In Depth

A little red dot in the center of Southeast Asia, Singapore is a cosmopolitan city built on the backs of immigrants from across Asia and the four corners of the world. The nation's cultural mix continues to expand, thanks to continuing migrations of foreign talent -- one in three people in Singapore today has come from elsewhere. This cultural diversity is refreshing, but not nearly as refreshing as the sense of openness and harmony that exists between races and religions.

Singapore Inc. runs like clockwork. Over 40 decades of political stability have seen the seeds of development take hold and grow at an impressive rate. The government is a well-oiled machine that operates like the executive board of a massive company, carefully plotting deliberate steps for economic growth and building a safe and orderly country. Even its detractors concede: Singapore works.

I'll confess, many travelers complain to me about how Westernized Singapore is. For some, a vacation in Asia should be filled with culture shock and bizarre sights. Today's travel philosophy seems to be that the more underdeveloped and obscure a country is, the more "authentic" the travel experience will be. But with all its shopping malls, imported fashion and steel skyscrapers, Singapore looks like any other contemporary city in any other part of the world. But to peel through the layers is to understand that life here is more complex. While the outer layers are startlingly Western, just underneath lies a curious area where East blends with West in language, cuisine, attitude, and style. At the core, you'll find a sensibility rooted in the cultural heritage of values, religion, superstition, and memory.

For me, this is where the fascination begins. Like the rows of historic shophouses that line the city's oldest streets, if you look closely you'll see a jumble of influences from colonial architectural mandates to Chinese superstitions and Malay finery. Even the local language is a blend: "Singlish," the unofficial local tongue, combines English language with Chinese grammar, common Malay phrases, and Hokkien slang to form a Patois unique to this part of the world. It's a cultural convergence that's been ongoing for almost 200 years. So, in a sense, Singapore is no different today than it was a century ago. And in this I find my "authentic" experience.

Singapore Today -- Who would have believed that Singapore would rise to such international fame and become the vaunted "Asian Tiger" it has in recent decades? This small country's political stability and effective government have inspired many other nations to study its methods, and former prime minister (and current minister mentor) Lee Kuan Yew is counted among the most respected political figures in the world. When asked to explain how Singapore's astounding economic, political, and social success was made possible, Lee always takes the credit -- and deservedly so -- but in the face of international criticism for dictatorial policies, absolutist law enforcement, and human rights violations, he also stands first in line to take the heat.

The Government

Since Lee's election, and without debate, his unfailing vision of a First World Singapore has inspired the policies and plans that created the political and economic miracle we see today. During his tenure, he mobilized government, industry, and citizens toward fulfilling his vision, establishing a government almost devoid of corruption, a strong economy built from practically no resources except labor, and a nation of racial and religious harmony from a multiethnic melting pot.

Both critics and admirers refer to Lee Kuan Yew as a strict yet generous "father" to the "children" of Singapore, raising them to a high position on the world stage yet dictating policies that have cost citizens many of their personal freedoms. You'll find that the average Singaporean expresses some duality about this: He or she will be outwardly critical of the government's invasion of privacy and disregard for personal freedoms and of policies that have driven up the cost of housing and healthcare, but will also recognize all that Lee has done to raise Singaporeans' standard of living, expand their opportunities for the future, and ensure tranquillity at home -- achievements for which many are willing to sacrifice a certain amount of freedom to enjoy. By and large, they wish to see the current government continue its work.

Lee stepped down from the prime minister's chair in 1990, assuming the position of senior minister. He was replaced by Goh Chok Tong, who for 14 years continued the long-term policies driven by Lee and the PAP. Goh was a popular leader, who, in addition to initiating increased citizen participation in the political process, supported local visual and performing arts.

In August 2004, Goh passed the prime minister's baton to Lee Hsien Loong, Lee Kuan Yew's son. The resulting cabinet shift created a new position for Lee Kuan Yew as minister mentor, with Goh filling the senior minister seat.

Chew on This -- Contrary to popular belief, it's perfectly legal to chew gum in Singapore, and you can bring in small quantities for personal consumption with no problems. It is, however, illegal to import and sell it. The story goes that after the multibillion-dollar Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system opened, vandals brought the network to a halt when they disposed of chewed gum by jamming the trains' door sensors. The ban took effect in 1992.

The Censorship Question

One infamous feature of Singapore's government is its control over media, both domestic and international. All national news publications have ties to the government, whose philosophy holds that the role of the media is to promote the government's goals. Articles are censored for any content that might threaten national security, incite riot, or promote disobedience or racism. Pornographic materials are also prohibited. Offenders face stiff fines.

It doesn't stop at the print media, either. Television is also censored, as is cable television content, and satellite dishes are banned. The Internet provided Singapore with a tough dilemma. By design, the Net promotes freedom of communication, which is taken advantage of by, among others, every political dissident and pornographer who can get his hands on a PC. This thought so concerned the Singapore government that it debated long and hard about allowing access to its citizens. However, the possibilities for communications and commerce and their implications for the future of Singapore's economy won.

The Economy

Singapore's economy is a bizarre marriage between free trade and government control. Lee Kuan Yew's vision and resulting policies have created annual national growth rates of between 7% and 9% going on 3 decades. Singapore survived the East Asian Economic Crisis that began in July 1997 because of its firm bank-lending regulations and transparent government and business dealings. Unfortunately, Singapore limped through the economic slump that plagued the globe in the years to follow, and in 2003 suffered from the SARS outbreak. The biggest moneymakers are the electronics industry, financial and business services, transportation and communications, petroleum refining and shipping, construction, and tourism. Seventy-six percent of Singapore's exports (not counting oil exports) go to the United States, Malaysia, the European Union, Hong Kong, and Japan.

In January 2009, in the face of a global recession, the Singapore government revised its GDP growth forecast for the year to between -5.0 and -2.0 percent. Days later, it unveiled a S$20.5 billion (US$13.7 billion/£9.2 billion) economic stimulus package designed to help keep the country afloat. The move was unprecedented, as it was the first time the government has ever loosened its tight grip on its coffers. The money will be spent to preserve jobs; stimulate bank lending; improve infrastructure, education, and health sectors; and provide both tax measures to help cash flow and tax rebates to bolster households.

Singaporeans enjoy a high standard of living, with average annual incomes reaching S$49,900 (US$33,433/£22,455), according to 2007 estimates.

Tourism

The Singapore Tourism Board has far-reaching influence that has helped to turn Singapore into a veritable machine for raising foreign cash. In 2008, 10.1 million tourists visited Singapore, spending S$14.8 billion (US$9.9 billion/£6.7 billion) during their stays.

Not content to rest on its laurels, Singapore has big plans to dramatically increase these numbers over the next few years with the building of two casinos built into integrated resorts, abbreviated locally as IRs. The Marina Bay Sands, located in the heart of Singapore's downtown business district, will include a casino, hotel rooms, convention facilities, and leisure facilities -- it's slated to open in stages from the end of 2009. On Sentosa Island, to the south of the business district, Resorts World at Sentosa will include, in addition to a casino, a Universal Studios theme park plus countless family-oriented attractions and resort-style accommodations.

A landmark move by the Singapore government, the establishment of legalized gambling marks the end of a conservative era in the history of this notoriously squeaky-clean city-state.