. that did you raid the duty free, in a very Capitalist kind of way, D told me its the cheapest in the world bar Dubai!!
hope you are good
xx
March 18th, 2008 at 12.54am
no I most certainly didn’t!!
though I did get myself a very nice Chinese stylee dressing gown (easier to fit in suitcase than white fluffy one, Rachel).
March 18th, 2008 at 1.08am
just read that Wikipedia entry in full now and understand more of what you mean, Pete (esp the ‘Ideology’ part). very interesting. I’d not even heard of communitarianism before. fancy.
March 18th, 2008 at 1.53am
yeah, Blair was very nfluenced by communitarianism of the Etzioni variety in the early years and you can kind of see it in New Labours mixture of free market economics, social liberalism on issues such as homosexuality and human rights, but also in its rhetoric of duties and responsibilities. It means it has the semblance of being left-ish, but actually plays into the hands of big business because it leaves the fundamentals of economic organisation and issues such as poverty relativey untouched apart from some minor tinkering around redistributive policies. It’s kind of Singapore plus minority rights minus the death penalty.
March 18th, 2008 at 6.53am
It’s an education reading your blog A!
March 20th, 2008 at 2.22pm
Correction: chewing gum is NOT illegal in Singapore. Sales of chewing gum is controlled, you just need to provide your particulars if you wish to purchase. And no one will stop you from bringing in a reasonable amount for personal consumption when you are visiting, or when a Singaporean comes home after visiting another country. When I brought the family to the Tower of London, we noticed the pavements were full of greyish white spots. A local told us it was the result of indescriminate disposal of gum. See any such spots in the streets of Singapore?
March 20th, 2008 at 2.40pm
Heng Tew - thanks for the correction! I was told by locals, and had heard before, that it was forbidden, hence my assertion in the post. No, I didn’t see any greyish white spots on the pavements of Singapore, but then again, I don’t mind (indeed, have never noticed) the spots on the pavements in London. I guess like my cities a little dirty and, I don’t know, *gritty*? Not to the point of them being frighteningly gritty, but just being a bit more ‘real’ and frayed round the edges than somewhere like Singapore, or Switzerland.
btw what ‘particulars’ do you have to produce? and does that mean your government has a record? does each person has a quota that they’re allowed to bring in/consume in a given time period?
March 20th, 2008 at 5.06pm
There’s a £50 fine for dropping chewing gum in Nottingham. There are also lots of greyish white spots. I’d rather there were neither.
March 20th, 2008 at 6.13pm
So there are grey spots. But seriously, is cleanliness the only thing which is vital to Singapore now? That’s purely defensive writing and you know it. Cities ARE cities and they are a little dirty as they are. It’s not like Singapore is squeaky clean (although it’s a lot cleaner.)
And, Andrea, you need to submit your identity card number when you want to purchase chewing gum in Singapore, and for a reason like quitting the fags. Of course, you can lie that you are quitting the fags, but that’s not very good in our ideal island, innit?
Good take on Singapore - i loved the comparison with The Truman Show! Even the press attempts to make it seem like The Truman Show somewhat - everything is positive about how great our government is and how we are making improvements as a country. So how come 9 out of 10 people are stressed out? It’s like, to live in The Truman Show which is Singapore, you have to give up a very important part of yourself…i don’t know whether i’ll call it soul.
March 20th, 2008 at 6.34pm
guojun - thanks for your feedback. the media in Singapore sounds a lot like that in Malaysia. Every day is a good news day over here… if you read the Star or the New Straits Times, that is.
March 21st, 2008 at 12.17am
“The Truman Show, it shows us a character who also challenges — and ultimately escapes from — a contrived world that is an invention of media. Both movies have the same message: we will have to stand up to the manipulators of television and news if we want to protect ourselves from the absurdity and falsehood that now surrounds us at every turn.”
from http://www.transparencynow.com/trusig.htm
A lot of foreigners especially western counterpart envy Singapore because their perception is local government care for public by giving ‘free’ money, carrots. But only when those foreigners stay in Singapore for quite sometimes and understand the cultural and structural issues of the society and true governance rather than espoused value can they realize that Singapore is built on image not substance. The only reason why Singapore government is so rich is not mainly of its capabilities and efficiency but most absurdly is the exploitation of citizen through increasing levies, tax, and unnecessary and unjustified hike. Think government so kind to give carrot ? Not when they take upfront money first and return a tiny fraction to the citizen, but then the world think PAP is wonderful as they only believe the press.
I’m surprised that after staying in Singapore, you still not adapt to Singapore way of language.
You says “Singapore feels like The Truman Show.”
In Singapore version, it is “Singapore is a WAYANG Show”.
Wayang is Opera means acting.
March 21st, 2008 at 12.19am
Singapore is a socialist only when it makes money ! Seriously, money is associated with Singapore that one can’t separated it from state programme. Remember to say that Singapore is a business entity, Singapore Inc and perhaps then you find why Singapore is the way it is.
March 21st, 2008 at 12.25am
Andrea, anyway hope you return to Singapore again just to enjoy Asian’s finest “The Truman Show” live. It is not a bad place as long as one remain uncritical, voiceless, adaptable and flexible though much to the detrimental of one’s being, haha…
March 21st, 2008 at 12.32am
Singapore ’state time’ is known as Dr Feelgood.
Andrea, perhaps you doesn’t know why the state press is all too positive and optimistic. This is because the press is on continual mode of nation building and promotion, and most importantly, the coffers’ salary and perk are tried to economy performance and stability, and it helps that by putting skewed and half-truth statistic, they can just justified the pay, price hike and whatever agenda they have. Of course, it sound exaggerated but if you read blog enough, it is not too far from the truth.
This is all too surreal, isn’t it ?
March 21st, 2008 at 1.51am
David - thanks for all your comments and insights. fascinating to read about how things are from a Singaporean POV. and yes, surreal indeed. it certainly does sound like the Singaporean and Malaysian media work in the same way - here, too, there seems to be the daily re-emphasising of one underlying message: this country is a good one (nation-building and promotion, as you say), and you must trust us (ie the government) when you see all the good we are doing. this good often, as you say, taking the form of ‘free carrots’, ie subsidies and perks for various groups.
March 21st, 2008 at 2.11am
Quite a similar thing goes on in the UK though but in different mode.
Government: “Look, haven’t we done well?!” (rhetorical question) meaning that, “This justifies the subsequent means of shafting you / curtailing your activities”.
Opposition: “Boo naah sucks”, condemning plans as nonsense, only to employ similar plans when next the Government.
I suppose that’s the function of a functioning Opposition. And I assume that that’s what is really missing out in S&M?
Singapore and Malaysia, that is.
March 21st, 2008 at 2.57am
” I apologise in advance for making you click on my bottom to get to the homepage.”
I have to say that your ‘bottom’ (as poster) comes in handy when it’s time to participate in PAP’s election rally, haha. You will hear all kind of rhetoric, sweet talk, promised carrots and other form of vote buying by the ministers on stage and that where your asset come in as very useful.
Just joking, don’t take to heart.
March 21st, 2008 at 4.25am
As a singaporean…
Singapore has the highest percentage of home-owners in the world - False. This is as true as saying singapore has the highest internet connectivity in the world. It’s a lie. Singtel (the ISP) was giving free dialup services to anyone who had a phone, so since everyone has a phone in Singapore, ‘everyone’ is connected to the internet. Singapore does not have the highest percentage of home-owners in the world, because none of the ‘homes’ are owned by Singaporeans. They are actually rentals from the Govt. Ownership usually means ‘forever, or till I choose to give it up’. Not in this case. If you live in the HDB flats, you only ‘own’ if for 99 years. That is not ownership.
people are generally well-off - False, there are the very rich, the poor-middle class, and the poor. Because the very rich make so much more money, when you calculate the averages, it seems that everyone is comfortably well-off. This is not true.
the public transport system is second-to-none - True. Second to nothing is still nothing. There was a time that the public transport was superb and served the public. But now, it is no longer ‘public’ transport, but ‘profit’ transport. These ‘public’ transport providers are no longer interested in serving the ‘public’. They are only interested in their bottom line. Bus routes that are not profitable get dropped. Train arrival intervals ensure that each and every train is packed to the brim (even during non-peak) hours.
and unemployment is very low - False. The govt does not release TRUE unemployment numbers. They release percentages, BUT these percentages are NOT based on Singaporean citizens, but ‘residents’, which include permanent residents and expats. It’s clever manipulation of the numbers to make the govt look good. If they were to release unemployment numbers based on Singaporean Citizens ALONE, it would be very much higher.
The Truman show comparison is very good. Most Singaporeans despise the govt and wish they could migrate out of the country. All you see is the clean and green facade used to attract tourists and foreigners. Scratch any singaporean and you’d find an angry, bitter soul.
PS. Housing is NOT a right. If you can’t afford to buy a flat, you can live on the streets for all the govt cares.
March 21st, 2008 at 4.25am
no problem. it’s fun reading the press sometimes. Oh, how wonderful we are!
March 21st, 2008 at 5.58am
David - do you mean that Andrea’s bottom has become an electoral campaign aid?
March 21st, 2008 at 8.27am
Rachel, exactly. Whenever the minister talkcock and give rhetoric in the next election rally in 2011, the poster of Andrea’s bottom will be flashed and wave high up directly at the ministers. Surely all citizens will be delighted. It helps if someone give a loud fart sound at the same time.
Andrea may not understand why citizen will want to do this. It is because the ministers and government here who worship money has lost almost all respect of the citizen here. The president, MM, SM, PM and the coffers are a total disgrace and joke in the whole world. Manipulating the press and the citizen for own agenda and covering up whatever mistakes and make the citizen pay for it. The last PAP election rally show only a handful of supporters for PAP, and it is so pathetic that almost no pictures of the PAP rally are even published on newspaper. So shameful to even speak of. I haven’t even a chance to vote for many decades and it is all walkover.
Anyway, worry not, Andrea. The ministers don’t deserve your bottom, a pig’s bottom is more suitable for our million-dollars ministers. If you ever see someone holding a poster of pig’s bottom in next election, that’s me.
March 21st, 2008 at 11.09am
blimey. well, if my bottom can ever help The People, I’m all for it.
Jeff - thank you for your feedback and for all that information. I guess that I have been misinformed - which, given what you all say about Singapore, isn’t much of a surprise…
March 21st, 2008 at 6.30pm
stirred up a hornet’s nest with your bottom there Andrea! Painful
January 30th, 2009 at 6.59am
your absolutely correct abt sg..i was thr for a long time..its like truman show…I worked thr at a high paying job in an MNC and left totally disgusted with the place…even middle class Indians and Chinese nationals in their countries are richer than singaporeans-true true true…singaporeans are trapped in loans…born and die with loans..no freedom watsoever..and the funniest part is tht singaporeans think theyre the best in the world…Theyre far from it…They will remain translators interpreters and secretaries to foreign firms-asian and western..i found china and india better when it comes to freedom and riches…Yes even China will not be like singapore…I’ve lived thr too…I am lucky to leave sg after paying all my dues…I came out ‘unloaned’!