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Would the Singaporean model of government be effective in other SEA Countries?

Would the Singaporean model of government be effective in other SEA countries?


  • Total voters
    8

OriginRobot

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Singapore is an island city state in the tip of the Malaysian Peninsula, only 722.5 km2 (279.0 sq mi) and with no natural resources. Since it's independence in 1965, it is now home to 5.6 million people yet has a GDP per capita of 57,714.30 USD (2017) through its highly developed market based economy based on trade. It makes no compromises in areas like healthcare (ranked 6th in the world despite low government expenditure) and with excellent education, her students excelling in most of the world education benchmarks in maths, science and reading education. Resulting in a high HDI, being ranked 9th in the world.


Singapore has a parliamentary republic with a Westminster system of unicameral parliamentary government representing constituencies. The country's constitution establishes a representative democracy as the political system. The PAP, the political party that had dominated since its conception, holding as of 2015, 83/89 seats in parliament.

They are known for their strict authoritarian hold on the country.

It has strict laws that they actually enforce on things like drugs (where trafficking will lead to the death penalty), corruption, sexuality (Penal Code 337A which outlaws gay sex, although they don't really enforce this) and littering.

The government restricts freedoms of speech, prohibiting speech that may breed ill will or cause disharmony within Singapore's multiracial, multi-religious society. The PAP also has a firm hand on media in the country, having control over Singapore's main newspaper and news outlets and with The Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA) approves publications, issues arts entertainment licences and enforces various media codes through financial penalties. The Censorship Review Committee (CRC) meets every ten years to "review and update censorship objectives and principles to meet the long-term interests of our society"

Oh and they block porn.

However, with these heavy measures, a growing, clean and highly skilled country rose from the tiny island.


Would this be possible in other countries? Should this be implemented in other countries?


P.S. I apologise for any incoherency in this post. I am glossing over a lot of things, so if you are interested, I suggest you search up the country yourself. I am a Singaporean and I have to say that it's conceptualisation and growth is incredibly interesting so I suggest you do. Feel free to ask any questions if you would like me to answer.
 
A wag once described your country as "Disneyland with the death penalty." (As you say, drug smugglers are executed.)


Yes, I think that billons of people in the world (of course, I shan't be specific) are fed up and totally powerless to stop the thieves that "govern" their countries.


They would be more than happy to surrender their "freedom" in exchange for a government like Singapore's that delivers jobs, health care, housing, and security.


If truth be told, not a few Americans would also sign up for such an opportunity.
 
... Singapore has a parliamentary republic with a Westminster system of unicameral parliamentary government representing constituencies. The country's constitution establishes a representative democracy as the political system. The PAP, the political party that had dominated since its conception, holding as of 2015, 83/89 seats in parliament.

They are known for their strict authoritarian hold on the country.
....
Would this be possible in other countries? Should this be implemented in other countries?

P.S. I apologise for any incoherency in this post. I am glossing over a lot of things, so if you are interested, I suggest you search up the country yourself. I am a Singaporean and I have to say that it's conceptualisation and growth is incredibly interesting so I suggest you do. Feel free to ask any questions if you would like me to answer.

OriginRobot:

Since your poll asked its question using the word "effective" I answered yes. However, effective governments are not always the best to have, especially when the effective government is an authoritarian one.

Singapore under Lee Kuan Yew was very effective between 1960 and 1990 but it was also highly repressive for anyone who opposed the power of LKY. Singapore was somewhat lucky in getting a more benign dictator than other countries in the region, but the system which allowed LKY to hold onto power officially for thirty-plus years and to hold defacto power after his retirement could also produce far less benevolent dictators. Singapore was and still is a proto-fascist state, despite its claims to be a free and racially harmonious unitary, parliamentary state and representative democracy. If your priority is business and prosperity at the expense of human or legal rights and freedoms then Simgapore is an attractive model for social organisation. If you value liberty, individual rights, protection over the whims and orders of dictators and an open society with real political freedom then the Singapore model is not for you.

Cheers.
Evilroddy

Cheers.
Evilroddy.
 
To a greater or lesser degree most east asian countries have trappings of singapore's government. Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand. The only reason these places are dirtier and have more crime is because they are much larger. The reason Singapore works like clockwork is that it is a small, rich city-state.
 
No
Not in my opinion
Americans tend to be overly rebellous, caring NOT for edicts/rules forced upon them .
This Singapore - Authoritian Rule may work in some other nations , but not in full.
 
No drugs, no guns, crappy Asian alcohol AND a confusing government system most of us barely understand even though a similar (in that it is Westminster based) one exists next door? I hope I speak for everyone from Alabama to Wyoming when I say:

We will take a hard pass on this. Thanks for the suggestion though.

Sent from Trump Plaza's basement using Putin's MacBook.
 
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Singapore is more well unified than many other countries. So it probably wouldn't work as well in a less unified country.

Regardless, I think that a pragmatic method of governance (putting results over politics) is an ideal way of governing. Besides, Singapore is one of the most business friendly countries in the world.
 
Singapore being basically a city state, run as a business, by competent managers with the intent of running the country as a business has vastly different issues than other SEA countries. Being a city state it does not have a rural urban divide, in which competing requirements of urban rural policies do not exist. Allowing it to focus on developing the city infrastructure which provides the biggest benefit to GDP. This alone is a big difference to every other SEA country
 
I'd rather be more free and less nice any day.
 
Having been to Singapore and seeing big brother watching everyone and every thing, the city state, reminds me of the book/movie by George Orwell '1984'...but having said that the city of Singapore is the cleanest city in all of Asia with little pollution.
 
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