The city state of Singapore is a “yuppie haven.” It was ruled by Lee Kuan Yew for 30  years who has now retired from being Prime Minister to just a Minister. He  has been one o f the proponents of the Asian view like Mahatir from Malaysia. Whether it is Lee alone or a right wing conspiracy, Singapore is an idyllic place. Take for instance absence of crime and pollution, excellent public transportation, easy access to different parts of the world at reasonable fares, shopping  malls that go for a mile, low income taxes, great food and gleaming skyscrapers; you get the idea. The things to do are make money, go shopping and eat out. That about sums up the life style of most people. Are you considering moving here? You might want to know a few more things; the fine for littering is S$1000, chewing gum can not be imported, penalty for possession of drugs is death(40 executions so far), a compact car like a Honda Civic can cost upwards of US$40,000.00(cars are taxed at 150%). Still want to move- Singapore is a cosmopolitan city with amenities of every type imaginable, English is sufficient to get by, they welcome professionals who wish to immigrate, doctors are paid well, malpractice insurance is negligible compared to US. Cost of living is comparable to New York. Housing can be quite expensive but the government housing can be reasonable in high rise apartments. 90% own their own apartments. Tennis costs US$5/hr and Golf US$30 to 100. They have an orchestra and a lonely museum. There is a Disneysque Sentosa Island, zoo, botanical garden, orchid garden, cable car ride to the mountain  etc. They claim to have a lively theater scene. Press is under the wraps. Lee sued and collected from International Herald Tribune for a an  article critical of him.

 

                                  How do they do it? I am puzzled. I did not see a single policeman throughout my stay of 5 days. Everyone here would pass the police man at the elbow test. It is a multi-racial society. Most are Chinese with Malay and Indians along with a good number of expatriates. However it does not appear that these groups intermarry since I did not see any people with mixed features(unlike Brazil). It is unclear whether this “right wing conspiracy” is a product of one man(Lee) or an attempt at enforcing Confucian ideals or a collection of people who had been to Europe and America and decided that they wanted this little island paradise.

 

                                    People are polite, courteous, civilized and conforming. With food and shopping as the only addictions freely permitted there are no fat people in this country. Alcohol is expensive as are cigarettes with a warning label(smoking kills). If you have the desperate urge to indulge in sinful activity of any sort and a need to scream, there is always Bangkok only 1.5 hours away.

 

Is Singapore a compromise with the Devil(Fallen Angel) or an Angel?

Let me know.