Singapore: The Last City State in the World

[@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

[@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

[@simon47yt]

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

[@russell_szabados]

Greatest KZbin comment of the year! 🤣

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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

[@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

[@Henu_K]

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

[@milaanvigraham8664]

​@@Henu_KBut it ends with him. None of his children are into politics, and neither are any of his young grandchildren. If you're LKY's son, looking at him everyday and hearing his speeches, obviously you'd have a passion for politics.

[@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

[@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.

[@Zz7722zZ]

@@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.

[@星辰学姐-g3j]

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.

[@Randi-h5q]

@@星辰学姐-g3j 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

[@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

[@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.

[@Furniture121]

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

[@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.

[@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!

[@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.

[@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.....

[@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

[@Peizxcv]

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

[@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

[@10percentwierd]

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

[@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.

[@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

[@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

[@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?

[@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?

[@treeman0000]

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

[@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

[@nombretaken9467]

well it’s simply due to its size and location. What is great for singapore wouldn’t translate the same for other nations

[@docentofkathu]

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.

[@BlackPantherFTW]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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 ?

[@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.

[@OGDeepStroke]

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

[@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

[@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.

[@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?

[@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..

[@TXMEDRGR]

My wife is from Singapore and most of her family continues to live there. Much of this video is wildly inaccurate. It is a very fun place to visit, with lots to do. The citizens aren't afraid of the government, rather the government is very responsive to the citizens. Laws are strict and enforced, but people do not fear the police. I can attest it is cleaner than Disneyland and people are very polite.

[@alansim4514]

Are you staying in Singapore as a citizen? If not you are inaccurate

[@message2god]

@@alansim4514 I am Singaporean and i can confirm. Laws are strict and enforced since long time ago but it is fair and has shown results, people grown to have better ethics and do not fear the police if they did nothing wrong. Government is very responsive as they were able to almost reduce Covid infections to none this few days, the strict fast rules turn out to be effective. About the clean part, public places are mostly clean. But the resident and industrial areas are often littered, but swept often.

[@gwenaronimacaroni1136]

Alan Sim in what why were they inaccurate? As a Singaporean, it’s pretty much right. Many of us aren’t fearful of the government, in fact it’s a very give and take relationship. The government is mostly fair tho laws are strict but it’s for the good of the country and its citizens, if it wasn’t many of these laws could have been removed by now. Yes singapore is a very clean city thanks to its cleaners. Most Singaporeans are willing to help out tho many of the older generation might not be as friendly but it’s resoonable considering they grew up in fear of white people and they don’t all speak English

[@boohoo7386]

Of course there are many thing to do if you living in Singapore. Mostly of them visiting Malaysia.

[@melz6625]

ok government plant. i hope they release you family for your cooperation.

[@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.

[@NoobIracing]

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

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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 🙄

[@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.

[@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

[@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

[@Jobe-13]

People don’t realize just how dangerous Imperial Japan was. Their empire was also a lot bigger than Nazi Germany’s empire.

[@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.

[@l.337]

I wouldn’t credit Stamford raffles for shit. I certainly wouldn’t put that white man on the same level as Lee Kuan Yew. Find his ethics questionable all you want, but LKY was a citizen with stakes, he was born and raised here. I find the way you approached discussion about him rather distasteful. This man and his co-workers pulled my parents’ generation out of poverty and into skyscrapers. He gave them and everyone on the island the chance to have the world and they grabbed it. I lived my entire life in beautiful apartments but my parents were born in squalid villages. Their parents don’t speak English. I might not like his methods, but he gave his life for this. Really annoying to see westerners jump in on their high horses with a bat and heavy criticism without bothering to explain his contributions or legacy adequately because there sure as shit won’t be anyone in the west capable of producing the results he did.

[@christianwestling2019]

I agree with your view on LKY; no need for anti-whiteness bashing of Raffles. He started it all. LKY did alot more, but without Raffles, LKY wouldn't have gotten started.

[@rachellin2253]

Just wanna say wonder why he skipped over Sang Nila Utama, idk I thought he was a pretty interesting add to our history

[@gabrielr3390]

Its alway a question of race isn't it? The moment you disagree with something made by someone from a different race(in this case a white person) its because "its white people". I don't understand why you found the way he approached the man distasteful. If you had watched the end of the video you would have seen that he had an argumented response presenting both the good and bad points of his regime. He sure as hell explained his legacy thoroughly. Its quite easy to see that you are racist towards the white man, how? "I certainly wouldn't put that white man on the same level as Lee Kuan Yew" Sure enough this reveals a certain bias towards him, in which this then discredits your entire argument, as it is based of race. I have a hard time believing you watched the video in its entirety. Criticism is entirely normal, and should be accepted from an educated perspective, criticism isn't bad, nor is it good, its an opinion formed from an educated point of view.

[@kagenlim5271]

@Mark Bigelow Let's not forget our man William Farquhar too

[@bmartin2304]

I was with you until you brought the color of his skin into it.

[@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.

[@rami_ungar_writer]

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

[@prime8krish]

If a country gives me safety, prosperity, quality of living, ensures social cohesion, impeccable cleanliness, best transport, predictable govt policies, no corruption, healthcare, environment protection, precision in policies and ability to live, learn and play.... well that is truly incredible. If somone misses "freedom" to litter, to threaten, do nuisance then well... you didn't understand "freedom", "government" or "country". Singapore is awesome to live happily and safely.

[@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.

[@louise-yo7kz]

Stunning country. Love it. I visited the botanical gardens , the Cloud forest , The Raffles etc. Not boring to me

[@TroyTempest777]

Not boring at all! I love Singapore😍💘..much respect from the UK

[@sagetscippio8878]

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

[@Rman775]

They didn't realize it at the time but Singapore really dodged a bullet when they were ejected from the union with Malaysia.

[@eee4572]

Can you upload the video of you planting the British Flag and singing "God Save the King"?

[@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

[@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?

[@1George2]

".... constantly suffers water shortages...." where did you get that BS from? No water shortages here in Singapore

[@jinyusong74]

Last time lah bro

[@clxxncewew4320]

that was so last time, now we have NEWater and reservoris

[@asmawitimyati9476]

3 Cent Water Per Gallon

[@gabrielr3390]

I think he referring to the fact that we aren't independent on water, and that we import a lot of it from Malaysia

[@ilhandaanish2381]

@@gabrielr3390 then like that malaysia also not independent, they send to us to purify and then we send back to them

[@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.

[@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.

[@angelicaflanagan3483]

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

[@pauljohnson8213]

Pretty accurate, it does overstate the restrictions on personal freedoms, basically politics is the only real hot button, but otherwise people are free to go about their lives, there are some arrangements that seem strange to outsiders but they always have a pragmatic purpose like maintaining ethnic harmony. All able bodied young men have to serve a term in the military or some other type of public service. Policing and law is not political or excessive, except when it comes to drugs - that's extremely stricter than in the West. By eliminating drugs Lee reduced social problems by 75% - just by doing that. You'll see way more police in public in an American city than in Singapore. The one thing about Lee was that he was the ultimate pragmatist - he didn't have an ideology - except to do what worked in Singapore. I don't live in Singapore now btw so no vested interest in hyping it up. Ah, it is brutally hot and humid though, one degree above the equator, so if you are not a tropics person you won't want to live there...

[@JC-uz3ey]

yeah the only thing i dont like is the weather. Imagine serving NS or your reservist in full battle order in this heat and humidity....

[@Randi-h5q]

Agreed. Singapore's government pretty much lifted almost wholesale Machiavelli's ultra pragmatic approach to governance as espoused in "The Prince", with it's focus on building good virtu, prudence, republicanism and a certain level of underhandedness when it comes to crushing potential enemies. Throw in a mix of free market economics, confucianism and a heavy dose of contractualism, and what you get is Singapore today. As a result Singapore has a solid foundation for a well functioning government and society, though there are definitely still some kinks to work out, especially on the side on politics. Overall, it isn't perfect (but who is?) and Singapore is pretty much way better of than most other nations in the region with far more resources, which helped kept Singapore relevant for the past 55 years since independence.

[@limjinteck5110]

Fully agreed.

[@KX36]

Kudos for talking about the negative aspects of Lee Kuan Yew. Most educational KZbin videos discussing the subject just make him out to be some genius city building god.

[@paulineng6177]

Is there really a perfect man in any govt? We are happy with him so what is to you? You are entitled to your dislike or hate but don't criticise those who disagree with you.

[@KX36]

@@paulineng6177 I was only praising the balance in the discussion.

[@krischang4653]

He is not a God he is a human, a human who is not perfect but a human who done great things for Singapore. Everyone is entitled to their views but not everyone is capable of great contributions to a country.

[@JiMoMin]

@@krischang4653 Agreed. He can't be faulted for his drive to lead Singaporeans to a better future. Critics may point out the negative aspects of his policies but in hard times, man have to make certain decisions, good or bad, to sacrifice or to compromise, to progress or to stall. A person who is soft-willed, unable to make hard decisions (only honest ones, not out of self-interest but for the prosperity and future of the citizens) and bends to the will of these critics are probably 'good leaders' but will likely not be able to lead a country through dark times. Of course, now that this is modern Singapore, no longer in dark times, the government should adapt accordingly, employing proper governance as practiced by other modern first-world countries, if it wants to continue staying progressive. I'll just end it with this: He is possibly the best leader we can have during that era but not so for modern Singapore. Hence, critics should also take note of the dire circumstances Singapore was in, and the horrible hand Lee Kuan Yew was dealt with at that time, and not just blindly compare him with their ideal image of a leader and governance.

[@cancanjaker1620]

LKY made some mistakes but he had done most of his policies right. His supporters tend to over-glorified him as a god status, his haters tend to nitpick on the few faults in his policies to make them out like a tragedy. All in all, LKY is a good role model and a great inspiration. But he should be make out to be a god, even though he is as perfect as a man can be.

[@danialroslan1531]

Failed to mention, although by the time the British came to Singapore, Singapura had been a significant trading kingdom in the region but raids by the Siamese and the Majapahit lead to its downfall. The ruler of the kingdom fled north and founded what was to be the Malacca Sultanate, an even bigger empire in Maritime South east Asia.

[@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

[@davidolsen2495]

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

[@aloysiuseng8086]

I’m Singaporean and there are a lot things to do on our tiny island. And even more things to eat and savour. Whether you want to do some trail cycling, or kayaking, or bird-watching, or window shopping, or fine dining, or archery, or pottery, or museum hopping, or glamping, or pub crawling, or spotting the otters/crocodiles/monitor lizards, or tasting local food, we’ve got it all.. You just need to asks the locals and go for a walkabout.. Cheers!

[@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. :)

[@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.

[@Snp2024]

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

[@triadwarfare]

@@Snp2024 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.

[@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.

[@InciniumVGC]

I gotta be honest I'm a fan of the way Singapore does things. The results speak for themselves. People of different races living together peacefully, a lot of social programs to make people's lives better, and disgusting behaviors like littering being illegal and actually punished. Kinda the opposite of America right now. :(

[@illuminaticomfirmed6948]

Not exactly, Singapore is first and foremost a “Chinese society” and they actively discriminate in immigration policies so as to maintain the Han Chinese majority. The Singaporean state is very racially conscious and understands that a strong majority helps keep racial tensions low. America is liberal and likes to be colour blind. Thats why its now on fire with minority groups using historical justifications to riot, loot and get government handouts.

[@vamtire]

@@illuminaticomfirmed6948 Bullshit, ask any Singaporean born Singaporean and they will say explicitly it is NOT a chinese society. Our prime minister has said it many times, even recently. In example a few years ago when he visit Israel he said 'Israel has many races but is a jewish state, Singapore is majority chinese but we are not a chinese society" He is very specific. We work by making sure theres an ethnic mix in the government and many other places. In fact its the reason why we exist. We couldn't agree with Malaysia's vision of a ethnic Malay's Malaysia but a Malaysian(nationality, not race) Malaysia.

[@havenprice]

Tell that to my pal who threw a plastic bottle on the floor and explained to me “the floor is the worlds dustbin” On the other hand, eating on the train has a pretty high chance it’ll lend you a fine

[@ditsygirl5409]

@@illuminaticomfirmed6948 you got confused between chinese majority and chinese society as there's no distinction in other countries. The majority race in other countries are always openly "privileged". However, we in Singapore understand that despite being the majority, to promote equality in race, we always give equal opportunities to other minority races officially. At the same time, the hard truth in this world is that any majority race in any country will revolve if they suddenly become a minority, this happens anywhere you go, without exception. We in Singapore do the right things, not the politically right thing that western people always want us to do and our multiracial harmony results speak for itself.

[@drwtng]

@@vamtire yep. We are a Singaporean society, not a chinese society; a distinction most westerners fail to appreciate. Its akin to calling America an "English" society! Peace.

[@Hyoiza]

That was a really good video! As a Singaporean, that's basically what's covered in Social Studies in our 10 years of compulsory education.

[@thekingminn]

Do a video on the Thai-Burma death railway.

[@ona2779]

Singapore is more than amazing. I will call it the safest place with the greatest freedom. But I'll say if you're an ill-discipline person, this may not be the place for you because Singapore has zero tolerance for bad behaviour in public. Good place to raise a family and excellent place to do night cycling and night run alone.

[@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

[@robertphillips6296]

Wow, thanks for posting!

[@FandomChronicle]

As the country I grew up in all my life, I can say one thing we have that is extremely important for a country, discipline And in this chaotic world, we need to see it in more countries

[@lgreen2487]

Why do we ALWAYS need to "smash" the 👍 button? Cant we press it gently for once? My phone cant take all this smashing! Damn you Simon! Why must i like your videos? Why!!!!

[@atheistonavmax7873]

Because he likes to Smash! Lol

[@Mr2winners]

Well go to business blaze he regularly asks you to smash that dislike button ^_^ if ya wane change up

[@antardas6734]

Sees title: Monaco and Vatican City: Am I a joke to you?

[@coolio3267]

exactly

[@pontiff7322]

San Marino too.

[@gkguido055]

Monaco and the Vatican are considered countries.

[@FatManWalking18]

washington DC is technically a city-state as is London

[@goodmaninastorm4617]

Damn it. Didn’t read the comments before I posted almost exactly the same joke. I was 24 minutes too late! 😂

[@RayMak]

It's a beautiful city

[@notperson1234]

Here before the others

[@RadenWA]

It’s a fine city

[@MultiPetercool]

A beautiful city where you be caned for chewing gum. I visited Singapore. I found it creepy...

[@cck53sg]

@@MultiPetercool Cane only for rape, molesting,drug trafficking, illegal immigrant and moneylending. Chewing of gum is never canned, it was however banned from sale of gum which carries a fine and jail time. Its banned because, gum was stuck in trains doors that caused disruption to people inconvenience.

[@jejunegamingtv1359]

For all the viewers: There are public canings in school for students. But of cos with precautions. Private canings with worser outcome are there for criminals in prison.

[@redmondpeters7162]

I'm glad Singapore persists today. It's a place I'd like to visit sometime. One thing I'd like to see there is the F1 racing as I'm a fan.

[@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?

[@QuestionEverythingButWHY]

“The individual who says it is not possible should move out of the way of those doing it.” ― Tricia Cunningham

[@MsCozzer]

This is where my grandparents are from.

[@eugeneoliveros5814]

After 7th grade, my mom took me and my siblings to Indonesia for vacation and to visit Family for a month. We stayed at Singapore for a week and it was mostly spent at the amusement park there as well as exploring the city by its subway network

[@jerryplante4239]

One of my favorite stops while in the US Navy during Vietnam.

[@brianperry150]

My room mate is from Singapore (Toronto here). Nicest guy I ever met. He gets uncomfortable crossing the street with me. Thinks the cops will swoop in and fine us, same when he walks with me while I have a smoke. I tell him this is the FREE city of Toronto, he is now free to do as he wishes so long as it harms no one else. He is sort of coming around to the concept, but boyo he's still got a ways to go.

[@--enyo--]

I think he’s an exception. I know heaps of people from Singapore with no hang ups like that.

[@HavingACrush]

Member traumatised hahaha maybe becos when we(singaporeans) were younger , our parents always tell us cross road use traffic light if not will get fined. And if u smoke under shelter or u flick the ciggy butt (littering) will get fined too. About like 300SGD

[@MHNoobie]

Yea nice lie, I wonder how people who blatantly make up bullshit like this gets upvoted. Singapore has lots of laws that cover most things but rarely do some of these laws ever get exercised. Jaywalking while technically being an offense is extremely common in Singapore. Go to anywhere in Singapore and you will see most people jaywalking, even in front of police officers at times. Just today alone I have seen at least 20 people jaywalking. So please cut out your bullshit and actually visit the country before you make such claims

[@brianperry150]

@@MHNoobie LOL, one of the few times I post a comment and I get trolled by a dumb ass.

[@Ron8649]

Well your mate being raised well by his parents and government. You get foreigners who come and spit, p!zz and $h!t all over your country. Being loud and uncouth littered rubbish all over your city.