TOC International, Top Story - Written on Tuesday, March 3, 2009 13:50 - 35 Comments
Singapore can do better
Lee Weijia
Coming from a former British colony, going on exchange to King’s College in London is a dream and a pilgrimage of sorts for me. After all, modern Singapore has its roots in the endeavours of an English man, Sir Stamford Raffles. Traces of our once close ties can be found almost everywhere in Singapore: Mountbatten Road, Coronation Drive, Queenstown, Napier Road. As such, walking along the streets of London is especially poignant and exciting as pages of our history books come to life in the form of street names, theatres, statues and landmarks in London.
This extended time away from home has given me a greater appreciation of what Singapore has – and does not have. It’s a case of not knowing what you have until you’ve lost it, and not knowing what you lack until you have seen it. This trip has been all that I expected, and so much more.
Things I miss about home
One thing I noticed about London is the general lack of tall buildings; the average height of buildings here is around 4-5 stories. Strange as it may sound, I never thought I’d miss the sight of a HDB block, or the sight from one. The large amount of space also means that London grows outwards instead of up, and the travel distances also greatly increase. I miss the compact nature of Singapore and the greenery that’s easily accessible. I miss the sun. Superficial perhaps, but I realise it is things like these that make Singapore my home.
I also miss the veritable 24-hour nature of Singapore. No matter what time of the day, you hardly ever have to travel far to get a plate of hot food, or to a convenience store. By contrast, most restaurants and eateries here are closed by 9pm or 10pm; and even pubs rarely stay open past midnight. 24-hour convenience shops are few and far between. This was not what I had expected from one of the biggest cities in the world. 
Another area I’ve come to appreciate about Singapore is our efficacy. That’s one thing I think everyone will have to agree about Singapore. In London, however, I have developed an annoyance and a phobia of dealing with the commercial entities and government agencies. Emails addressed to the borough councils (town council equivalent) go unheeded; it takes several weeks to receive my bank card, and just as long for the activation of my phone line and internet subscription.
Things that Singapore can do better
Public transport
On 1 January 2009, the fares for London’s bus and train system, known as the London Underground, went up by approximately 10 per cent. As expected, there were vocal protests. As a Singaporean, the fare hike was a familiar thing to me. Singapore fares are increased like clockwork every year. But I digress. Despite the many different private transport companies operating here, I find the whole system to be well-integrated. There are more than 10 bus operators and one underground operator, yet the buses and trains are almost always on time, and with reliable frequency.
The government body, Transport for London (TfL), manages London’s public transport system. TfL’s website features an excellent journey planner (http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk) that allows you to plan your travel using the whole transport system (e.g. bus, underground, walking, cycling and even boats). It includes estimates of travelling time, and expected timings of the next bus and train. There are also maps and bus guides of the surrounding areas at each bus stop and underground station.
In comparison, Singapore’s public transport is segregated and profit-oriented. SBS and TIBS have their own websites with a very basic route map for buses. Integration of travel information between both public transport operators is minimal. When the new Ang Mo Kio (AMK) interchange started operations, I was surprised to find only information on SBS’ bus routes available. (For those who are unaware, AMK Interchange is operated by SBS Transit, and not SMRT.) While this has been rectified, I believe it is a symptom of the deeper underlying divides in our transport system.
Public transport operators tend to remove unprofitable bus routes, sometimes to the detriment of commuters. The government must step in to ensure that the transport system is comprehensive and well integrated because public transport is a public service too. Considering the high profit margins of the companies, and the high salaries that are being paid to our civil servants, our public transport is far from world class and more ought to be done.
Governance and civil liberties
Living in London has been an eye-opening experience on the issue of civil liberties. There have been several peaceful protests and demonstrations here since I arrived. It is common to see student groups speaking up on various issues on university grounds, representing organisations such as PETA, Amnesty International, UNICEF, United Nations Association and the Pugwash Conference. Recently, there have been massive protests and demonstrations over the Gaza Strip conflict. Turnouts peaked at 200,000.
It is exhilarating to see the amount of self-expression that Londoners have. Admittedly, not all have been peaceful, but violent protests are actually rare and they are exceptions to the norm. Despite these frequent protests on world issues in London, its economic viability is hardly impacted. Singapore’s political climate promotes apathy that leads to sheer ignorance and fear. Perhaps it is time to examine whether Singapore’s lack of active citizenship is truly a comparative advantage in attracting foreign investments to our shores.
It is also nice to see the UK government reducing the standard rate of the Value-Added Tax (VAT) from 17.5% to 15%, and lowering interest rates and pushing for banks to pass on these rate cuts to consumers. This will certainly benefit the lower income group. Moreover, the UK government provides indirect subsidy by charging VAT at reduced rate (5%) or zero-rate (0%) on selected categories of goods (e.g. electricity, gas, food, children’s clothes). This cannot help but bring to mind the untimely GST hike when prices were rising in Singapore.
Mr Boris Johnson, of the opposition Conservative Party, is the current Mayor of London. It is refreshing to see a politician as unorthodox as Johnson. Recently he lowered the price of public transport fares by 50% for those who have been retrenched in the credit crunch. This will hopefully make it cheaper for them to travel to interviews, for example. In tough times like this, it is certainly good to see some concessions being given to those who are hit the hardest. Another area he has taken a stand in is the construction of a third runway at Heathrow airport. This will involve the dislocation of a number of citizens as well as other environmental concerns. Mr Johnson has pledged at least £15,000 of his own money to fight this decision of the Labour government.
What I hope to see in Singapore are MPs who are more vocal in Parliament. Too often, there are no real debates on issues because like the citizens, there is no real need for MPs to be too involved.
Conclusion
Ultimately, while Singapore has definitely achieved a lot, there is still much more that we can improve on. We should be comparing ourselves against countries that we can learn from, and not with countries that are not as developed as us.
This time away from home has expanded my horizons. I hope this will make me a better Singaporean who is able to contribute more to my country’s future.
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About the Author:
Weijia is a third year law student at NUS Law Faculty. He is currently on exchange at the Centre for Transnational Legal Studies based in London.
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35 Comments
“Absence makes the heart grow fonder”. So the saying goes. Yes, Singapore has lots to improve on but we must not forget it also has a lot going for it too.
One thing I observed in London is the civil liberties aspect of it. Besides the recent student demonstration, I saw bookshops and restaurants displaying small counter-top brochures for various organisations such as Amnesty and Green Peace. It is nothing grand but it says a lot.
I have yet to see a single store or shop in S’pore do this.
As for the HDB flats, you’re right. The tallest building I saw in West-Central London was St Paul’s Cathedral, I think! Singapore is too compact and the on-going, neverending construction, digging, piling, road detours, just makes life here rather a chore.
But I do agree with you about food. Singapore beats London hands-down. :))
And London has only one mayor while we have several.
Dear Lee Weijia,
Congratulations! This is a great report.
You have managed to convey your personal impressions of London accurately with a balanced reflection on its contrasts with Singaporean life. You have also successfully restrained yourself from prejudiced criticisms of both London and Singapore while highlighting their positive aspects.
One striking observation that I have of Western cities vis-a vis Singapore is that their outward display of disorder, diversity and non-conformity hides an implicit understanding of commonality and shared destiny; and a consensus of basic decency. Whereas, in Singapore, the artificially created veneer of order, conformity and communality is a poor disguise for an underlying disjointed society plagued by distrust, disunity, self-centredness and frustration.
I think we need to rebuild our society.
macam hollywood celebrities or idol superstars
Ours unique lah. Got banner somemore having their cover-look faces to remind you of their existence macam hollywood celebrities or idol superstars. Also macam cult-personality.
Well done Weijia; a well-balanced view of London vis-a-vis Singapore.
Although I must add, I think you need to go for more nights out – certain areas are truly ‘twenty-four hours’ and pubs and bars do open til 1 or 3 on weekends. Though of course, the hive of activity in late-night Singaporean eateries trumps any place here. I do admit that I suffer from an Al-Ameen craving once in a while.
And the part about the London Underground – unfortunately I think a significant number of Londoners have a dim view of their underground train network. In terms of infrastructure and operational quality it is rather inferior to Singapore – partly due to the age of the system.
As an over-arching umbrella department of London’s public transport services – TfL also suffers from a certain amount of inefficiency – take note of the massive snowfall on 2nd Feb – the meteorologists predicted the inclement weather well in advance but communications between TfL, boroughs and transport operators were sketchy at best.
And of course, the civil liberties part is extremely refreshing given the stifling political clime in Singapore.
All these opinions, unfortunately, for yourself and myself – are seen from the point of view of foreigners who happen to study here. I have many Londoner friends who would enthusiastically outline the chronic social, economic and political problems that plague the city in particular and the UK in general.
All the best on exchange!
Cheers,
Singaporean student at UCL Laws
Wow, nice article from WeiJia .
If UK can lower its VAT by 2 %,
when will sg lower its GST ?
though its reported that sg’reans like to travel,
I wonder how much do they really learn from foreign countries
about things that can be improved here as done by weijia?
if you travel and travel and come back with no ideas, its a waste of time and money.
tw, hk, uk, usa, australia, even china have protests and they are still standing.
I think protest is a normal part of life.
we live in a real world.
Lets get real.
One thing I like about London is that most of their museums are free and the amount of stuff you can see in them is just mind boggling. And I just felt bad that they were not charging me an entrance fee so I would usually buy something from the gift shop after visiting them. Perhaps our elites have trained me to “pay and pay” too well.
And it just makes you wonder why one would ever pay to visit a museum in Singapore.
I wandered right into the middle of an organised mass protest march at Picaddily Circus – the protesters repleat with banners occupied the whole breadth of the road and stretched for what seemed like eternity, but no violence at all. It was awesome and an impressive show of support for their cause.
What better way of saying “It’s a case of not knowing what you have until you’ve lost it, and not knowing what you lack until you have seen it.“?
“I also miss the veritable 24-hour nature of Singapore. No matter what time of the day, you hardly ever have to travel far to get a plate of hot food, or to a convenience store.”
You’ve not lived in Tokyo yet i believe :)
Interesting article but… “Coming from a former British colony, going on exchange to King’s College in London is a dream and a pilgrimage of sorts for me.” <- for real? Sounds like an abuse of literary devices. :p
reminded me of london of the late 70s decanting to mk.
Strikes everywhere, overcrowded trains, & the coldest winters……
complaining malaysian students….
Now almost 30 yrs on, london has gone so expensive that only rich foreigners can afford, football hooligans, muggers, knifers
londoners had tried hong kong, & many of them are getting pr here…….
It is not only singapore but london can do better to.
Goodbye london, goodbye singapore
and UK is a welfare state, and it has free healthcare, something Singpapore should look into.
Congrats, Lee Weijja.
A well-wriiten story with points of relevance for Singaporeans or Singapore.
“and UK is a welfare state, and it has free healthcare, something Singpapore should look into.”
I thought we already have , albeit for the millions-dollars club members sitting in Ivory Towers collecting money every second while shaking leg.
Indeed Uk has a healthcare system that’s worth looking at.
WeiJia, way to go!
I strongly support your idea to
compare Apple with Apple.
Often, people get fooled into comparing a peanut with an Apple (figure of speech).
but when there is ‘debit’ they say long term.
when credit they say its me.
its almost kindergarten thinking.
Yes, I feel that sg has many room for improvement.
For starters, sg should LEARN from TW and now Japan who use cash / vouchers to BOOST their economy.
TW has proven it works.
Japan , i suspect , has taken the hint.
There has been calls to sporeans to spend and spend to pay and pay for the businessmen their goods and services. that has not worked as well as I expected.
Put money into hands of sporeans, and voila! presto! see what would happen.
Its worth a try. Afterall, sg is so rich right? look at the reserves. So strong wor. ;)
injoy!
Dear #14 MC Harding and #17 chaofan
Please do not be seduced by the free and universal nature of the NHS. It may not be worth emulating.
Like any managed healthcare scheme, it is inefficient, it has a long list of exclusions and is subject to abuse by health-care providers.
It has been reported to discriminate against non-whites, the poor, the disabled, the obese, and the smokers. Appointments and surgeries can take ages to materialise.
It is not the Gold Standard to be envied.
Great read, Weijia. I’m a student in Manchester, and I love visiting London, it’s vibrant, a beautiful cityscape, and absolutely bursting with raw energy. I do miss the ‘efficiency’ of Singapore, but different cities are of completely different flavours. I went to Hong Kong for my semester abroad and that was incredibly efficient as well — AND contained a great deal of political energy in regular pro-democracy demonstrations.
#20, the NHS isn’t the utopia of healthcare, but it is greatly valued by Britons. Free healthcare has come to be regarded as a basic necessity, and while there are plenty of problems to be had, I think it’s also worth noting that Britons are not afraid to voice their displeasure on a service that they as taxpayers fund. It may not be perfect, but it is also open to scrutiny — by users AND by the Conservative opposition.
I disagree with smallvoice, whose argument against NHS is fallacious. It’s the people working for, or within the system that discriminate, not the system itself.
Furthermore, such incidents are hardly the norm. When I was injured during a hike in the Lake districts and had to be rushed to the hospital, I was attended to after a 30mins wait at the hospital, the doctors and nurses were friendly. The cost (which only included medication) came up to a mere 20 pounds (S$50+). If I were to go through the same process in Singapore I think I would have had to pay at least S$150.
This is only my personal experience to be sure, but I’ve heard wonderful things about the NHS from others, Brits and foreigners alike. It might not be so efficient, but given wjat it’s been tasked to do, it’s doing a wonderful job.
Of course, the Singapore govt and its mouthpiece Shitty Tiimes have made Singaporeans to think that NHS is crap, welfare states are dying, and only the Singapore way is the best and its govt most glorious.
Between the current Sg healthcare and the UK one, I’d take the UK one anytime.
Dear #22 Faber,
It is good to hear that you had a recent positive experience with the NHS. You also had good feedback from hearsay.
However, it is imprudent to rely on anecdotal or hearsay evidence.
My opinion is based on evidence from a doctor friend of mine who had worked under the NHS before. My impression was reinforced after reading the book “National Health Service: A Political History (2002)” by Charles Webster.
Mr Webster is the doyen of British medical historians and is acquainted with more than 50 years of health policy-making. Generally, his gloomy verdict is that the NHS is a system whereby no one is ever completely in charge and vested interests had exerted undue influence on it.
This is hardly surprising if you realise that the NHS is caught between the conflict between the ever increasing costs as a result of advances in medical knowledge, medicines and technology on the one hand; and the financial restrictions inevitable in a centrally funded service with changing management dogmas and political beliefs on the other.
#23, surely anecdotal evidence of any public service, be it in Singapore, Britain, or elsewhere, is an important measure where it is oriented to the public use?
The political beliefs which underlie the NHS have remained intact even through the course of Thatcherism and an increasingly centre(-right) New Labour. No doubt you and Webster are right in pointing out that this will hinder rollbacks where they appear to be necessary. I’m certainly not arguing that the NHS is the gold standard (by my own anecdotal evidence!). But perhaps there is also some comfort to be had in that there is a firm belief in the need for taxpayers money to go towards a service which is necessarily provided to all?
smallvoice585,
We agree to disagree. Just because your hearsay has been compiled into a book, it doesn’t make it a better argument that universal healthcare is a bad idea.
Just like any healthcare system, the NHS faces financial and manpower constraint in delivering care to its consumers. When funds are centrally allocated, it is only natural to expect that NHS would have a limited portfolio of treatments for specific illness in order for NHS to maximise its cost-effectiveness.
The trade-off between free healthcare and private healthcare would fall in the areas of quality of service, access to the latest or expensive treatments. When people choose free healthcare, they also make a concession to accept lower quality of service. When people choose private healthcare, they demand the best. Nobody gets the best of both world. Even in the private healthcare system, the consumer is limited by his budget and there are cases where people would be left behind if healthcare is entirely privatised.
Dear #25 smallvice585,
I’m actually quite shocked that you dismissed Mr Charles Webster’s book “National Health Service: A Political History (2002)” as a compilation of MY hearsay! I hope you can be more careful in what you say. Perhaps, if you have proof of your allegation, please inform Amazon to stop the sale of this book as you obviously think that it is a fraudulent piece of work!
The shortcomings of the NHS such as lengthy waiting lists for surgery since the 1980s are the inevitable result of its comprehensive coverage despite restricted resources. Also, there has been inefficiency in the system such that increased spending since 1997 had not resulted in any perceptible improvement.
One must not forget that the NHS was established in 1948 as part of the Labour Party’s socialist program after World War 2, borne out of political expediency rather than the result of rational or prudent decision-making. It is wholly publicly-funded, mostly free and universal.
One wonders whether such a system is feasible and viable in Singapore. If it covers everybody for everything and is totally free, (knowing how Singaporeans are like) what do you think will happen? Is it sustainable? Now you tell me.
smallvoice585,
We have an equivalent of the NHS in Singapore and it is known as the SAF Medical Corps. It only covers military personnel and we all experienced it when we were in NS. Do you see Singaporean soldiers abusing the healthcare system just because it is free? Do you know how impractical it is of Singaporeans to swarm hospitals / clinics just because it is free?
If you compare NHS in the 1980s to NHS in 1948, it has made progress no doubt. If you compare NHS in 2008 to NHS in 1997, it has made progress too. The experience of NHS differs by location and some NHS Trusts (hospital and polyclinic clusters) manage better than others. It is always improving despite the huge problem in containing healthcare cost and delivering good healthcare services.
However, there is no comparable basis if you compare NHS to private or subsidised healthcare because they work differently and serve different managerial goals. Using efficiency as a guage to determine which is better fails to take in account of the distribution effects of providing healthcare to different classes of people in society.
Dear smallvoice, did you read the book properly?
Webster’s book is about how a good system like the NHS that has consistently delivered is running into problems due to govt(-funding) neglect. If anything, his book is an argument for redirecting political leadership to NHS rather than abolishing the NHS.
Singapore’s current system has much to learn from the NHS.
Dear #27 Donaldson Tan,
I agree with you that there has been definite improvements in the NHS since the early days. But the inherent conflict between sky-rocketing costs and restriction in public funding remains and therefore it is not recommended for adoption in Singapore.
Please do not underestimate the capacity of Singaporeans to take advantage of anything that is free and unrestricted. It is ok if it’s just free old textbooks or free tissue paper at McDonald’s. When it is medical service, it can do serious damage to your Budget.
Dear #28 Faber,
Why is the NHS running into trouble due to “Govt funding neglect”? Does the British Govt deliberately neglect it? Or does it recognise the structural problems inherent in such a socialist model of health delivery rationalised not on economic principles but ultimately on its own political philosophy?
Don’t get me wrong. The underlying concept of the NHS is noble and inspiring, but just like communism, its implementation will remain a major challenge.
Please do not overestimate the capacity of Singaporeans to take advantage of anything that is free and unrestricted. What you are suggesting is that the frequency of Singaporeans visiting doctors if healthcare is made free. The frequency will increase but by how much? Not a lot because now poor and the underprivileged can access healthcare and according to your favourite government, the poor and underprivileged is only a minority class in Singapore. The problem with economics is that it can never measure the value of life itself, when the life of one person is no less than the lives of millions. If you can’t see the logical fallacy in your suggestion, then there is nothing constructive you can contribute to this argument.
Dear #31 Donaldson Tan,
I don’t quite understand the point you’re making in #31. Perhaps you still do not understand the simple wisdom that skyrocketing medical costs and unrestrained demand for medical services do not go together. Anyone with simple logic and a little working experience will know that. If you still have much difficulty understanding that, I don’t think I can help you.
i agree with smallvoice585 for the most part. if reading a book is a little tedious, read this british doctor. it makes an interesting read – and see how much you agree with him.
http://nhsblogdoc.blogspot.com/
#27 Donaldson Tan: as a medic i have seen TOO MANY soldiers abusing free healthcare provided by the SAF. even i did that to a certain extent. and i know people who live in the UK that abuse the nhs (like getting free medicine and shipping them to asia to sell or to give relatives).
To smallvoice585 (#32)
The point I am making is that if you cannot treasure human lives, you are in no position to judge the adequacy of any healthcare system.
To I am foolish (#33),
NHS and the SAF Medical Corp are similar, but not entirely the same. Under SAF Medical Corps, every soldier entitled to all aspects of healthcare until they are either discharged or kicked out of the military. Under NHS, free healthcare is only limited to medical consulting, surgery and doctor-prescribed testing such as X-Ray and Smear Test. Medicine and Self-initiated tests such as full body checkup are not free. Selected medication for major illnesses are subsidised but not entirely free, while most categories of medical drugs are not subsidised at all.
Dear #34 Donaldson Tan,
I’m puzzled. How did you surmise that I do not treasure human lives? I trust that most people treasure human lives. So do I. And I hope you do.
Since I do not know you personally, I have no way of knowing how much humanity you have. So I abstain from accusing you of any lack of human decency.
Dear Donaldson, though we may disagree on certain occasions, I think we should keep our discussions cordial and argue on factual matters rather than wantonly ascribe negative traits to others. I hope we agree on this point.
In any case, evaluating a health system requires only a cool and logical mind, some inside knowledge and some experience in life. An indignant self-righteousness is not required.
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Uncategorized - Jan 15, 2010 10:12 - 126 Comments
It is affordable – Mah Bow Tan
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Uncategorized - Jan 15, 2010 10:12 - 126 Comments
It is affordable – Mah Bow Tan
More In Uncategorized
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Like many Singaporean bred students, I expected London to a “wretched hive of scum and villany” :)
But it turned out to be some of the best times of my life. And realizing if nothing else, the MSM here does often paint a very bleak picture of life everywhere else.
And I have never missed the faceless, anonymous look of HDB apartments. Ever. In my time in London.
I do recall one of the “culture” shocks I experienced when I used the banking system here just after I got back. I banked in some cash to open up my account (same as what I did in the UK) and after the transaction, I asked the teller when I could use the ATM to withdraw the cash. SHe looked at me incredulously and said: Now :P I recall it took up to 3-5 days in the UK even when I had banked in cash, especially if the bank you banked it in was not your “home branch”!