'Asia — with plumbing’

Press, 1 May 1978, Page 12

' Asia — with plumbing’

Singapore

Singapore, one of the world’s smallest countries, has become one of the most successful shopping bazaars on earth. With little to offer in the way of beaches or other tourist, attractions, the island Republic concentrates on good hotels, restaurants and, above all, attractive shops. The air-conditioning even extends to the pavements, beckoning the sweating traveller in out of the strong sunshine to sample wares from many parts of the world. In big stores along the main shopping street, Orchard Road, you can choose your steak, flown from New Zealand, Australia, the United States, or Britain.

Fresh oysters in the numerous restaurants are

flown in from South Korea and Australia while the mouth-watering barbecued crab served in the open air along the island’s east coast arrive daily by air from Indonesia.

Having gorged themselves on sea food and other culinary delights like Chinese steamboat (you cook your own food by dipping it in a bowl of steaming hot water), many tourists head for Bugis Street — the nearest Singapore get to public naughtiness. Here hundreds of tourists sit at tables set up on pavements and in the open street while transvestites, or “shims” (shehims) as they are called here, parade before them.

These female impersonators, many of whom have had sex-change operations which are available in Sinagpore, have silicon-in-jected breasts, beautiful hair styles, and a comehither manner. The Government, which is tough on open prostitution, tolerates this thin-ly-veiled vice because of its attraction for tourists although the Tourist Department no longer features Bugis Street in its advertisements. An estimated 1.5 M tourists — more than half the population of the State — visited Singapore last year and if they keep increasing at the same pace Singapore will be bursting at the seams with 5M bv the 1980 s.

Most tourists stay only two or three weeks. So far as the facilities of daily life are concerned, everything works here. Singapore has been called “Asia with plumbing.”

You can dial London or New York, watch an American serial on colour television, sample your favourite scotch and travel by air-conditioned taxi. At the airport you can pass through all formalities in 10 minutes — one of the fastest exists anywhere.

The efficiency, however, is not always matched by charm, and many visitors complain about the lack of smiles they encounter

from officials or shop girls. Now a campaign is under way to get people in public services here to smile more and become more pleasant in contacts with visitors.

While prostitution is officially banned, taxidrivers frequently whisper: “Want a girl?” to tourists and ■ there are many bars where girls can be engaged at 15 Singapore dollars (SNZ6) an hour to sit or dance with a client.

Singapore is a multiracial society with a Chinese majority and minority communities of Malays and Indians.

The girls in their colourful slit skirts (Chinese), saris (Indian) or Malayan kebayas often look stunning, and lunchhour in the business area

of Shenton Way or the fashionable Robinson Road can be a giant fashion parade. Hundreds of vessels anchored offshore are visible testimony to Singapore’s being the world's fourth largest port. The Republic has also developed as a shipbuilding and ship-re-pairing centre. A recent offshore oil exhibition and conference also underlined the fact that Singapore is the centre for the regional petroleum business. Policemen seem to be everywhere, including part-time cops called vigilantes.

During a recent campaign against jay-walkers, every road crossing seemed to have three or four policemen with pencils poised to book offenders.

Singapore remains one of the cleanest cities in the world by virtue of tough discipline. Drop a cigarette butt or packet and vou are liable to a fine of 500 Singapore dollars (SNZ2OO) for littering.

While patrons await the main feature in a cinema, the screen lights up with an almost endless lists of don’ts: Do not smoke. . . do not litter. . . do not bring drink bottles in. . . do not put your feet on the seat in front. . . Large wall notices in public offices warn youths with long hair that they will be served last. Some youths in recent times have been stopped at the airport and given a compulsory ropping.

But the ban seems to have been relaxed in recent months. Nearly every youth of Malay stock now sports long hair and longhaired young Chinese men are seen more and more. Pop concerts are unknown here and the most exciting thing most bars can boast is a pianist.

The discipline may be dull, but statistics show that Singapore has the highest standard of living in Asia apart from Japan.

Everyone may not smile. But the people are all well fed.

By

GRANVILLE WATTS