Eastasiaforum.org, 8 Oct 2014
There are three main reasons why the protests in Hong Kong will not be replicated in Singapore.
First, the institutions and structures present in Hong Kong are supportive of democracy, as opposed to Singapore’s, which inhibit it. Prospects for democracy in Hong Kong are supported by three key factors: a vibrant and relatively independent media landscape, an autonomous intellectual and academic community, and fiercely independent unions.
Singapore’s media is tightly controlled. Legislation such as the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act grant the Minister wide powers and discretion to allow or disallow newspapers from operating.
The relationship between unions and the Singapore government is also a symbiotic one. The secretary general of the National Trade Union Congress is also a minister in the Prime Minister’s Office. And while strikes can be legal, the requirements for legality are so onerous that they are very unlikely to happen unless sanctioned by the National Trade Union Congress. Full story
