- Joined
- Oct 15, 2023
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Singapore is very safe for a modern city. So much so, that having lived here for many years, I find I’ve lost many of my normal urban street smarts - eg I carry my wallet in my pocket, often forget to lock my front door and other stupidities. If you find yourself being chased down a dark alley here, its probably someone trying to give you your wallet back.
But why is it so? its a combination of a number of things I think. Firstly, penalties are harsh. Even if you don’t take into consideration the range of offences that attract the death penalty (rarely implemented) and corporal punishment (rarely implemented) the public shaming of those convicted of everyday offences is a significant deterrent. I’ll give you an example. I was interviewing, for a relatively junior role. The candidate, who I seemed to have good chemistry with and was certainly adequately qualified, at the end of the interview hung her head and said… “i have to tell you that I am an ex prisoner for…(and I forget her offence) and you must take this into account”. I mean, whatever she had done, she had paid the price. She was qualified for the job, I hired her, and never thought twice about it. But other people may not have done. Similarly someone connected with our business was arrested for petty theft. The Police came pre dawn and arrested her in full view of her family and friends and neighbours - given that the majority of people here live in tower blocks. The offence, if she was guilty of it, probably wouldn’t even merit a custodial sentence in many countries. But the public shame is important in Singapore, which is a collectivist society
And that collectivism is important too. Break the rules and you don’t just shame yourself, you shame those who matter to you. Your family. Your community. People you care about. Despite a large population, in many ways we are still an island community. So, breaking social norms carry costs.
I am not saying this is all good. The same instincts act as a damper on public discourse and willingness to question orthodoxy. But it is one of the reasons I can walk about town without bothering to fasten my backpack.
Guy Hearn
But why is it so? its a combination of a number of things I think. Firstly, penalties are harsh. Even if you don’t take into consideration the range of offences that attract the death penalty (rarely implemented) and corporal punishment (rarely implemented) the public shaming of those convicted of everyday offences is a significant deterrent. I’ll give you an example. I was interviewing, for a relatively junior role. The candidate, who I seemed to have good chemistry with and was certainly adequately qualified, at the end of the interview hung her head and said… “i have to tell you that I am an ex prisoner for…(and I forget her offence) and you must take this into account”. I mean, whatever she had done, she had paid the price. She was qualified for the job, I hired her, and never thought twice about it. But other people may not have done. Similarly someone connected with our business was arrested for petty theft. The Police came pre dawn and arrested her in full view of her family and friends and neighbours - given that the majority of people here live in tower blocks. The offence, if she was guilty of it, probably wouldn’t even merit a custodial sentence in many countries. But the public shame is important in Singapore, which is a collectivist society
And that collectivism is important too. Break the rules and you don’t just shame yourself, you shame those who matter to you. Your family. Your community. People you care about. Despite a large population, in many ways we are still an island community. So, breaking social norms carry costs.
I am not saying this is all good. The same instincts act as a damper on public discourse and willingness to question orthodoxy. But it is one of the reasons I can walk about town without bothering to fasten my backpack.
Guy Hearn
