Singapore has voted for more of the same

Singapore is a country that has thrived on political stability. In the recent election campaign of the powers-that-be in Singapore, voters were asked if they wanted turmoil resembling the political conflicts in Thailand or Malaysia.

       It was a simple yet powerful question, because a few generations of Singaporeans have grown up familiar with political continuity, which they trust and feel secure about.

History played a big part in Singapore’s ruling People’s Action Party scoring another decisive election victory. Singapore broke away from Malaysia in a rather tumultuous manner. Racial problems in Malaysia at the time were intense and dangerous. Even though the separation left Singapore with scarce natural resources and a population weakened by widespread graft, it turned out to be the right decision. 

It also made Singaporeans disdain political trouble. The country has evolved to become an intriguing democracy, one that is transparent and corruption free on the one hand, and stringent to the point of autocratic on certain issues.

The recent election preserves everything. Voters opted for more of the same. The small island nation will keep on with its stable, albeit boring, politics. Proponents of the status quo will ask what changes are required anyway. Singapore is the most outstanding Asean country in various aspects despite its size and initial disadvantages. Corruption is kept a bay and stable politics is enabling the country to take big strides towards even greater modernisation, aided by a full and uninterrupted embrace of information technology.

As long as Singapore is corruption free, it’s hard to argue against the path chosen by its people. There used to be times when Singapore was like Thailand, where everybody took or gave bribes. A strong political will changed that and the country sits a lot higher than Thailand on the international transparency table. Singapore is also an established centre for trade and finance, meaning it stands to reap more benefits than its neighbours when the regional economic platform known as the Asean Economic Community gets into full swing.

Singapore being a small country is a blessing in disguise. The size makes many things easy, not least politics and how to handle ethnic issues. Water management as well as many superficial things like gardens that have become tourist attractions would have been a lot tougher if Singapore were considerably bigger. Singapore’s location facilitated its ambition to become a global centre of trade and finance.

But rich men make their own luck. If Singapore had failed to get its house in order after separation from Malaysia, it would have been a lot different from what it is nowadays. Its association with the West, or its reputation as a “good boy” of the United States, may have subjected Singapore to criticism, but what Singapore did looked like a struggle for survival more than any ruler’s attempt to reap personal gain.

The election was Singapore’s smooth decision to stay on a path that led it to where it is. If some Thai people don’t like the way Singapore behaves regarding the political affairs of Thailand, there are good things to learn from the small nation. Its successful campaign against domestic corruption is one of them. Its visionary positioning of itself on the world map is another.

But with the financial world in turmoil, Singapore, as a country virtually without natural resources, will continue to face a big challenge, having relied much on economic numbers that can be superficial sometimes. The country has turned crises into opportunities before and, judging from the election outcome, Singaporean voters trust their familiar politicians to do it again.