I am back in Singapore for the first time for almost a decade. Inevitably, it is a bit of a trip down memory lane – the palm trees, the skyscrapers, the shopping. The government.

Ah yes, the government. I’m afraid that my strongest impression of Singapore was shaped by what happened when my reporting inadvertently setting off a row between The Economist and the Singaporean authorities. This escalated to the point where the magazine’s circulation was severely restricted in Singapore – with the threat of an eventual ban. I cannot remember the full details of the dispute – something to do with the publication of letters from the government. And, to be honest, it is probably not in my interests to make too great an effort to remember the details, since the Singaporeans appear to have strong feelings about repeating a libel.

But I do remember the feeling of being closely watched whenever I returned to Singapore after the great Economist row. I don’t think I was being paranoid. Why else would the girl escorting me to my room in the Shangri-La hotel have squeaked – “This is so exciting”, as she ushered me in. Maybe it was just my aura of brooding masculinity – but somehow I doubt it.

I was also pretty sure that my hotel phone was tapped. I took my revenge on eavesdroppers by having long conversations of staggering banality with my wife. (To be honest, we don’t really have to make a special effort to do this.) I didn’t really mind the thought that I was being listened to – if anything, I was rather flattered. I had nothing important to announce.

In fact, if anybody from the Singaporean security services happens to be reading this blog, I’d just like to say – “No hard feelings, lads.”

Maybe I’m just falling victim to nostalgia – but I’m feeling more pro-Singaporean these days. Because the Singaporeans are so expert at putting the foreign media under intense pressure, many journalists develop a deep grudge against the place. And given how many opposition politicians have ended up in court over the years, it is true that you have to be pretty courageous to take on the ruling People’s Action Party, which has been in power ever since Singaporean independence in 1965.

But there is also no doubt that the average Singaporean has a much better life than the average citizen of any other neighbouring South-East Asian country. It is not just that Singaporeans are richer than Indonesians or Malaysians. They are also, in general, much less exposed to the arbitrary exercise of power. All the same I would probably advise a young Singaporean to think of a career in dentistry or engineering, rather than opposition politics or journalism.

February 5th, 2007 in Singapore | Permalink