Singapore is such a small country that it cannot even be seen on the map but it has been in the news for many reasons, both good and bad. All of them made Singapore famous worldwide.
Here are the 9 things Singapore is famous for:
Fine City
Singapore is known to be a city where you can get fined even for the smallest things. For eating and/or drinking in public transport such as buses and trains, you can get fined $500. If you smoke at prohibited locations or are caught littering, you will be fined $1000. Foreigners and tourists who visit Singapore are mostly amused by the signs prohibiting these acts.
However, they will need to take it seriously because Singapore is swift when it comes to dealing with the law. In 2014, two German young men were arrested for trespassing into one of the train depots and sprayed graffiti on a train carriage. They were charged with nine months in prison and three strokes of the cane.
Chewing Gum Ban
One of the oddest laws in Singapore is the chewing gum ban. It may seem ludicrous but its implementation has great results. The obvious one is that there is no gum being stuck on public spaces and because of this, the government doesn’t have to spend millions of dollars to remove them.
Death Penalty
There are 33 crimes that warrant the death penalty under Singapore law including murder, drug trafficking, terrorism, use of firearms and kidnapping.
For example, Singapore has been maintaining its tough stance on hanging drug traffickers amidst some public outcry from local human rights groups. It even caught the attention of the United Nations human rights experts. Families of foreign drug traffickers and their respective countries have been pleading for mercy but Singapore continued with the executions. This is how seriously Singapore deals with their law.
No matter the international exposure, Singapore residents support their government in this issue, a rare occurrence. In 2021, a study found that more than 80% of Singaporeans support the death penalty.
Iconic Landmarks
Singapore employs world famous, highly decorated architects to build their iconic landmarks. Moshe Safdie of Safdie Architects, developed the design for Jewel – a mall located within another world famous landmark of Singapore, Changi Airport. A glass roof waterfall that harvests rainwater to irrigate the surrounding gardens encircling the dome-shaped structure.
The same architect also designed another iconic landmark of Singapore – the Marina Bay Sands, a towering luxury hotel with the world’s largest rooftop Infinity Pool that is shaped like a boat. This building is made even more famous by a trolling American saying that the building is located in Downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee, sparking a series of funny memes from Singaporeans.
Singlish
Singaporean English is very unique and has been analysed by linguists all over the world. A mixture of English, Malay, and Chinese dialects, it has gotten foreigners and expats from all over the world trying to speak it, much to the amusement of locals.
Hawker Centre
In 2020, Singapore’s hawker culture was added to Unesco list of intangible cultural heritage. Started as individual street peddlers selling cheap food in many different locations in the olden days, the Singapore government eventually created the hawker centre concept to ensure cleanliness and proper governance of this sector after the country’s independence.
While there are similar hawker cultures in neighbouring countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia, Singapore upgraded this culture by housing many different food sellers under one roof where a variety of food and drinks can be sold at the same time. Stalls are provided by the government and rents are controlled, allowing food to remain cheap.
Clean Streets
Singapore is known for its impeccable cleanliness. Located on the equator, Singapore’s hot and humid climate is perfect for mosquito breeding. By being clean, it helps reduce diseases brought about by the insect. Dengue fever is common but fatality rate is very low, with just 9 out of 8020 cases ending up in death.
High Standard of Living
Singapore is known to be an expensive country to visit and live in. Housing and car ownership are very expensive in Singapore. Because Singapore has no natural resources and no land space to grow and rear food, Singapore relies heavily on food and water imports especially its closest neighbour, Malaysia. This causes food and water to be more expensive and prices may change due to supply availability. For example, recently Malaysia banned chicken exports and Singapore was deeply affected by it. Prices of chicken rice increased as food stall operators needed to find alternatives from other countries.
Career Opportunities
Due to Singapore’s attractive financial environment, business owners from all over the world set up their companies in Singapore. With more businesses, more job opportunities are being created. With Singapore’s low birth rate and dwindling local workforce, the government is encouraging immigration into the country. People from all over the world, especially around the Asian region can earn more and advance their careers in Singapore. Popular sectors that are hiring include manufacturing, engineering, ICT, financial services, and aerospace and aviation.
Foreigners who want to work in Singapore, they need a valid Work Pass. There are many types of different work passes available and its eligibility is dependent on the salary offered. Examples of passes are S Pass, Employment Pass (EP), Personalised Employment Pass (PEP), and Entrepass. For example, a foreigner who got a hairdressing job offering $2500 a month ($3000 for applications from 1 Sep 2023 onwards) may be eligible for an S-Pass. For more information on Singapore Work Pass including eligibility and application, contact Immigration@SG.
