Singapore: The Last City State in the World

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Credits:
Host - Simon Whistler
Author - Morris M.
Producer - Jennifer Da Silva
Executive Producer - Shell Harris
Business inquiries to [e-mail]
Source/Further reading:
Three part Discovery Channel documentary: • Video
Singapore before Raffles: www.nlb.gov.sg/biblioasia/2019...
National Geo documentary on Singapore as the city of the future: • City of the Future: Si...
Britannica’s history: www.britannica.com/place/Sing...
Guardian Story of Cities, Singapore: www.theguardian.com/cities/20...
Some early history: thecommonwealth.org/our-membe...
countrystudies.us/singapore/3.htm
Lee Kuan Yew biographies: www.britannica.com/biography/...
www.nytimes.com/2015/03/23/wo...
Stamford Raffles: www.britannica.com/biography/...
Singapore in WWII: www.thoughtco.com/world-war-i...
www.history.com/this-day-in-h...
www.roots.sg/learn/stories/wo...
Japanese occupation: www.nlb.gov.sg/biblioasia/2019...
Sook Ching: www.straitstimes.com/lifestyl...
Singapore ejected from Malaysia: eresources.nlb.gov.sg/history/...
Thatcher parising Singapore: www.margaretthatcher.org/docu...

[@geographicstravel]

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[@killtherapy4346]

um. The Vatican is a city state so...

[@kevinfavron]

Ya I thought the Vatican was a city state?

[@brianperry150]

@@kevinfavron As Stalin once said 'How many divisions does the Pope have'? Singapore can defend it's independence. The Vatican lives because we in the West allow it to, under our grace, not God's.

[@spacealienrissley]

Milwaukee Wisconsin is the shit Wisconsin actually is laws are loose

[@spacealienrissley]

Drinking in wisconsin is so cheap

[@simonlongtech]

I live in Singapore, my name is Simon, I'm British, bald and have a beard... The multiverse is real

[@Dhdjksjsnsnsnnsnsna]

anytime you whistle, you're simon the whistler.

[@allisoncurtis4260]

That's so awesome! You both look so similar! It would be great if Simon read this! We need more thumbs ups!!!!

[@hhk0698]

🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯

[@zedantXiang]

You're just him

[@russellszabadosaka5-pindin849]

Greatest KZbin comment of the year! 🤣

[@anchored555]

I am a third generation born and bred Singaporean. Having travelled widely over the last 4 decades, and studied and lived in the US, China and Australia, I value greatly the security, peace, stability, law and order, excellent world class healthcare, transportation, education system, high standards of living and governance, etc. that we are blessed to enjoy in Singapore. If that’s boring, I’m happy to be bored. Singapore may be small, but it’s a great base for travelling around the region and beyond. Other countries may be fun and interesting for a visit, but I’m glad to be able to come home to Singapore. I am proud of Singapore and proud to be Singaporean. Majulah Singapura!

[@Welcome2TheInternet]

Why would you be proud of something you got by accident (your nationality)? You did nothing lol.

[@Mr.CliffysWorld]

@@Welcome2TheInternet how do you know they haven't earned their nationality. This person claims to be somewhere around their forties or fifties maybe they were in the military for a while you don't know what they've done. What have you done to 'earn' your nationality ?

[@wkang2758]

@@Welcome2TheInternet found the redditor, may I ask, how much karma have you accumulated by being a smartass?

[@Melonist]

@@wkang2758 67,583 is my guess

[@DC-ru5xz]

@@Welcome2TheInternet every Singaporean has earned their nationality

[@MikhailKalashnikovMiG]

I'd say Singapore is something like a Utilitarian country, but is run like a corporation. Singaporeans value their personal freedoms and liberties, but not in the same way as that of Americans. What may be seen as a willingness to give up person freedoms to Americans, is simply a matter of pragmatism to Singaporeans. For example, the Singaporean government had little problems instituting mandatory mask wearing in the country, because the people understood that a minor incovenience for each individual benefitted their society as a whole. This would be completely unacceptable in America, where stay home orders or even mask wearing would be seen as a violation of freedoms. Law enforcement in the country is also remarkable, due to the high amount of public accountability they have. Abuse of power is rare, given the active social media presence of Singaporeans and Corporate mentality of the government. It's also worth noting that Singapore was the country that influenced Deng Xiaoping into introducing a free market economy into China. You don't often see such tiny countries having such major impacts on a global scale.

[@uuu12343]

Wat It’s completely unacceptable to do something logical?

[@uuu12343]

Wat It’s completely unacceptable to do something logical?

[@dreamsofmishra]

@@uuu12343 some americans take the concepts of freedom and liberty a tad too far

[@theseeker8074]

@@dreamsofmishra Yup. That’s why there is a lot of Karens in USA. Hahaha!

[@jennifer-oc6io]

Thank ou Master Debater for your comments about our country, it takes a person with global experience and critical thinking to understand our methodologies in governance. I myself have lived in 5 different countries in 3 different continents, many countriers tries to emulate Singapore but are lost at balancing between power and benovelence. We are lucky, very lucky.

[@brentgranger7856]

I visited Singapore in 2000, and I was most impressed by how clean the city is. I could walk down clean sidewalks with no cigarette butts on the ground and ride a public vehicle without worrying about someone else's chewing gum. Singapore, be proud of your nation's cleanliness.

[@ChuckleBuck]

The only reason it’s that clean is because government forces it to be. It is nothing to praise as far as liberty goes.

[@Destroyer4700]

I'm guessing you didn't visit any of the residential neighbourhoods. There's litter everywhere.

[@hahaz85]

@@ChuckleBuck I mean that is true, but why do you need the freedom to litter? It's not that hard to hold on to your trash till you find a garbage can, which are located around every corner.

[@3mKay]

economic prosperity, low crime rate, high education, competent leaders and good policy comes before 'liberty'

[@3mKay]

@@ChuckleBuck economic prosperity, low crime rate, high education, competent leaders and good policy comes before 'liberty'. What good is liberty if everyone lives in squalor, high crime rates, lawless environment, struggle to put food on the table and shelter over their heads. Look at India and look at China's standard of living, not even close. The government of China is able to survive and gain the loyalty of the people, because they ensure that these basic needs are met first. They dont even have to make propaganda anymore, back then under Mao Zedong and other leaders, you couldnt travel outside of China or choose your own clothes. But now, the government lets you go out and travel everywhere because they are confident in the end, their people would still choose China over other countries. There are hundreds of millions of Chinese tourist outgoing annually, and only 100-200k choose to emigrate annually. USA can afford its liberties with its almost cheat-like geography and resources, which contributes to its prosperity when forming the free market. But once the economy goes down, riots will began and resentment rise

[@lukeyppersona9763]

“Most boring place in Asia” probably said by numerous backpacker types. I’m British and live in Singapore - if you know where to go and what to do, it’s a fantastic place. Not to mention the travel opportunities.

[@AzamatoTheGreat]

Career opportunities ? Except for IT and engineering tho.

[@theratroom24]

I have visited many times and there is one thing you can't say about Singapore and that it is boring.

[@yogaexe]

I live there for years. it's boring. It's like canary living in a cage.

[@amduser86]

The main problem is, that just about every other major asian city is more fun.

[@triadwarfare]

@@yogaexe Depends of your definition of "boring". If you have everything, there's not much to see in Singapore. If you live in a third world country and love discipline, technological advancement, opportunities, and money, SG is for you.

[@lolthestupid]

As someone who's been in Singapore for 6 years I can say this is a pretty accurate description of Singapore. I'm satisfied especially at the fair and unbiased depiction of Lee Kuan Yew who himself is a controversial figure precisely because he traded civil liberties for economic prosperity and security. Just a little bit surprised that David Marshall doesn't appear in the video. But just for the sake of interest I'm gonna add on some more trivia about Singapore. 1) Singapore used to have a problem of overpopulation especially after WW2, so Lee's government introduced a population control policy called "Stop At Two". It's literally just "stop at just 2 children" (because the traditional ethnic Chinese mindset at that time was to have as many children as possible, and well you just heard about how much of a speck Singapore's land size is). It was so successful at controlling population growth that other world leaders came to Singapore to try to emulate it. In fact, it was too successful; late 80s they had to completely reverse this policy and introduce a new one called "Three or More (if you can afford it)". No second guesses as to what that means. 2) In case you're wondering, most Singaporeans speak English. But it wasn't like this back in the 70s; in many Chinese schools, the language medium was still Mandarin or even dialects. But twas that one fine day in 1979 when English was suddenly, literally, forced into each and every single school. Schools had their whole syllabi changed to English overnight, many teachers were struck dumb because they were now forced to speak English to their classes, and to say that it was a nightmare to teachers and students would have been a gross understatement. To put that into perspective, imagine if, for some reason, the US forces all schools to use Spanish instead of English in classes, imagine how much of the population would freak out over that change. 3) Owning a car in Singapore has got to be one of the most expensive in the world. But that's just one of the government's policies in reducing the insane traffic on the roads. To compensate, they do have one of the most robust subway stations in the world (notwithstanding its constant breakdowns). Speaking of subway stations, when subways were initially rolled out in Singapore they were massively, and I mean, MASSIVELY unpopular amongst the people, but the government just decided to go ahead with it anyway. And it's still running till this day. 4) In case you're wondering, no, Singapore is not a welfare state (they made it especially clear in their social studies textbooks, even comparing it with the UK's NHS just to illustrate the point from the perspective of healthcare). They made it clear that the government cannot and will not just give out goodies to its people. Instead, the government forced its people to save up: whenever you get your paycheck, 20% of that automatically goes to the pension account (your boss will also contribute another 16%). They cannot be withdrawn from unless 1. you need to buy a house, or 2. you've reached retirement age. If you're wondering what about healthcare, well, the 36% I mentioned doesn't actually all go into the pension account. Only 29% does; the remaining 7% goes into a government-mandated health insurance account called your Medisave account (there is an upper limit of about S$30000 or something after which the 7% will just go into your pension). Whenever you need to see a doctor, you pay the medical fees straight out of that Medisave account. So in a way, you pay for your own medical costs, but at the same time you don't really pay for them. Not to mention that the government clinics and public hospitals are quite generously subsidised too.

[@Viktor16161616]

About the Medisave account, what if it runs dry due to long time illness and expensive treatment?

[@HardenJID]

Void Diversion so just how much is actually paid for by the government then? Since you say they do actually subsidize the healthcare infrastructure.

[@lolthestupid]

@@HardenJID Afaik their public hospitals have wards of several classes: A, B1, B2 and C. Most people use the Class B2 or C wards where fees can be subsidised up to 80%.

[@sdarkpaladin]

​@@Viktor16161616 There are 5 recommended solutions: 1) You can tap into the Medisave account of your relatives (As Asians, we're okay with paying for the medical fees of our family) 2) Negotiate with the Hospital for a reduction of fees. Or haggling if you will. It's not the most effective, but it could be granted on compassionate grounds. 3) Ask to pay via interest-free instalments. Sure, you'd still end up paying the whole sum, but the price is not really that expensive compared to, say, the US. 4) Get a Personal Loan from a bank. This will probably be at an interest rate of 4-9% p.a. But you could still argue for a lower interest rate on compassionate grounds. 5) Defer the payment until a later date. This only happens if you literally cannot get any income for the immediate moment but will be able to acquire something in a few weeks time. Actually, most bills in Singapore do not really penalize you that hard if you miss a month of payment. And you can even argue to waiver the additional fees if you have proper reasons. Sure, in the end, you would still have to do the heavy lifting yourself. But this comes with knowing that you are not putting a burden on society at large. Also, there are charitable organizations that will help people who fell into the cracks of the system. So all is not lost.

[@Viktor16161616]

@@sdarkpaladin thank you for such a extensive answer. That does strike me as a reasonable system. Have a good day.

[@theseeker8074]

”Whoever governs Singapore must have that iron in him. Or give it up. This is not a game of cards! This is your life and mine! I've spent a whole lifetime building this and as long as I'm in charge, nobody is going to knock it down.” - Lee Kuan Yew

[@rejvaik00]

Mass respect 👍 At least Lee Kuan Yew did everything even what was unpopular to benefit his nation rather than his pockets and didn't start a political dynasty to ensure his family would always be in power

[@AapoJoki]

​@@rejvaik00 The current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is his son, though.

[@Li.Siyuan]

I lived in Singapore from 1958 - 1961 and remember the decolonisation process. I also remember how Singapore city started to turn from a large clump of shacks into a modern city with high-rise buildings. It was a wonderful time and I miss it a lot.

[@cancanjaker1620]

it's an experience not many born to this world can hope to go through. Going from rock-bottom to very top.

[@havolei]

Wikipedia has this to say about city states: "Singapore, in particular, is considered the only truly sovereign city-state in the world as it has the full right and power to govern itself and its citizens, without any interference from outside governments. It also has its own currency, a technologically advanced military and a significant population of 5.6 million".

[@BeMystifiedSelfHelpTipsbyGaya]

It's somewhat like the Switzerland of Asia haha I mean even the USA-North Korea meeting was held here.

[@DC-ru5xz]

Gaya very true only much much hotter and with literally no mountains

[@wilfbentley6738]

Isn't Monaco a city-state?

[@wilfbentley6738]

And Luxembourg is pretty close to whatever definition you have of "city-state".

[@redwolfexr]

@@wilfbentley6738 Monaco is a city state, but its not truly sovereign. Until recently the Principality of Monaco was still linked to France. To the point that if the family died without heir the city-state would escheat back to France. . But it was part of EU well before they broke that link. Monaco could also not defend itself all that well - its military is more a paramilitary police force. So its considered only a "City-state" through the grace of its neighbors. (third smallest military in the world.. 255, they DO have a Colonel though! . Taiwan is probably a better "almost" than Luxembourg -- Lux has similar reasons that its not truly sovereign.

[@Cheonging101]

I don't really think Raffles did much. I'm just shocked that William Farquhar wasn't even mentioned. He was the actual guy who did something to transform Singapore while Raffles was busy getting knighted in Britain.

[@keffinsg]

Raffles came up with the town plan, he left Farquhar to execute it while he was away. If i remember correctly, he was pissed off at Farquhar because the latter sold off propperties along Hill Street as commercial properties even though under Raffles town plan they were supposed to be for government buildings. Look up High Street Ctr

[@yivunqp963]

No, William Farquhar didn't do much for Singapore. Raffles is angry with William Farquhar for the lack of organization in the development of Singapore. Basically, William Farquhar was doing the hands-off approach and left Singapore development to the locals and immigrants and it turned out a mess. Raffles fired him when he returned to Singapore and appointed John Crawford whom as the 2nd Resident of Singapore, implemented a more top-down "urban" planning of Singapore. Basically, John Crawford his racial segregation policies still show in today's Singapore with China, Little India and Kampong Glam.

[@smiley8574]

So true😂

[@lzh4950]

@@yivunqp963 "Basically, John Crawford his racial segregation policies still show in today's Singapore with China, Little India and Kampong Glam. " Probably more superficial in the present though, as many residential shophouses there have been converted into offices/shops instead, while the residents there today are mostly in public housing, which has racial quotas ensuring that the ethnic make-up of residents in each estate are representative of that of the entire country. Though it's 1 thing to be living near people with other races & another to interact with them (perhaps because over here, simply living near some one might be seen as too low a bar to be deemed to be socially close to one)

[@yivunqp963]

@@lzh4950 yes, those places are all prime areas for commerical uses only. BUT the naming, the history, the architectures are all relics from his first policies. Also, even today, the different races still tend to hang out in those areas. Indians in Little India, Chinese in Chin town and Malays in Kampong Glam

[@FireFlight13]

Singaporean here. I think the statement "openly despised personal freedoms" is quite an exaggeration. It is more nuanced than us simply wanting to give up all our personal freedoms, and for that reason I would caution people who aren't too familiar with Singaporeans' culture and paradigms on life to properly understand before making such a statement. These claims are often made on how the west views the idea of "freedom". The reality is that we do, in fact, value our personal freedom very much. But we also recognise that personal freedom isn't the highest good there is. It is not inconceivable that the giving up of some personal freedoms can benefit the society at large. Case in point, we "give up" what westerners perceive as the "right to bear arms" (i.e. the Second Amendment in the USA) - though truth be told there really aren't that many of us that want guns in the first place. In exchange for that, the last well-known gunman case we have had was literally about 15 years ago. Another case in point, we "give up" drugs and take a very strict stance on drug abuse and smuggling - this is often cited in support of the statement that Singapore is "draconian". In exchange for that, the abuse of drugs in Singapore is relatively low. By "relatively low", I mean that it's so low that the average Singaporean would hardly hear about drug abuse at all in Singapore. Maybe once or twice a year on average, if at all. Most of the laws that are seen as "draconian" really don't affect most Singaporeans on a day-to-day basis. Lastly, on the idea that Singapore clamps down on free speech, I would say that's quite untrue. It may be true in a sense that you cannot say "whatever you want, whenever you want" 100% of the time. That is reasonable; we should be accountable for the things that we say. We do have some laws in place that rule out certain kinds of expression, for example "promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion or race". These make sense; why in the world would a society allow someone to express something with the sole intent of sowing discord between two people groups? This doesn't mean that we cannot express disagreement, but rather that we need to separate the "heat" from the discourse. In other words, our expressions must be tampered with self-control and not merely blast whenever we want. This allows for much better engagement in dialogue rather than simply devolving into a war of who has the louder voice. In reality, again on a day-to-day basis, there really isn't any sense of not being able to say stuff. On that last point, I would also add this: so much emphasis is often given to "freedom of speech". Everyone wants to make it a priority to "be heard", but few ever make it a priority to listen. We would all be much better off if we chose to listen first - properly listen and understand - before we speak.

[@huangec]

Just looking at all the persistent name-calling around the internet easily shows the validity of what you say.

[@CharmEng89]

As a fellow Singaporean, THANK YOU for saying what I wanted to say.

[@torbayfruitsandjackpots1678]

Thankyou, really informative and good to have a look under the headlines from someone who actually lives there. On free speach, we too (I'm from England) do not have the right to say whatever we want, where ever we want 100% of the time. There are many laws covering social media and the Internet and of course certain things that can be considered a "hate crime" or encourages violence. Also, if I say something to someone and they take offence and THEY consider what I said is a hate crime they can call the police. The police need zero evidence except the word of the person who phoned them. I can then be arrested and detained while they investigate. So, as you see, "freedom" is quite nuanced in most countries. Thanks

[@tigervalley62]

I'm very interested in this. Is there any more us foreigners should know about freedom in Singapore? I'm from Holland by the way.

[@tigervalley62]

@@torbayfruitsandjackpots1678: As someone who has family in the UK, I sincerely hope the tensions settle down. I never lived there but quick question. Is religion considered a hate crime? I mean, me and my family are Protestant Christians and I would hate it if they were censored and arrested by some douche on the internet.

[@Harriet1822]

The US Navy took me there in 1975, before the government closed Bugis Street. Singapore offers great street food, safe wandering at any time of day, and friendly strangers. A Hindu roadside fruit vendor saw my copy of Dostoevsky's _Crime and Punishment_ and asked if I read other Russian authors. I said I liked Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. He asked if I had read any Tolstoy. I said "no" and he said: "You should read _War and Peace_. Leo Tolstoy is a very pious man". Where else in the world will you have such a conversation? Singapore is beautiful.

[@ronagoodwell2709]

Indian people are the best read in all of Asia. Burma used to be second. Go to India to confirm this. You can sit in a restaurant, pull out a book to read and have a crowd of folks gathered at your table discussing damn near any subject you can name within 20 minutes. Met a lot of super smart and funny people over there... back in the day.

[@kensolee]

I've had a conversation with an Indian caretaker of a toilet about the prime ministers of India since independence and just the other day the driver of the taxi I was in turned around and asked if I watched the Trump-Biden debate and we had a conversation on the state of the union.

[@MebiManga]

As a Singaporean, definitely had to click on this video. Edit: There's way more things to talk about with regards to this small country I call home, but I'd say for a condensed video it covers most of the key points. Won't start typing what I think should be mentioned or corrected because it'll be too long and honestly I don't think people really care. Good job on this video.

[@fuzzy4life939]

It's great to hear a locals view point on this

[@biggayal4149]

I'm interested in what you wanted to type on the subject;)

[@Your.Uncle.AngMoh]

See my post, above. The history of Singapore is being put back further in time by several centuries. Also, no mention of Singapore out-competing the other two British ports in the region- Penang and Malacca. Or the Portuguese, followed by the Dutch, followed by the British as "owners", or the commercial interactions between the EIC and the Dutch EIC. But, it's only a short video. Singapore has been described as a neo-Confucianist autocracy, as opposed to and authoritarian-type regime. Harry Lee's "dun cibai" way of doing things might not have been to everyone's taste but it certainly got the job done! If you consider Singapore and Malaysia to have been roughly economically equal in 1965, just look over the Causeway and see the difference now. In no way could the actions of Jiby and Rosma- among others- have occurred in Singapore. Mind you, we have no idea what Temasek pays Ah Boy's wife, do we? I've had a love affair with the "little red dot" for nearly fifty years. I'm hoping to get back there, and to Malaysia, next year. Not sure if international travel will be possible by next February.

[@MebiManga]

Thanks guys for the replies, there's other people in the comments who are doing a great job talking more about the country, even more than what I intended, so do scroll through if you wanna see them.

[@zzajizz]

@@Your.Uncle.AngMoh I think our international friends can't quite grasp the intricacies of 'dun cibai' (don't chee bye). Perhaps a primer on this concept might be in order?

[@levinwee2909]

As a Singaporean, I'm proud to see Simon showcase my home country. We are tiny, and there probably isn't much to see apart from the mostly artificial tourist attractions. But I reckon the attraction is actually experiencing how locals lead their daily lives. The lack of landspace for various kinds of leisure activities was probably a contributer to our unofficial national pastime - eating. That's supported by the fact that there are people from all over the world here who brought with them food from their home region, slowly localising to our mixed population over the years. While the rest of the world may see us as a nanny state, having been to Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand, I can appreciate the reason why the country is run the way it is. When you are tiny, you cannot afford to have thing screw up. An analogy would be that of a restaurant kitchen. I don't have much knowledge in the F&B industry, but I imagine that if something goes wrong at a particular station in a tiny kitchen, many other stations would be affected. Overall, the effect would be much greater than if a station had something go wrong in a large kitchen.

[@chloescat]

I like your viewpoint here. I have lived in the China city of Dongying since 2011. It's not amazing, there really isn't much to do but to see modern China and how the people in an average Chinese city live, it's actually pretty cool. Kind regards and I hope to visit your beautiful country one day.

[@user-mc2py1ry2p]

The nation has done very well as a trade and financial hub as well as a place for people to live and work. I think Singapore wasn't intended to be a tourist destination at all, that was just the byproduct of its economic progress.

[@keffinsg]

Actually there is quite alot to do. When was the last time people walked the Southern Ridges? Or visit Chek Jawa marine reserve? Boredom is for boring people.

[@user-xs4mu8xm7d]

@@user-mc2py1ry2p agreed. Being a tourist hotspot just isn't a priority when it comes to nation building, especially for a young city state. Furthermore, culture, arts and history just takes time to grow organically.

[@marooneer2016]

If you lived here for a decade and visited all these places I think u will know what he means

[@Jordy120]

Boring? I suppose for some. However if you're a food lover then Singapore is one of the best places on earth to fill your face with 'yumminess'! There's so much to choose from there, and I don't mean planting yourself along Orchid Ave. Explore and find out for yourself. When i travel I always have an extended stopover in Singapore..and i mean extended for days not hours. this is one of my favourite places to visit. Singapore..hugs from Australia!!

[@jennifer-oc6io]

Singapore's boring? Please...... Europe is very boring, cold, dark, high taxes, limited places to visit and same sceneries all the time, worst of all, English isn't an accepted language there. Very boring and isolated. unlike Singaproe, we have sun, fun, sentosa, large shopping malls, we speak English, our news are international and updated, unlimited amount of good foods from all ethnicities, good fashion from all races, hawker centers, cheap taxis, efficient transport and OMG fantastic ZOO! the zoo..... i have never seen such a well maintained and large zoo with satisfied animals. and OMG jewel! which country in this world, bothers to make it's airports to look like a piece of art and shopping mall? and it's efficiency. Is the word boring by many respondents here also associated with JEALOUS?..... just a thought.

[@naskynsrlh714]

@@jennifer-oc6io lol I'm a Singaporean, I'm itching to get out from here. This is the first time in a year I did not leave the country due to the Pandemic. It is boring unless you have tons of money. Taxis are cheap because of lesser travel distance. Their high taxes = free education till uni lol here? they sponsor foreign to study HAHA lame and just recently they are going to include GST for online shopping lol. I am happy staying here, safe, just that some things need to change. lol too many to say hahahaha stay safe :)

[@j.d.166]

@@jennifer-oc6io zoo with satisfied animals 😂😂well described

[@philiphew796]

I literally went round the world 5 times or more and took on Singapore citizenship about 7 years ago. Singapore is the safest place with the greatest freedom, the freedom from fear. One of the best affordable health care system and the 2nd longest life span is found in Singapore. Also one of the richest country in the world.

[@naeled]

@James Gustopherson it’s usually only boring for the Contiki type of folk, or anyone without enough presence or imagination.

[@lzh4950]

I think a reason for Singapore's safety is the government's strong intervention against students dropping out of school (~98% complete post-secondary education I remember), which reduces the chance that one drifts into a life of crime

[@Welcome2TheInternet]

"safest place with the greatest freedom" Wrong. Switzerland is. "...with the greatest freedom" Oh yeah? Ask those $10-per-day-wage Bangladeshi migrant workers how free they feel in the Covid camps.

[@naskynsrlh714]

@@lzh4950 yeah when crime is done by an educated person nahhh you should know the story hahahaha

[@singlah]

@@Welcome2TheInternet Safe and free are relative terms with no absolute value. My idea and value of freedom is different from yours. I certainly do not consider Switzerland to be the "safest place with the greatest freedom" for me, nor do I consider Singapore to come close to being that. Bangladeshi workers have the freedom to go anywhere they wish. They don't have to go to Singapore if they don't wish to live in those dorms. But they did for $10 or whatever the rate is that they agreed to, along with all the risks that came with that wage, such as contracting COVID-19. For that, China WILL pay the price.

[@animefallenangel]

Singapore as boring? I stopped there en route to Brunei and I struggled to fit in everything I wanted to see and do there! I want to go back as it's one of my favourite holiday destinations so far.

[@Raul_Menendez]

Singaporean here. In terms of boring, is that our island dosen't have that much of an adventurous type of locations. Everything is easy to access for tourist. :)

[@huaiwei]

@Hutomo Riyadi that does not make it more "exciting", unless one likes to visit thousands of similar-looking religious buildings, markets, nature reserves and beaches. Heck, pretty sure the vast majority of locals don't visit them either, and I bet 90% of Indons don't even care about their own forests.

[@memyselfandi7529]

@Et V exactly ... those who say Singapore is boring is after the vices & of cos, being a small nation state ... we have nothing to offer in terms of travelling internally

[@thecustomadventures7719]

Actually Singapore is not boring, anymore. It was a fact quite long ago. And the government built a lot of recreational places after Singapore was called a “cultural desert”. Singapore has since built a lot of arts appreciation places, museums, and recreational fun places. This happened because Singapore was too focused on studies and economic growth. So people who think Singapore is boring as of now, do not appreciate arts. This is also why Singapore is very rich. But Singapore is trying to develop students to be all rounders through holistic development and education for every individual. It has come a long way for a young age of 55 since 1965’s separation from Malaysia. So, I feel it is very good compared to any other countries.

[@BxBxProductions]

That's why it's boring. You go to those places once and that's it. Sure they'll have new exhibits but 70% of them are still old exhibits. And the 'art' feels too censored and muted. Singapore depends on sensory overload to attract tourists. Similar approach to Times Square with those bright ad lights. You can buy the arts but you can't really buy raw talent, motivation, perseverance and innovation. Singapore is dull underneath the shiny polished surface. The only reason to go there is access to other parts of Southeast Asia for the price and convenience. Singapore's tourism industry can't and won't survive with attractions and services that has remained static for so long.

[@longiusaescius2537]

@pousXB huh

[@Zosterias]

My parents initially from Indonesia moved out to France, Algeria, Egypt and finally to Singapore. Singapore is as “free” as all the other countries. Heck, Singapore is much more easier for foreigners than France is. I don’t understand this western concept of “freedom” where you’re not accountable for what you say and what you do. You let Racists & extremists roam free and oppress other racial or religious minorities. How the fuck is that universal freedom for everyone? Draconian policing? LOL heck I got checked by French policemen often just because of my skin. Singapore’s Police Force is the one of the most, if not, the MOST professional and fair.

[@gabrielr3390]

I do believe there is a difference between a country with 65 million habitants, and 5 million. And of course there is the obvious socio economic and culturel backgrounds, that differ between both countries. France is an old country, and Singapore a new one. There is bound to be differences. Ignoring the fact that one is democratic, and the other one a bit more authoritarian, which is totally fine, as it has been proved to work...., much like the one in France, again there many different ways to govern a country, and certainly there are differences between a city state, and relatively massive country

[@junpintay7848]

@@gabrielr3390 I think people tend to forget that the Singaporean police force is made up of conscripts. They tend to avoid using force because of the paper work involved - erring on the side of caution. The videos of the SPF in action definitely makes them look laughably weak but I prefer that over police forces who are trigger-happy

[@antjesus5427]

Freedom of speech applies to everyone, even people you don't like. Simple as.

[@Raul_Menendez]

@@junpintay7848 Most of the time us conscripts wanna avoid danger and finish those 2 years. The reason we look weak and took many officers is to not harm or injure the suspect. Everyone is safe and sound and live to work another and us NSFs can ORD and be NSMEN. ^^

[@Raul_Menendez]

@@antjesus5427 And cause civil uprest? Let racist run rampent? Extreamist run aloff?

[@Peichen01]

Singapore is far from boring. It is my favorite city and I hope and have plan to move there one day. Have vacationed there 4 times and it is just a really nice place to live

[@alanrogers7090]

When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, at the same time, they also attacked the Philippines, Hong Kong, etc. The reason everyone says it happened the "next" day, was due to the International Date Line. On the calendar, it was the next day, but physically, it was the same day.

[@naskynsrlh714]

GMT

[@rainieong4271]

Hi, I'm a Singaporean student and I've lived in Singapore for my whole life. When I saw this video, I immediately clicked on it, and I'm impressed. For a condensed version of Singapore's history, this video has many key points about Singapore's history that are accurate. However, I've been learning about Singapore's history for years, and I feel that some of the points in the video should be corrected. Like how Percival shouldn't be blamed wholly for the Fall of Singapore, honestly, it was the entire British Army that should be blamed. And Singapore is never boring. As a native, if you know where to look, you can find many attractions that are never boring. We have a lot of freedom, and our country, although it has strict laws. we don't feel oppressed. Though we still have many flaws, our journey to what we have become today is not something that can be covered in one video. Still, for a condensed version, this is pretty good. Kudos to all the people that worked hard to make this video!

[@treeman0000]

When I visited Singapore I loved it. There's not a modern more beautiful city anywhere in the world.

[@Treehousetreeprod]

Had some of the greatest times of my life on that island. Only reason to call it "boring" is if you've never been there

[@arthas640]

this is the first time ive ever heard it called "boring".

[@tiewkiat]

Mainly bcos we locals dont really visit our own attractions, i never visited any of them unless I am hosting friends from overseas. My guess is you also dont really visit those near where you live.🤣

[@leeqimin]

Or if you're born there. I remember there was a period of time I thought Singapore was boring. Mainly because I wasn't allowed anywhere. But yeah we're interesting

[@aquareon2347]

It's only boring if your too lazy to go out(mostly cause of weather or money)

[@aguynamedlynx6397]

Well, there isn’t really too much crazy sht happening here so in that case yeah, Singapore is boring but in a semi-good way?

[@tomballenger1809]

Due to the generosity of a very dear friend, I spent some time in Singapore. Before I arrived, he explained life in Singapore like this. "If you can deal with rules in Singapore, you will love it. If you can't, don't come!" For the time I was there, I loved it!

[@davidbergmann8948]

If you break the rules, you will be sentenced to torture or being murdered 🍄

[@havenprice]

There is rule of law in that u know the rules and u know the punishment. The only big rule (besides the regular don’t murder or hurt people) is don’t deal with drugs. If you don’t do that it’s ok.

[@sk-sb-mj4563]

@@davidbergmann8948.....Tortured/Murdered???? Don't overeact please. If you are a foreigner and do serious offence, you will pay the fine or jail or both. And after that you will be barred permanently from this country. That too depends on the crime that you do.

[@longiusaescius2537]

Yeah

[@shraviator]

Ive taken 2 holidays there and I can easily say it's far from being the most boring place in Asia..i guess its all a matter of perspective...outstanding place with some of the friendliest and most enterprising locals out there, not to mention a refreshing harmonious blend of cultures in a way that we don't generally see elsewhere in the world.

[@griddycheese]

I don’t get the boring or orthodox comments imo i rhink i can do what most ppl can do in other countries i feel like some ppl just want crime cus they view a safe country as “boring” “overly orthodox overly sterile like black mirror” ( i got that from another comment) its like these people just wanna see drive bys , shootouts , just overall chaos cus they cant handle not being in danger or not acting like life is a movie some people just cant learn to appreciate simply peace and harmony

[@Furniture121]

One of my favourite places on the planet, I've only been three times, but I'd go back in a heartbeat.

[@kurtborkman9472]

As an American mariner, I had so much fun, in Singapore. Its way more modern that any city we have in the USA, and its a great place to get a taste of many asian cultures in one city, kind of like Belgium in Europe.

[@TheSamleigh]

Enthralling with outstanding presentation. Haven’t been many places but I have spent a week in Singapore. Raffles HOTEL, SINGAPORE SLINGS, GM WATERMELON, appliances I’d never seen before mixed with sugarcane juicing stations, great food & virtual 24/7 dining out.

[@MarkAFOM]

When you think about, and compare Singapore to its SE Asian neighbors, it’s achievements are all the more remarkable. I am quite happy to not be able to take narcotics or chew (and throw on the streets) gum, if it means I live in a clean, safe, well mannered, convenient, modern, cosmopolitan society. And as was pointed out in an earlier comment, Singapore does NOT have public caning - only 4 people are present being the receiver, the ‘caner’, a medical doctor and police superintendent. Other than that misleading statement this was a fairly accurate, brief rundown of Singapore.

[@angbenyi6618]

@@Amphyb I disagree

[@lol...]

@@Amphyb so edgy

[@rds7696]

@@Amphyb wdym? people do it all the time, even you do it without realizing.

[@Raul_Menendez]

Being a National service officer. Seeing the people getting cane is a sight not to be seen. They always either call out for their parents or their religion's god. Knowing this I'm glad this is in effect as back in the early years of Singapore, it was a vice heaven for criminals. Took Singapore years to get rid of its gun crimes

[@RadenWA]

@@Amphyb and yet we have safety and American have neither.

[@julz_7773]

Been there many times, it's kind of like an asia for dummies book come to life into a city. Amazingly clean, modern and a bit sterile with pockets of culture and food from all over asia and other parts of the world. Love visiting, the people are it's true asset though, wonderfully friendly and very patriotic.

[@salbenrosli707]

Friendly yes. patriotic not so, due to the government who kinda divides the people now.

[@longiusaescius2537]

@Muhammad S huh

[@southpawhammer8644]

"clearly you've never been to Singapore" - Captain Jack Sparrow

[@Verm1n]

I've never been to Singapore

[@johnnythompson3734]

I've never been to Singapore

[@tocrob]

Registered prostitution is legal in Singapore.

[@adrianhoughton1388]

Watching in Singapore....this should be good

[@ryanandrews5255]

Was it good or nah

[@biggayal4149]

@@ryanandrews5255 good question lol well, was it good?

[@chinchinche]

Same.

[@archstanton6102]

Watching from Brunei

[@TheOfficalLutube]

I’m filled with anticipation, like my fellow commenters, what’s your thoughts ?

[@hoshimiyaeki]

Living in Singapore and being up to date with global happenings. I have to say I prefer the way Singapore is governed. You might think having lesser freedom is bad but look at what an excess of freedom has done to a certain country where some people chose not to wear a damn mask.

[@jennifer-oc6io]

India is a fine example of what an asian nation could be with democracy and ever changing goverments. please guys, go to india, it's very interesting, much much more intersting than singapore.

[@nataliamakarova6592]

Good for you! Ruled by e pats Abd Chinese! Hope you’re enjoying it in your tiny HDB

[@ATBatmanMALS31]

@@jennifer-oc6io The caste system is pretty interesting, you're right. Not in a good way though.

[@lzh4950]

Singapore definitely has it's perks but I imagine it can take a foreigner some getting used to. For instance, as a Singaporean, I was flabbergastered when I earlier read the Guardian talk about the importance of the "freedom to insult" (religion etc.)

[@jennifer-oc6io]

@@ATBatmanMALS31 India is having a very perplexed system, they are closed up, democratic, yet they still follow a class straification system in their society. I was there for a few years. you can afford to filter talents based on their class backgrounds and not their merits, only if you have a huge popultion of middle class. And india is having that advantage. Try the same stunt in Singapore, the only ones left after filtering are nobody.....

[@OGDeepStroke]

If you ever get the chance to go to Singapore please go. I went there in 2019 and it was amazing.

[@10percentwierd]

My favourite place to visit in Asia. There’s something about this city that I absolutely love.

[@user-bx9nu8bt5e]

That sly boycotting of the vote to expel Singapore from Malaya in 1965 was the best thing that ever happened to this country.

[@meoswald9131]

By certain means for Malaysia too I'm afraid / actually happy /They are not a chinese colony.May not You but Malayans would.understand /ask them/to Malaysia had lost their the most beautiful" pearl " they ever had,but their identity, statehood independency stays Intact thanks to loosing Singapore. . It's almost similar :: You loose the most beautiful gearlfriend but not everything, There are some similarities from not very distant history Raise of fascism in early twenties throughout around the whole world. Starting in Italy then very soon in Germany Portugal Spain Rumania Bulgaria Hungaria don't worry not omitting Austra /and not forgetting " sympathisers around the world starting with British Royal family throught Argentina Chile Brazil and for sure not only sympathisers in USA/roughly 3 to 6 millions of them /if you are curious about correct numbers you are not alone- me too, It's impossible to get official documents everything is sealed / or as I was told - everything is archived with no accessibility for me - personally..Now I can just laugh with my friend/a witness of my failure and translator too/who said at that moment: Finely I have a proof that postwar Germany is 100 percent denacificed..Nacis are no more in Germany , they are all here.I know he was not right.Only small percentage was " allowed" as POW's , technical scientifical staff/Werner von Braun most known but not the most prominent/. The rest found new home in Argentina.Paraguay Chile and Brazil.

[@meoswald9131]

Sorry guys I was cut off before I was able to finish my sentence I don't know why.Who did it knows ask him/them/ and if You may let me know what's up. As for Singapore and Malaysia nothing better than separation-peacefull one happened.There was no war.

[@professionaldisappointment1654]

Im afraid as a malaysian i agree with you

[@ffendi]

the best ever thing happen with that separation is it cancel out the chance of war and mass killing. PAP is too aggresive with their agenda.

[@BenseunKwekHongWei]

This video warms the cockles of my heart as a Singaporean. As much as I would like to move to Japan to live, Singaporean Citizenship is something I have no intention on giving up. Thank you Lee Kuan Yew, although you were hated on with those monstrous control policies, your saying "Make the right choice, not the popular one" will continue to live within me.

[@SinSnxpes]

that reference 😅

[@jennifer-oc6io]

If lee kwan yew had not done what he had done, we would have become the next philippines. During my 20 years abraod, many countrires who knows Singapore wants to emulate our policies and success, but few wanna give up their democracy and govern the country in such a hardworking manner. it's just too tiring for many politicians to spend long hours and decades monitoring and maintaining the successs of a country, many just slip back after an initial success. Look at Scandnavian countries today, high unemployment, declinign education, high taxes and brain drain problems. I have lived there for almost a decade. THey need a LEE KWAN YEW there. Even if they have one, he can't stay in power for more than 5 years due to their democratic principles.

[@lzh4950]

It's impressive that the ruling People's Action Party managed to win all legislative seats in the 1st 3 elections following independence (perhaps also due to their main opponent being decimated by anti-Communist crackdowns), despite the growing pains that a in development might face e.g. the plebiscite complaining about economic growth & businesses' profits not trickling down to them, and perhaps angling for higher wages, maybe even taking industrial action in some countries. Well, following disruptive industrial action after WW2, the government forced all unions to register under the government-linked Nat'l Trades Union Congress (which is headed by the Minister of Labour), & in those circumstances I imagine there might have been more public support (it's quite telling that the Hock Lee bus riots are prominently featured in our history education). This arguably brought the unions closer to a government keen to attract foreign investment. We call this 'tripartitism', a form of harmonious relations, but in other countries I imagine it can be regarded as conflict of interest instead. The unions oppose industrial action & minimum wages, and also agree to seek wage rises only if productivity does too, which I understand is a social contract not accepted by everyone elsewhere (e.g. protesters seeking higher minimum wages in the USA). I believe too that going on strike in Singapore's flag carrier could be regarded as treason as well (with Lee Kuan Yew having previously accused some strikers of "violating national interest" & deported them)

[@rejvaik00]

Im wondering if Singapore would be willing to accept a foreigner who would immigrate and join the military forces Because this sounds like a nation I'd gladly be a part of

[@defaultsettings63]

@@rejvaik00 I think they would. I once heard that they have Ukranians, Africans and people from all over the world serving in their armed forces. They're probably the most foreigner-friendly society in Asia.

[@avocadobaguette1085]

Just to add on: Raffles didn’t “find” Singapore. Singapura was a independent state around the 12th-13th century, as recorded in the Malay Annals, and was a powerful trading hub in the Malay Archipelago at the time, but eventually fell to Siamese invasion. Raffles found the remnants of that state in 1819, and transformed it into modern Singapore as we know it.

[@Banom7a]

when Raffles came to Singapore, it was under the Johor Sultanate (which still exist today but as a state in Malaysia) and wasn't some kind of remnants of Siamese invasion but the former runaway Melaka Sultanate after Portuguese invaded Melaka in 1500s.

[@nutzhazel]

Never heard that Siamese invasion ever reached Temasik before. But could very well see how the British distorted the past history of the land to fit their existance in those areas.

[@lovelessissimo]

If only the British had used Nord VPN, the japanese would have never been able to get access to the country.

[@robsonwilianwinchester9726]

Lol 😂😂😂

[@jakemorandthemomoz8154]

But they would have activated the raid of the shadow legends. 🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂

[@JoshuaC923]

Hahaha

[@JoshuaC923]

LIM YU HUI GRACE no it's a joke

[@DimBeam1]

dork

[@dirkhartig4479]

Lived in Singapore for 3 years and would go back immediately if given the chance.

[@wumingkkk]

Why

[@giorgospapadopoulos7709]

Lived in Singapore for a year. I accept 1/3 of the money I earn and my liver to return.

[@DantalianTheWise]

@@giorgospapadopoulos7709 Wait hold up on the liver

[@meinelust]

When you said overspending in Java, the Java island was not the first thing that popped in my mind. lol.

[@Ramonatho]

"10,000 dollars a year for Adobe? A brick hut doesn't cost that much."

[@turgidbanana]

Cool

[@BeMystifiedSelfHelpTipsbyGaya]

hahaha exactly..

[@BlackPantherFTW]

Singapore is awesome. Really interesting place that I’d love to visit again. Chicken and Rice is the local favorite and mine

[@zredbaron2014]

I had a minor stroke when he said "temasek" and "Singapura" lmao

[@5uJean]

I was stuck on Singa-pure-ra.. haha

[@celynngoh541]

Hahahahaha

[@ceste]

Haha teh muh sac

[@ellisgethin6155]

I got rained off work today and have spent my free time watching so many Simon Whistler videos that when I close my eyes I see only a beard and glasses

[@Ballardian]

Worship him - he is your God.

[@grandthanatos]

Lee Kwan Yew needs a biopic of his own.

[@Sedgewise47]

Indeed.

[@autumnrainxi]

@Jody Owen Lee Kwan Yew may have his faults and made some decisions not everyone would agree with but calling him evil seems unfair.

[@lzh4950]

What about the 2015 movie '1965'?

[@naskynsrlh714]

@@lzh4950 the one that got banned? if it is, its sad

[@lzh4950]

@@naskynsrlh714 Nope

[@dwchen1]

Some guys got iritated and say comments like : "Oh... Singapore is a dictatorship, it's a hell hole for freedom, no different than China..." or whatever bla... bla... bla... Just tell me if there any nation on earth with similar situation and fate like Singapore or what Singapore have to endure is simply had a better system than Singapore...? One thing that is more important is when your country had a nominal percapita income higher than the US, had a government with generous social benefits towards it's citizens, a better system compared to most countries on earth that you can named of, extremely highly stable, extremely highly educated society, one of the best education system on the planet, had a narrow income gap and economic inequality or wealth disparity compare to most of developed countries, legal certainty rule of law, then all of your argument about freedom or democracy is simply useless and hollow.

[@alfredstephen3150]

Even if Singapore is technically a dictatorship, I would trade my Indonesian citizenship with Singapore any day at any price. Let's face it. Idealist's democracy DOESN'T WORK. Look at the United States. Democracy is easily rigged for demagogues like Trump or Putin or Bolsonaro to come and ruin the country for their personal egotistical gain. Being in a golden cage is better than being free as a sewer rat.

[@LooNciFeRx]

@@alfredstephen3150 wow. Powerful words

[@zachjones6944]

@@alfredstephen3150 Thank you! Democracy is overrated!!!

[@lzh4950]

I imagine the more authoritarian countries might be feeling more smug whenever social media fact checks Trump? Since that might appear to endorse censorship

[@robertphillips6296]

Wow, thanks for posting!

[@thejudgmentalcat]

"I never would have thought of that." Jack Sparrow: "Clearly you've never been to Singapore." Yet Simon never mentioned corsets.

[@thatguy-pl8py]

I thought he said Tortuga?

[@thejudgmentalcat]

@@thatguy-pl8py Not when he was ripping the corset off whatshername

[@thefatheroftheking1707]

Tortuga the place where every man can feel loved

[@memyselfandi7529]

Clearly. He does not know Singapore well. Only through whatever material he can access to, by way of writing or maybe even hewrsay 🙄

[@sagetscippio8878]

Good job, I always wanted to visit Singapore!!👏🏾👌🏾👍🏾👍🏾

[@ignitionfrn2223]

1:40 - Chapter 1 - From the swamp 5:15 - Chapter 2 - Free city 8:40 - Mid roll ads 10:10 - Chapter 3 - The tragedy of occupation 13:35 - Chapter 4 - The pain of liberation 17:05 - Chapter 5 - Things fall apart 19:50 - Chapter 6 - Building the state

[@davidolsen2495]

I just love this channel. I've learnt alot from Simon and all his channels

[@HowieDaDuk]

I met a recent American Ambassador to Singapore as he was a patient of mine...he had married a lady from there...his opinion of Singapore: immensely favorable. I had a wonderful talk with him about Singapore....he said its the cleanest most efficiently run country he has ever seen.

[@PAXperMortem]

Singapore is such an awesome city, if you're undecided on where to spend your post-COVID vacation, this is the place I recommend!!

[@georgeho8997]

@@dubbaddare You're lucky to get it here and you're healed free of charge. Where is your gratitude?

[@deborahwilliams3575]

I learnt heaps from this. Thank you. Looking forward to researching more. Can you imagine - safety, wealth, peace and stability being considered boring. Tut tut world weirdos

[@KlaxontheImpailr]

It’s sometimes said that happiness is never grand. At least when viewed from the outside.

[@vilena5308]

Thank you for this overview; I feel like I know now the basics.

[@scorchedearth8661]

I’m glad I visited in 2007. It’s an incredible place. I’m surprised Singapore Airlines wasn’t mentioned. It’s considered one of the highest rated airlines in the world. The flight attendants could be models.

[@haywire9331]

Never expected Simon to talk about my home country. This is a pleasant surprise. I was expecting the mention of Sang Nila Utama to come up, as he was the one who renamed my country Singapura.

[@KartiacKID]

That was by far , my favorite documentary by you so far. Thank you and I love you show.

Thank you for the history lesson, big fan of all your channels.

[@celticheavens]

A little disappointed about the glossing of history pre-Stamford and lengthy Raffles-centric pre-modern Singapore. Would've been nice to hear more about how Singapore transformed itself post-separation from Malaysia. Other than that, not bad, didn't think I'd see a video of Singapore here.

[@primuspilusfellatus6501]

This man pumps out several high quality videos a day, cant expect him to everything perfect

[@crystle9404]

There is not much interesting information post-separation. Even as a student in Singapore, studying our own history, the situation was glossed over, with any pages (other than that thick ss textbook lol). The government chose to develop in 5(?) main areas. Firstly, a government sector focused on developing the public housing sector was set up to build HDBs (public housing that makes up 80+% of Singapore’s current housing market), and LTA & SMRT were to develop roads and infrastructure, with a MRT/LRT (train) and bus network set up as well. Secondly, the working sector was also developed by inviting foreign businesses(I didn’t read up much about that, sorry). Another priority was education. All teachers were University graduates with top 25%(?) scores. Several campaigns were also set up, to encourage locals to speak proper English and Mandarin (this ‘speak mandarin’ campaign was to reduce/counter the number of dialect speakers). All schools were now taught in English media, with only 1 subject taught in their mother tongues (assigned 2nd language based on their ethnicity). Fourthly, having a safe water source in this land-scarce island. Desalination plants, NEWater technology and reservoirs were options for a safe water source, other than agreements with Malaysia. Lastly, to develop military through compulsory National Service with all males aged 18. (I may have missed out on some parts/gotten some things wrong, so please correct me if you spot any!)

[@alexsolosm]

Probably because he is a Caucasian and wrongly thinks most of Singapore's success is due to the British.

[@iamgreat1234]

@@alexsolosm Stamford Raffles was a British? Didn't he?

[@celticheavens]

@@iamgreat1234 He contributed, but was definitely not the sole reason for Singapore's success. A great example of a fellow Englishman who did a whole lot more groundwork was William Farquhar.

[@Darryl_Frost]

I remember from my Navy days (RAN) "Raffles Bar" was probably the most famous bar on the planet, it's where you go when you go to 'singers'.. I also remember people used to come around to the bars and hand out 1cent NOTES, small notes of money and printed only on one side (what do you expect for 1c).. The other point of note is the amazing shopping there... (all this was in the 80's)..

[@Humster]

1 cent notes? Man, that was ages ago. I remember playing with them when I was a kid.

[@beyondthesea18]

I love these videos so much, very relaxing and informative. I would love to see a video about deserts or a desert that people haven't heard of or don't know much about :)

[@chasekdesign9822]

Great video. Informative & consumable

[@duncanmcgee13]

*Hong Kong has left the chat*

[@ilo2224]

Duncan McGee Yeah ok Xi, you’d like that wouldn’t you? 😒

[@dionysianapollomarx]

literally

[@carrion_man3700]

@Timothy McCaskey And that's a terrible thing for the citizens of Hong Kong.

[@philipchester3021]

Hongkong is a "SAR"(Special Administrative Region of China). its not even a republic.

[@nathanlong8295]

@@philipchester3021 this. Because it's still part of China in a one country two systems decree. Problem is they are internationally recognized so it's complicated.

[@Chrisxerri]

Simon, can I suggest a future video on Malta. One of the most fascinating histories in the world and arguably the most important military position to the Allies in WW2. Loads to talk about!

[@vikingjedi4328]

Simon... you're just awesome! May the force be with you

[@robertdavenport1109]

Fantastic story teller Simon.

[@csllq]

Well done. You got the facts and sentiments right. - A Local -

[@siamsurf]

It being the last city state is definitely not a fact.... ask Monaco or Vatican City. :)

[@AthulMcMohan77]

The fact that, economically, Singapore outperformed Malaysia (which is itself an Asian success story) is a testament to just how much this incredible city state has achieved in the short span of a few decades! Truly a model to be emulated by other developing nations.

[@stevehomeier8368]

Another great one Simon!!!!

[@stephenssempiira7665]

I do love your videos. Keep going Simon

[@LooNciFeRx]

Listening to this, it makes me so proud as a young Singaporean. Kudos to the pioneer generation that gave us youngsters the Singapore we have today

[@nasgothus]

Raffles didn't *found* Singapore. They were already people living there before he arrived.

[@pokecather325]

He is considered the founder of Modern(keyword: modern) Singapore, along with Willaim Fahquhar (unofficially)

[@ErdingerLi]

Singaporean here, I heard Raffles was quite the bitch though.. most of the progression are done my Farquhar iirc

[@GN00001Lee]

@@ErdingerLi yea, Raffles was just the mascot image, whilst farquar did most of the work behind the scene but it was credited to raffles lol

[@lzh4950]

There was a controversy about this when the government decided to commemorate 2019 as the country's bi-centinial, though I guess to be fair, while trading activity and settlement here predated his arrival, it was him who gave the idea to supersize all that activity and settlement, given the potential that he saw/recognised

[@MelvinSimKH]

Found does not mean discover. It means to start in a different and more established direction for endured existence.

[@stephanlourens]

This was an amazing video. Thanks.

[@meganpapa1]

Great video! Love Singapore!

[@QuestionEverythingButWHY]

“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.” ― Paulo Coelho

[@poonoi1968]

"and gravity" ― Franz Reichelt

[@robsonwilianwinchester9726]

I'm from Brazil. The country of Paulo Coelho (Paul rabbit if translate) rabbit is Coelho in Portuguese.

[@thekingminn]

Do a video on the Thai-Burma death railway.

[@cassandraralph5906]

Another excellent video, I learned something new today!

[@birlove1471]

Great video. Well done Mr Lee

[@Elementroar]

I quite like knowing more about the politicking that led up to Sir Stamford Raffles even reaching Singapore. It's not covered too much in other materials specifically about Singapore, it's nice to know a little more context behind the guy.

[@nutzhazel]

They would never talked about past wars and colonization of westeners in South East Asia, or even the vast history of the Sultanate and mighty empires that already existed there for hundreds of years before British finally got controlled of the land. You can only get those from KZbinrs videos of South East Asian themselves.

[@aaroncooke5818]

i was lucky enough to live in singapore for 2 years of my life when i was younger and tbey could well be 2 of the best years of my life so far, planning on moving back there in the future to live there permanently :)

[@meoswald9131]

Young man if You do have means to support Your expectations You may be delighted, otherwise ....... Wish You luck.

[@issahdeleon9]

i really like all your chanel..biographics megaprojects .and this one the geographics

[@Aweso11]

Great video. So informative I liked it a lot

[@buddhacion19]

Singapore have a long history before Stamford Raffles reach here...please dont think we only exist with your arrival.....learn more.....

[@loloqz]

i absolutely abhor how he described Sg as swamps, and the Sultan a tribal leader. Damn this westerners should get educated on local historical sources rarher than just theirs

[@havenprice]

Lee was so particular and hands on, as he was driven around, he would write in his notebook if he saw overgrown trees and ensure and it would be trimmed for the safety of motorists

[@angelicaflanagan3483]

Living in Canada one day I would love to go there hopefully. it looks like a beautiful country with nice people.

[@p3yp649]

Very factual description.💯

[@nunyobidniz]

"Raffles." Sounds like somebody's pet cat. Something ginger, squish-faced & floppy-eared

[@wongijen9167]

Yeah, and now some people are considering tearing down his statue

[@nunyobidniz]

@@wongijen9167 oh, ffs, what's wrong with these ppl😕 Speaking of, did you see the Critical Drinker's latest upload?

[@Ruruisinane]

And Singapore Airlines calls its business class Raffles class XP

[@Mrgunsngear]

thanks

[@debrasmith4675]

Thank you. I learned a lot.

[@thedevensafe]

Love your videos!!!

[@TwentyNinerR]

I wonder if Sir Stamford Raffles' "overspending in Java" include standardizing the traffic to left-hand side, bcs a friend of mine told me it was the Brits who made left-hand traffic standard in Java (and later Indonesia)

[@Simonsvids]

@crazy silly Because that's how the ancient Romans drove, because on a horse or cart, your right arm will be on the side of people coming towards you in the other direction, which is usually, for most people, the arm you use a sword with. It was Napoleon who decided people should drive on the right, and us Brits hate Napoleon.

[@araisikewai]

@@Simonsvids So that would mean driving on the left side was to prevent a coachman accidentally whipping a pedestrian?

[@SymbioteMullet]

This one was really interesting. Good job!

[@HMartindeCampo]

Awesome‼️ I had no idea that Singapore had this kind of history very fascinating it took me three sessions to finish watching that great episode... I like the Monaco one too!!

[@kojak1137]

Awesome vid!

[@janeevans1309]

I lived in Singapore 1992-1994, I absolutely loved it and have so many happy memories from there. I wonder if Elvis’ bar is still there?

[@deelite19]

"If London couldn't protect the island, well, what was the point of being a colony?" - Hong Kong, 2020

[@sc1338]

Protect them from a country they wanted to join?

[@BarryTGash]

Hong Kong has been a special administrative region of China since 1 July 1997 following the expiration of Britain's 99 year lease. Your comment would make sense if you'd said "- Hong Kong, 1941" when it was occupied by Japan in WWII, before returning to British control in 1945.

[@kampferpl7759]

This make me wonder what if Hong Kong became an independent city state like Singapore after WW2.

[@shivanshna7618]

@@kampferpl7759 China will cut water supply most likely if not attack it directly.

[@triadwarfare]

@@shivanshna7618 Considering Malaysia cut off SG's water supply but still manages to live on through desalination means that HK could have been independent from Mainland China. They would never have to deal with CCP politics had they put up a desalination plant to bypass being hostaged by water supply.

[@Yuroko]

Thank you for this video