By stewartb
Emulate Singapore? What would this take: what would it cost us?
From a profile of Singapore published in 2021: https://freedomhouse.org/country/singapore/freedom-world/2021
‘Singapore’s parliamentary political system has been dominated by the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) and the family of current prime minister Lee Hsien Loong since 1959. The electoral and legal framework that the PAP has constructed allows for some political pluralism, but it constrains the growth of opposition parties and limits freedoms of expression, assembly, and association.’
‘The current prime minster, Lee Hsien Loong, has been in power since 2004 and secured a new mandate after the July 2020 parliamentary elections. While polling-day procedures are generally free of irregularities, numerous structural factors impede the development of viable electoral competition.
‘Only one candidate—Halimah Yacob, backed by the PAP—was declared eligible for the 2017 presidential election, making her the winner by default.’
‘Singapore lacks an independent election commission; the country’s Elections Department is a government body attached to the Prime Minister’s Office. The secretary to the prime minister is the head of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee, which is responsible for reviewing and redrawing the boundaries for electoral constituencies. The prime minister appointed the committee’s members in August 2019 in preparation for the 2020 elections. ‘
‘Singapore has a multiparty political system, and a total of 11 parties contested the parliamentary elections in July 2020. However, a variety of factors have helped to ensure the PAP’s dominant position, including an electoral framework that favors the incumbents, restrictions on political films and television programs, the threat of defamation suits, the PAP’s vastly superior financial resources, and its influence over the mass media and the courts.’
And is this what Hunter finds attractive and ‘enabling’? ‘The corporatist structure of the economy creates dense ties between business and political elites that have been criticized as oligarchic in nature. These networks contribute to the PAP’s political dominance. Many senior government officials formerly served as military officers, and the military has a close relationship with the PAP, but it does not directly engage in politics.’
‘The constitution stipulates that lawmakers lose their seats if they resign or are expelled from the party for which they stood in elections. This inhibits Parliament’s ability to serve as an effective check on the executive.’
‘All domestic newspapers, radio stations, and television channels are owned by companies linked to the government. Editorials and news coverage generally support state policies, and self-censorship is common, though newspapers occasionally publish critical content. The government uses racial or religious tensions and the threat of terrorism to justify restrictions on freedom of speech. Media outlets, bloggers, and public figures have been subjected to harsh civil and criminal penalties for speech deemed to be seditious, defamatory, or injurious to religious sensitivities. Major online news sites must obtain licenses and respond to regulators’ requests to remove prohibited content.’
About the source: based in Washington DC ‘For more than 50 years, Freedom House has systematically tracked the most pressing threats to democracy and freedom around the globe. We publish detailed research on more than 200 countries and territories, because accurate data and rigorous analysis are essential to shining a light on the erosion of freedom.’
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
No doubt Tom Hunter would support the whole of Scotland as a FREEPORT and condemn us All bar business men to poverty
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if I was looking for a country to emulate it would not be Singapore. You can tell how little real political freedom that people have by asking them about their country and you will never hear any criticism. Even Taxi drivers are complimentary about the regime.
The government controls virtually every aspect of your life; your education, your university, the amount you save, whether and when you can buy a house, and apply punitive taxes on things they don’t want you to do like buying a car.
those without Singapore residency have no rights to education health or any other benefits which have to be bought privately. And becoming a resident is extremely difficult even if you have been brought up there.
No, I’m afraid my preference would be one of the Scandinavian countries.
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I agree. It seems appropriate to repeat here a btl post on an earlier thread about emulating Singapore. How far should we change to do so?
From The Straits Times (May 11, 2024) ’20 years as PM – Singapore’s political system is rare and once lost there is no turning back, says PM Lee‘.
It quotes Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong who is also secretary-general of the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) and is the eldest son of Singapore’s founding father Lee Kuan Yew, who governed Singapore for c.31 years!
“People ask how does politics work in Singapore? So I explain to them, they look at me, they think I am a man from Mars. They cannot imagine anything like this happening in their country,” he said, citing the tripartite relationship between the Government, unions and businesses as an example.
‘But for the system to keep on working, it is crucial that voters understand where their interests lie and vote for the government that can best serve them, said PM Lee.’
‘He warned that the system can become distorted when voters want the PAP to govern, but also want more opposition MPs to check and question the Government.’
“You may think that you can get a better outcome this way, but in fact, it will weaken the Government’s ability to serve you,” he said.
And for completeness, also this prior btl post about emulating Singapore – and its disciplined society?
Judicial caning for males under 50 remains a punishment meted out by the state. At any one time, the maximum number of strokes of cane that you can be sentenced to is 24 – so that’s quite reasonable in the 21st century???
‘Caning—being flogged with a moistened rattan cane— a judicial practice in Singapore and is meted out for offences ranging from vandalism to illegal possession of drugs. It is mandatory for crimes such as attempted murder, rape, armed robbery, drug trafficking, auto theft, vandalism, illegal immigration and optional for others.’
Source: https://factsanddetails.com/southeast-asia/Singapore/sub5_7c/entry-3763.html
Should we emulate Singapore’s form of democracy? From ‘Our World in Data’ and its Democracy Index – ‘Based on the expert estimates and index by the Economist Intelligence Unit (2006-2024). It combines information on the extent to which citizens can choose their political leaders in free and fair elections, enjoy civil liberties, prefer democracy over other political systems, can and do participate in politics, and have a functioning government that acts on their behalf. It ranges from 0 to 10 (most democratic).
Norway = 9.81 (ranked 1st)
UK = 8.34 (ranked c.17th)
Singapore = 6.18. *ranked c. 67th)
Taking account of EVERYTHING, why don’t we just get Scotland to emulate Norway instead?
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