Singapore Quotes
While this is a common complaint in the American political dialogue at the beginning of the 21st century, it is interesting that this was the conclusion of a foreign political scholar studying that period—one who was generally a great admirer of America.
In Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia and much of Asia, there is a Chinese and Indian minority that is typically more affluent than the majority Malays. These governments have tried various affirmative action programs including forcing their citizens of Chinese extraction to give up at least half their control of businesses to Malays. Ethnic pogroms break out every few years where non Malays, and non Muslims are beaten and many killed. Yet essentially there has been no significant change in the ownership of businesses by ethnicity.
Contrast this quotation with {585205} and {585206}. When younger, he was an ardent democrat and human rights advocate. Once in power however, he advocated and did all the totalitarian things that he used to rail about.
The book was very critical of the way capitol punishment is meted out in Singapore. The Singapore Attorney General’s Office then claimed that the book had brought disrespect on the courts of Singapore by being so critical and tried him for “criminal defamation”. Shadrake was fined $30,000 and when he planned on publishing a second edition he was tried again and threatened with Jail. The fundamental problem is that if part of a nation’s government is corrupt, ineffective or incompetent and someone tells that to the public, there will certainly be less respect for the institution. So demanding respect, is tantamount to abandoning freedom of speech in general and criticism of the government in particular,
