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Log of S/V High Drama
No.21 Singapore & Malaysia
 
Mai
Won Tee!
That’s
Mandarin Chinese for “No problem!”
This episode of the Log of High Drama takes us
to Singapore and Malaysia. Singapore, an island city-state-country
about 3 times the size of Washington, D.C., is located at the end
of the Malay Peninsula. Malaysia lies immediately north. Both nations
enjoy high standards of living and in both countries the lives
and activities of the people are rigidly controlled by their governments.
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Singapore
According to the CIA Factbook, Singapore was ”(f)ounded
as a British trading colony in 1819, and Singapore joined Malaysia
in 1963, but withdrew two years later and became independent. It
subsequently became one of the world's most prosperous countries,
with strong international trading links (its port is one of the
world's busiest) and with per capita GDP equal to that of the leading
nations of Western Europe.” We found the city to be the cleanest
city we have ever visited in the world. Moreover, the streets are
safe at night and violent crime is almost nonexistent. There is
no graffiti on the Mass Rapid Transport trains nor is there any
litter. The small island possesses no natural resources other than
her 4.5 million people. That Singapore’s economy has prospered
is due in part to the former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
But the prosperity and cleanliness come at a price. Fines of $1,000
are levied for smoking in offices, restaurants, and shopping centers.
Fines up to $1,000 are levied for littering, chewing gum, and
for failing to flush a public toilet. There is a mandatory death
sentence for possession of 500 grams of cannabis, 30 grams of morphine
or cocaine, or 15 grams of heroin. The newspapers are cheering sections
for the nation’s business and education system, and there is
no very little criticism of the government. While we were there
the board of censorship was reviewing its 20 year ban on the sale
of Cosmopolitan magazine.
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