Singapore ranked 86th out of 104 countries in “democratic institutions”
October 28th, 2009 | 
Author: From our Correspondent
Despite its lofty 23rd position out of 104 countries in the Legatum Prosperity Index, Singapore scored miserably in other sub-index rankings such as “democratic institutions” and “personal freedom”.
The 2009 Legatum Prosperity Index ranks 104 countries worldwide based on a definition of prosperity that combines economic growth together with measures of happiness and quality of life.
It is based on statistical analysis of more than 40 years of data for more than 100 countries worldwide, produced and supervised by the Legatum Institute, with input from the research consultancy Oxford Analytica and a panel of respected academic advisors in the fields of economics, history, development, sociology, and political science.
Below are selected sub-index rankings of Singapore:
Despite the process of representative elections, the overall level of democracy in Singapore is low. The population is limited in its ability to participate in the political process and civil liberties are severely restricted. With designated executive elections, the regulation of the election process is low and there is a significant degree of autocracy. The judiciary is, however, independent and free from political interference. Singapore has a relatively stable political system that has been in place for 42 years, ranking the country 28th for regime stability.
The major limitation on Singapore’s freedom is its low ranking for freedom of religion, movement, and choice, locating the country at 73rd. Whilst the ranking for individual freedom is low, 79% of the population remain satisfied with the level of choice and control they possess over their lives.* Over 80% of the population believe the country to be a desirable destination for ethnic minorities and immigrants.* (Gallup World Poll)
Singapore displays mixed levels of social capital. A high proportion of people believe friends to be important and 91% believe they can rely upon family and friends, ranking the country 28th, worldwide.* Whilst a high 61% reported having donated money, only 15% reported volunteering and 30% claimed having helped a stranger, ranking the country in the bottom third on these variables.* General trust in others is low at 15% of the population, and membership of groups and clubs is low, with 7% of the population involved in sports, 7% in arts, and just 1% in environmental activities.*
[Source: 2009 Prosperity Index]
The disturbing thing is not the figures but the fact that 79 per cent of Singaporeans remain satisfied with the level of “freedom” they “enjoyed” under the authoritarian regime which shows that they are still largely ignorant of their political and civil rights.
Political rights does not entail merely voting at the polls once every five years. It includes political awareness and maturity as well as interest of the citizenry to partake in the socio-political life of their nation.
Right now, Singaporeans are so apathetic that they are simply content to leave the entire running of the nation to the nanny state dominated by one single party with no independent institutions to check on it which lies the greatest danger.
How can Singaporeans be sure that their leaders are always capable and incorruptible? What if one Chen Shui Bian were to take over the reins of the government one day, will we be able to detect his chicanery, let alone remove him from power via peaceful and legal means?
The archaic political system which has served the ruling party so well for five decades is a ticking time bomb for Singapore once the senior leaders pass on for there is no system in place to check on the incumbent to ensure some sort of accountability and transparency on its part.
There is no free press to expose the mistakes and fallacies of the executive. The Law Society is muzzled not to speak up on legislative matters unless asked to. The opposition is too weak to poise any challenge on the ruling party and Singaporeans remain far and large, ignorant and disinterested in the current affairs and politics.
Unless Singaporeans wake up from their slumber, our rankings in “democratic institutions” and “personal freedoms” will continue to fall and will eventually drag down the other economic sub-indices one day.
Posted in Editorial
Pathetic but does it matter to the powers that be? They have become callous and insensitive to such comments and ratings.
Next is corruption. Would you classify paying yourselves millions legally but without the electorate’s mandate corruption or simply what they deserve? When you rate yourselves, you can be Gods. However, paying yourselves in excess of the aggregate of the whole of the US cabinet?
That is absolute avarice.
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Change will come to Singapore. The ruling party can to little to stop Change even as it desperately tries to cling on to power. The have tried every trick in the book, even to the extend of bring in foreigner who will be grateful to them. None of these measure will work.
Either the ruling party opens up the political arena or it has to adopt harsher and more restrictive laws to suppress the aspirations of the populace for more political freedom.
Knowing the MIW, they will likely lean towards the latter. This will make Singapore the pariah of the free world and put in firmly into the corner with North Korea.
The people of Singapore have no choice but to vote in the opposition before the situation in Singapore becomes irreversible. The time for change is now.
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Without democracy, a country cannot withstand an external onslaught. Once a neighboring country attacks, the easily frightened and subservient Singaporean will simply surrender. He will be too smart and too scared to fight an bigger invading force – dying for nothing.
No amount of national service and reserve training can make a kiasu and kiasi citizen into a real soldier who is willing to defend the foreigner-infested tiny island to the last drop of blood.
Most probably, the elitist leaders will be the ones who surrender first. I will not be surprised if they already have their millions or billions safely hidden in foreign banks, and purchased beautiful houses in other countries (ready for their wives and children to abscond to in times of impending war) using the excuse that they are just investments in real estates.
Dictatorship cannot last long. It has been proven many times. Even the LDP of Japan has already been thrown out. In fact, most of the Asian countries have changed. Even Communist China,Russia and Vietnam are becoming more democratic than Singapore, which is becoming more communistic than the communist countries. Indonesia and the Philippines, once controlled by the dictators Suharto and Marcos, are now paving the way towards democracy and more open societies. Singapore in doing just the opposite.
The only dictatorship countries left in Asia now are North Korea, Burma and Singapore. These three ruthless dictators must go, the sooner the better for their citizens and for the whole world.
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You sickos can bluff till the cows come home. People have eyes to see the region and the world at large and compare lah.
Please don’t waste your time talking cock as though Singaporeans are fools.
The majority are educated and travel widely.
So the world that is here wants to learn from “bad” Singapore. Don’t tickle our toes.
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the day it arrives, the election dept must independently function out of the PM office.
the judiciary and the law society must be reinstated and held honourably by men and woman to remove all unjust laws to return its democratic rights for its citizens…
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4 out of ten young Singaporeans studying overseas never return. 9 out of ten PRs won’t convert to citizenship. 3,000 Singaporeans relocate to Australia and the west every year.
Things will only get worse if we don’t act now. Change must come now before Singapore slips to last place on the ranking for democratic countries.
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really? 4 out of ten young Singaporeans who study overseas don’t return? and 9 out of 10 PRs don’t convert? may i know where these statistics are from, please? was there some study done? if there is, quite interested to find out more.
interesting to note that 9 out of 10 PRs don’t convert. just wondering though… even if they don’t convert, by the virtue of the fact that they are PRs, it should mean that they would be paying taxes. so at the very least they would be contributing to the coffers of Singapore. and we certainly would need our coffers to be very full if we want to have a comprehensive social safety net for the less fortunate amongst us…
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One should not limit oneself to just Singapore. We are citizens of the world.
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Truthisagreatoffender on Thu, 29th Oct 2009 11:58 am
….” One should not limit oneself to just Singapore. We are citizens of the world….”
Oh I am sure, truth is the greatest offender. Tell me Singaporeans any different from these Sri Lankan refugees wanting to go to Australia as in your words ” citizens of the world”?? They are facing the perils of violent force on high seas which could costs their lives in the high seas.
Read on for the sanity of your hyppocritical mind.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26274796-601,00.html
Truth is on global news. Are you awake ever?
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rc on Thu, 29th Oct 2009 12:41 am
….”really? 4 out of ten young Singaporeans who study overseas don’t return? and 9 out of 10 PRs don’t convert?…”
Here is the answer in two parts.
8 out of 10 Singaporean scholars who went studying abroad said they don’t want to come back. The source is from internet http:www.asiaone.com.sg recently. Nobody keep this kind of statistic publishing. Do your own homework, ring them up and ask for relevant date.
9 out of 10 PR won’t convert into citizenship. DO YOUR OWN MATHS. Find out how many PR converted a year to citizen from Government statistics against those number who were granted PR. You get a rough idea that in recent years it is 5% to 10% range. AGAIN DO YOUR OWM HOME WORK,
I WON’T DO IT FOR YOU.
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