Singapore has a great international image. It’s often seen—and markets itself as—a wealthy, gleaming metropolis of sleek skyscrapers and consumer indulgence. People think of the infinity pool at the Marina Bay Sands, the luxury brands of Orchard Road, and the resorts on Sentosa. It’s a food paradise, a shopping paradise, a stable, orderly country fit to host significant international events like the Trump–Kim Summit (even if that ultimately went nowhere). It’s the land of Crazy Rich Asians, where good–looking, confident Chinese people schmooze, back–bite, and party by “Super Trees”.
It’s easy to roll my eyes at the gross misrepresentation of my country in films like Crazy Rich Asians, but things get more awkward when I’m face–to–face with gushing foreigners, talking about how much they’d love to move to Singapore, how it’s just so much better than wherever they’re living, how it seems so beautiful and wonderful and everything “just works”. In that moment, I don’t want to be that party pooper who goes off on a rant, because that feels impolite and also unfair to both my country and the speaker who just wants to pay a compliment. But I’m also reluctant to let go of an opportunity to raise awareness of the struggles Singapore’s activist and pro–democracy advocates face. More often than not, I’m just left with a sense of ambivalence.
Civil and political rights—or the lack thereof—in Singapore
Recently, my friend Jolovan Wham spent some time in prison. He served two–thirds of a 22–day sentence, in lieu of fines he’d refused to pay. He’d pleaded guilty to organising an “illegal assembly” in 2017, in the form of a silent protest on the MRT train, and “vandalism”, which referred to the act of sticking up two sheets of A4 paper in the train carriage, drawing attention to the Internal Security Act and the history of detention without trial in Singapore. Also taken into account was his organising of a small candlelight vigil for a death row inmate; if the stern warning I received from the police for my participation in that vigil is anything to go by, this “illegal assembly” lasted all of 15 minutes.
“My public assembly is just to raise awareness for important national issues… I plead guilty but I believe my conscience is still clear,” Wham told the court in February 2021.
Log in to Travelfish
Please sign in to read the rest of this page. The full text is around 2,900 words.
Log in nowBecome a Travelfish member
Choose from a free two-day pass right through to a lifetime membership.
Find out moreAbout the author
Kirsten Han
Kirsten Han is a Singaporean freelance journalist and activist, mostly focused on covering politics, human rights, and social issues. She tweets @kixes and runs the Singapore-focused newsletter, We, The Citizens.
6 other Travelfish long reads
As Bali attempts to forge a new era, we need to stop spinning fables about it and listen to Balinese
When Mount Agung—Bali’s tallest and most spiritually significant volcano—erupted in 2017, local and foreign media flocked to Amed on the island’s northeast coast. During the first few weeks of eruptions reporters and camera crews gathered at Sunset Point, a dusty expanse carved into the side of a cliff overlooking Jemeluk Bay, for the best view of the volcano beyond the danger zone. ... read more
Ko Pha Ngan: Thailand’s tropical refuge, then and now
Ko Pha Ngan is infamous for its long–running Full Moon Party, but there is a lot more to this idyllic, palm–fringed island than sound systems and teenagers imbibing cheap alcohol. Just 125 square kilometres in size, nestled between larger Ko Samui and smaller Ko Tao in the Gulf of Thailand, Ko Pha Ngan’s mountainous interior is drenched in evergreen rainforest, while its sandy beaches and coastal communities have been spawning subcultures from around the world for centuries. ... read more
A Malaysian quagmire
Lenggong in Perak State, Malaysia was gazetted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012. Created by a meteorite, the valley’s archaeological discoveries span close to two million years and it is the location of one of the oldest human settlements outside of Africa. Almost a decade later, Covid19 is the icing on a cake of neglect which some locals are refusing to swallow. ... read more
The changing face of Mandalay
Early each morning Yin Yin Lwin walks the short distance from her Mandalay home to the moat surrounding the walls of the city’s Royal Palace, the grand structure that was built in the middle of the 19th century, and which remains the dominant edifice in Myanmar’s second biggest city. ... read more
Vietnam: Beyond the stereotype
As discerning visitors to Vietnam, we should look beyond the country’s outdated stereotypes and embrace its contemporary flair. ... read more
Laos: The Messenger
Little is written about LGBTIQ in Laos. Why? We talk to Anan Bouapha, Laos’ most prominent advocate for people of diverse sexual and gender identities, about LGBTIQ in Laos and what the future holds. ... read more