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Singapore Will Add Iris Scans As Identifier For Citizens And Permanent Residents Starting January 1 (channelnewsasia.com)
From the beginning of next year, authorities will start collecting iris images from Singapore citizens and permanent residents (PRs) when they register or re-register for their NRIC, or apply for or renew a passport, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). From a report: The iris images will serve as another identifier to boost verification methods, in addition to the photographs and fingerprints already used on the documents. The change is part of amendments to the National Registration Act, which were passed in Parliament in November and paves the way for iris scans to be introduced progressively at Singapore's land and sea checkpoints within the next two years. In a statement on Wednesday (Dec 28), MHA said the amendments will take effect on Jan 1.
Singapore is quite a remarkable country: it is ruled by one party since it became independent, but still it has little corruption and is very proud of this fact.
The rules for society have frozen since the independence: porn just as homosexuality is forbidden, and hetero oral sex was legalized about one decade ago (until then it was forbidden as well!). Also, they still punish people by caning, another remainder of the british colonial past.
Their low corruption index is attained through two main things: an anti-corruption agency that can act independently from the government, and lots of surveillance and spying.
Singapore is what modern colonial England would look like if there were no progress in society, and I guess mainland England is slowly developing into that direction again.
Singapore is quite a remarkable country: it is ruled by one party since it became independent, but still it has little corruption and is very proud of this fact.
It does much better than the surrounding countries at preventing low level corruption - minor government officials explicitly breaking the law in exchange for bribes. On the other hand, if corruption is defined more broadly as people in positions of power using that power for personal gain then Singapore is deeply corrupt at the very highest levels. Like North Korea, Singapore is basically owned by the descendants of the founding prime minister / dictator. For example, the current prime minister is the son of the founding prime minister. Singapore does have elections. But there is a complex network of laws limiting the ability of opposition parties to campaign effectively. The concept of freedom of speech is basically non-existent in Singapore. Back when "The Economist" put a Charlie Hebdo cartoon on it's front cover, Singapore was one of the few countries where the cover was left blank.
The rules for society have frozen since the independence: porn just as homosexuality is forbidden, and hetero oral sex was legalized about one decade ago (until then it was forbidden as well!).
And not just commercial porn but also taking naked photos in a private context (e.g. a wife sending her husband a naked selfie). But prostitution was and still is legal in Singapore (although prostitution related activities, such as pimping, are illegal so one has to be careful). In Singapore, speech (porn) is considered to be much more dangerous than actions (prostitution).
Also, they still punish people by caning, another remainder of the british colonial past.
And not just the adults but also the school children - which goes a long way toward explaining their high scores on standardized tests.
Their low corruption index is attained through two main things: an anti-corruption agency that can act independently from the government, and lots of surveillance and spying.
Free speech is very limited in Singapore - not just by law but also by culture. A couple years ago some British guy did a Facebook post implying that people in Singapore who can afford not to ride the public transportation generally don't (i.e. it's the poorer people in Singapore that ride the public transportation out of economic necessity) - and, while that's more or less the truth, he got run out out of the country with death threats. But corruption indexes are typically based on answers that people give on surveys. Imagine going to North Korea and asking people if they thought their government was corrupt - well, it's a lot like that in Singapore.
The one thing that Singapore does do well is provide a strong safety net right at the very bottom of society. Of course, you're not allowed to stay in Singapore if you're a foreigner who doesn't have a job (mandatory minimum three strokes of the cane if you stay in Singapore beyond what is allowed on your government permit). But Singapore citizens who would otherwise be in desperate poverty get all kinds of aggressive help from the government. Essentially no one is homeless in Singapore - you're either going to be in government housing or a mental hospital - but not just wandering out on the street.
Anyway, this social safety net is almost certainly a major (often overlooked) factor in the low crime (including low level corruption) rate in Singapore.
Singapore is what modern colonial England would look like if there were no progress in society, and I guess mainland England is slowly developing into that direction again.
There's a lot to like about Singapore and I'm grateful for everything that Singapore did for me while I was there. But, as a freedom-loving American, when I was finally able to find work that allowed me to move back to the USA, I just about kissed the ground when I got off the plane back onto American soil.