Tan Kin Lian's Blog: Tunisia and Singapore

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Tunisia and Singapore

SGEP has a story about the overthrow of the government in Tunisia and the President Ben Ali had fled the country. This development has significance to Singapore.

I visited Tunisia on two occasions in recent years. I asked my host about the government. They had one party in power for more than 20 years and the same President in charge. They had regular elections. The ruling power has strong links to the trade union movement, the grassroots organisations and many other institutions in the country. The similarity between the structure of government of Tunisia and Singapore struck me at that time.

I asked my host how do the people feel about the President? It was a mixed feeling. He was a strong leader and is quite well respected. But there was a hint that it was also accompanied by some kind of fear and unease. Does this sound similar?

I thought that President Ben Ali and the ruling party had control over the military, the police and the power in the country. So, it was a surprise that he had fled the country. Read this article.

Tan Kin Lian

More news and pictures about Tunisia.
Election in Tunisia
Atmosphere of represssion

10 comments:

Falcon said...: Who was the minister in charge of home affairs in Tunisia? Who are the generals in their army? Who controls their investment arm? Who controls their military? Obviously Ben Ali did not get the right people in charge there, thats why he has to flee.; January 15, 2011 8:30 PM
michael13 said...: Politically, Singaporeans must be prepared to pay the price to start developing a TWO-PARTY system. Stop subscribing to PAP's theory(non-sense) of their estates' upgrading programme - the only way to preserve and increase the values of their properties.

Ben Ali's case is not likely to happen in Singapore because more and more mature Singaporeans realise that the main problem that we are facing NOW is an issue of 'disconnect'. The ordinary Singaporeans find it very hard to identify with their present political leaders for one reason or another. It seems that the present leadership is suffering from a disease of trust-deficit judging from the feeling of the ground so far. Very sad to say that!!; January 16, 2011 8:41 AM
Alastair Su said...: Dear Mr. Tan,

With all due respect, I think the comparisons between Singapore and Tunisia are inappropriate. Singapore is by no means perfect, but the level of social injustice in Tunisia was relatively much worse. The riots were sparked off by a college graduate who, trying to sell a can of vegetables, got his vegetables confiscated by the police for not having a permit.

If you can demonstrate a similar incident happening in Singapore, please do.

Again, I will repeat myself: Singapore is far from an ideal country, with a great deal of social problems, but let's not compare apples and oranges here.

Yours respectfully,

ASYH; January 16, 2011 2:34 PM
Tan Kin Lian said...: Dear Alistair Su
I agree with you. There are also other differences. Tunisia is described as a socialist republic while Singapore is more capitalist and free market.; January 16, 2011 2:54 PM
Tan Kin Lian said...: Alistair Su
I think that the police do arrest people in Singapore for selling things without a permit. It seems that another difference is the the Tunisian are willing to go on a riot, but the people in Singapore are tame.

There are similarities and differences.; January 16, 2011 3:02 PM
Anonymous said...: @Alistair Su

Mr Tan Kin Lian is correct, partially at least. The Police in Singapore, while empowered by the law, do not usually arrest people for selling items without a permit - however the NEA do under the laws against "illegal hawking".

If you do not see it happening, it is only because of how the system is run, and not because they do not enforce such rules.

For those old enough, you should remember Channel 8's dramas of old where street hawkers scatter from their corners upon the arrival of cops. The laws for such hasn't changed; just the focus.

These days the authorities are more likely to target the illegal hawkers for un-taxed cigarettes than those selling vegetables - simply because there is more money going into government coffers - and hence the top dogs' year-end bonuses - by ensuring a steady flow of tax for luxury items.

Fine of vegetable sellers are peanuts compared to taxation - and our ruling elites couldn't care less about peanuts; remember?; January 16, 2011 5:49 PM
Gary said...: Part 1
Alistair Su,
Let me give you an eye witness account. I saw it with my own eyes as well as other residents: A large open lorry came. On board were some labourer-types. The lorry was also loaded with tools like changkol, crow iron, axes, etc. There were also the wreckages and debris of what became clear moments later -of wrecked stalls.

The labourers jumped of their transport and set to work on a couple of hawker stalls in the car park with their tools. They basically SMASHED everything up with their changkol, crow bars and axes, including glass-lined insulated boxes and threw them on to the large open lorry. All this right in front of the stall owners who stood helplessly by as they watched the destruction of their properties. They could do nothing since the labourers were accompanied by govt officials. I saw this happened at least a couple of time. Where and when did this took place? Singapore, in an HDB estate, in the late 60s.

Rule of law? Coincidentally, JUST before I witnessed the first of such incidents, I had just watched an episode of an American TV series in which an American Hot Dog seller plying the streets of an American city was set upon by some people who did exactly the same thing to his hot dog stand -smashing it to bits. The only difference was that the hot dog seller was a victim of a crime for those men who smashed his stand were gangsters - the Mafia to be more precise!

Those incidents I witness at my HDB estate left an indelible mark in my memory of stark and brutal acts of Singapore govt officials against Singaproeans.

Time may have changed, no such overt and brutal acts are seen publicly anymore. Methods are different. But I propose to you that the same mindset and approach to 'solutions' is still very much a part of the govt's M.O.! Look at what happened to some of the opposition members. Look at how some Singaporeans are evicted from their flats and have to camp by Changi beach. Look at how some have their utility supply cut off for falling back on their payments. Look at how the handicapped are left to charity, with many living in desperate circumstance with the govt providing only the most cursory of assistance. Look at how the MOE refuses, to be responsible for the education of handicapped Singaporeans, again leaving them to charity. One can go on and on. People deserved to have spurs dug into their sides- this according to the most senior and most powerful political figure here.

Finally, just recently I saw this bare bodied old man collecting empty drink cans from a hawker centre. He then went to a corner and started to use his feet to flatten them before adding to his collection from an earlier rounds. And those Chinatown ancient ladies pushing a cart loaded with collected cardboard boxes to sell for a mere few cents.

First world city Singapore with a third world mentality govt. That's what we have become!; January 16, 2011 11:51 PM
Gary said...: Part 2:

hose incidents I witness at my HDB estate left an indelible mark in my memory of stark and brutal acts of Singapore govt officials against Singaproeans.

Time may have changed, no such overt and brutal acts are seen publicly anymore. Methods are different. But I propose to you that the same mindset and approach to 'solutions' is still very much a part of the govt's M.O.! Look at what happened to some of the opposition members. Look at how some Singaporeans are evicted from their flats and have to camp by Changi beach.

Look at how some have their utility supply cut off for
falling back on their payments. Look at how the
handicapped are left to charity, with many living in
desperate circumstance with the govt providing only
the most cursory of assistance. Look at how the MOE refuses, to be responsible for the education of handicapped Singaporeans, again leaving them to
charity. One can go on and on. People deserved to have spurs dug into their sides- this according to the most senior and most powerful political figure here.

Finally, just recently I saw this bare bodied old man collecting empty drink cans from a hawker centre. He then went to a corner and started to use his feet to flatten them before adding to his collection from an earlier rounds. And those Chinatown ancient ladies pushing a cart loaded with collected cardboard boxes to sell for a mere few cents.

First world city Singapore with a third world mentality govt. That's what we have become!; January 16, 2011 11:59 PM
captaincaveman said...: I think the current Singapore is more like the Animal Farm than Tunisia.

Two legs good and four legs bad.; January 17, 2011 10:20 AM
yujuan said...: Hate to see old men and women collecting empty drink cans and cardboard boxes in wealthy Singapore, this is called Govt leaders feasting on big fish and meats, while the poor elderly are relegated to eating peanuts and ikan bilis.
This is not the kind of wealthy Singapore we want to see, it smacks of hypocrisy and inhuman justice.; January 17, 2011 4:28 PM