A Singaporean man was executed for importing over 1kg of cannabis, highlighting the nation's strict drug laws and capital punishment policy. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Long ago, I dated a Singaporean woman, closely connected to the ruling elite, educated at British public schools and a top-tier university. According to her, along with the relentless propaganda claiming Singapore is a meritocracy, there is also a deep underlying culture of corruption. It’s bad for your health and future income to compete in business against ruling-family-connected ventures. When bidding on major contracts, you’ll need insiders or their proxies to be partners or you’ll be frozen out. There’s nothing as vulgar as open bribery happening, but self-dealing, conflicts of interest and biased courts deliver the same outcomes. And whatever you do, don’t be a prominent member of an opposition party if you value your livelihood and freedom.
And if you’re a Singaporean Malay, know your place or you’ll end up in deep trouble. There are a few tokenism opportunities if you don’t rock the boat.
I’ve been there on business a few times. At least it seems they’re not persecuting gay people as much anymore, and civil society is a bit more open than it was a couple of decades ago. They even seem slightly less obsessed with caning and massive fines for minor offences than they used to be. But “less stifling” is far from the same as “free.”
I’ve also heard it referred to as China Lite.
Long ago, I dated a Singaporean woman, closely connected to the ruling elite, educated at British public schools and a top-tier university. According to her, along with the relentless propaganda claiming Singapore is a meritocracy, there is also a deep underlying culture of corruption. It’s bad for your health and future income to compete in business against ruling-family-connected ventures. When bidding on major contracts, you’ll need insiders or their proxies to be partners or you’ll be frozen out. There’s nothing as vulgar as open bribery happening, but self-dealing, conflicts of interest and biased courts deliver the same outcomes. And whatever you do, don’t be a prominent member of an opposition party if you value your livelihood and freedom.
And if you’re a Singaporean Malay, know your place or you’ll end up in deep trouble. There are a few tokenism opportunities if you don’t rock the boat.
I’ve been there on business a few times. At least it seems they’re not persecuting gay people as much anymore, and civil society is a bit more open than it was a couple of decades ago. They even seem slightly less obsessed with caning and massive fines for minor offences than they used to be. But “less stifling” is far from the same as “free.”