Name: Benito, John Martin G.

Course & Section: IT 201

Subject: Philosophy

Professor: Jumel G. Estrañero

The Philosophy of Singapore’s Law and Rules

Introduction
Singapore is known for its impeccable cleanliness and low crime rate. The country has
such a strong reputation for being safe that the authorities had to put out a warning stating that “low crime
does not mean no crime,” reminding people to stay vigilant. But, as with most good things, the high
regard the country gets for its cleanliness and safety comes with a price. Singapore is sometimes called
“The Fine City,” but this title has a double meaning that you don’t want to be on the wrong end of. The
label refers to the immaculate, or fine, state that Singapore is in, but also for the many different fines the
country imposes.

Unfortunately, it takes a little more than common sense to know what is right and wrong
while visiting or studying in Singapore. There are acts considered harmless in your home country that are
illegal in Singapore. But there is no need to fear or be deterred from studying abroad in this unique and
beautiful place. It is easy to become aware of these laws and customs.
Anatomy

The Importance of Discipline

Singaporeans place a lot of importance on discipline, and corporal punishment is widely accepted.
Caning is not only used to punish criminals but also as a disciplinary measure in schools, the military, and
in the domestic scene. Do not be surprised to find canes sold in grocery stores. They usually cost around
50 Singapore cents and are made of thin rattan with a plastic hook at the end to serve as the handle.
They are made for the sole purpose of parental caning. Make sure you respect the local culture and
adhere to their strict standards of proper behavior.

Chewing Gum

Chewing gum is banned in Singapore so leave it at home when packing your bags. Importation of
chewing gums into the country, even if it is not for trading, is illegal. The current set of regulations does
not have provisions for carrying gum for personal use. Improper disposal of gum and carrying large
quantities of the banned product will cost a hefty fine of up to $1000 for first time offenders.

A proposal on the ban of chewing gums has long been in place, stemming from maintenance problems in
high-rise housing flats (gum stuck inside keyholes, in mailboxes, and on elevator buttons). Chewed wads
left on seats of public buses, pavement in public areas, stairways, and floors were also considered
serious problems. Regarded as a drastic measure, the initial ban was not successful. The tide turned
when the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) began its operations. The $5 billion project was the biggest public
project implemented in the country, bringing high expectations with it. When vandals started sticking gum
on the door sensors of the MRT trains it was the last straw, especially when it started causing
malfunctions and disruption of services. The chewing gum ban earned its merit and was finally enacted.

Littering

Singapore is bent on maintaining its reputation of being impeccably clean, with an active campaign
against littering and stringent enforcement in place. First time offenders who throw small items like
cigarette butts or candy wrappers are fined $300. Those who throw out bigger items like drink cans or
bottles are considered defiant and are required to appear before the court. The punishment usually
involves a Corrective Work Order (CWO), where the offenders clean up a specified area while wearing a
bright luminous green vest. The CWO was implemented in the hopes of making offenders realize the
hardship cleaners have to go through to keep the surroundings clean, and to make them understand just
how unsightly litter is. It is also admittedly aimed at publicly shaming the offenders to ensure that they
don’t regress to being a litterbug again.

Smoking

Smoking is prohibited in certain areas in Singapore. The smoking prohibition currently covers all indoor
places where the public congregates. The ban was revised in 2009 to include indoor public places that
are not air-conditioned, such as shopping centers, offices, and shops. Outdoor public facilities, like fitness
areas, sports courts, and playgrounds, were also included in the extension. In 2013, the ban extended
even further to include multi-purpose halls, pedestrian overhead bridges, covered walkways and link ways,
hospital outdoor compounds, and a five-meter perimeter around bus shelters. The extension also
includes common areas of residential buildings.

The so-called Smoking (prohibition in certain places) Act was put in place to ensure a safe, healthy, and
clean environment for the public, safeguarding people from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke.
Thankfully for visitors, the law also requires signage and other such measures to ensure that the public is
well informed.

Homosexual Relationship

The legislation on “Outrages on Decency” criminalizes same sex relations. This law used to be under the
umbrella of “unnatural sex” or sex “against the order of nature.” Violators of this law can cost the offender
up to two years in prison.

Jaywalking

Jaywalking is a term that was first coined in the U.S. and is now widely used in many countries. It refers to
the reckless or illegal crossing of pedestrians on roads. In Singapore, jaywalking mainly refers to crossing
the street in non-designated areas. Make sure you look for marked pedestrian lanes before crossing the
street.

Urinating in Elevators & not Flushing the Toilet

Not flushing the toilet is more than just a breach of propriety in Singapore, you will be breaking the law if
you do so. Expect to pay a fine if you get caught. Don’t even think of urinating in elevators, as they are
equipped with Urine Detection Devices (UDD), which detect the scent of urine, setting off an alarm and
closing the doors until the police arrive to arrest the offender.

Vandalism

Vandalism is a serious offense in Singapore, with penalties that include not only fines, but also jail, and
three to eight strokes of caning. The act constitutes damages done to both public and private properties.
Damaging, destroying and stealing public property, as well as drawing, painting, writing, inscribing, and
marking any private property without the owner’s consent are considered illegal. Affixing placards, posters,
banners, and flags is also prohibited.

Drugs

It is important to note that the Singaporean authority does not distinguish between drugs taken back
home before you entered the country, and those taken within their borders. The Singapore police is
authorized to run a random drug test on both locals and visiting foreigners. Make sure you are cleared of
any substance before entering the country, or even better, never consume!

This system of Singapore is based on the English common law system. Major areas of law –
particularly administrative law, contract law, equity and trust law, property law and tort law – are
largely judge-made, though certain aspects have now been modified to some extent by statutes. However,
other areas of law, such as criminal law, company law and family law are almost completely statutory in
nature.
Apart from referring to relevant Singaporean cases, judges continue to refer to English case law where
the issues pertain to a traditional common-law area of law, or involve the interpretation of Singaporean
statutes based on English enactments or English statutes applicable in Singapore. These days, there is
also a greater tendency to consider decisions of important Commonwealth jurisdictions such as Australia
and Canada, particularly if they take a different approach from English law.
Certain Singapore statutes are not based on English enactments but on legislation from other jurisdictions.
In such situations, court decisions from those jurisdictions on the original legislation are often examined.
Thus, Indian law is sometimes consulted in the interpretation of the Evidence Act (Cap. 97, 1997 Rev.
Ed.) and the Penal Code (Cap. 224, 2008 Rev. Ed.) which were based on Indian statutes.
On the other hand, where the interpretation of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (1985
Rev. Ed., 1999 Reprint) is concerned, courts remain reluctant to take into account foreign legal
materials on the basis that a constitution should primarily be interpreted within its own four walls rather
than in the light of analogies from other jurisdictions; and because economic, political, social and other
conditions in foreign countries are perceived as different.
Certain laws such as the Internal Security Act (Cap. 143) (which authorizes detention without trial in
certain circumstances) and the Societies Act (Cap. 311) (which regulates the formation of associations)
that were enacted during British rule in Singapore remain in the statute book, and
both corporal and capital punishment are still in use.

Requiem:
For the conclusion of the research, I would say that Singapore is a very strict country but it is
because of they want to preserve the nature, and to teach the people how to be a moral person and now
Singapore is well known country because of the people there are disciplined by the law and that is why I
base to the philosophy of Kant and Machiavelli because the law of Singapore is cruel but it is for the good
of the country and to have a morality in there self.

So Singapore is ranks 5th on the UN Human Development Index and the 3rd highest GDP per capita. It is
ranked highly in education, healthcare, life expectancy, quality of life, personal safety and housing.
Although income inequality is high, 90% of homes are owner-occupied. 38% of Singapore's 5.6 million
residents are permanent residents and other foreign nationals. There are four official languages: English
(common and first language), Malay, Mandarin and Tamil; almost all Singaporeans are bilingual.
Reference:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore

https://www.goabroad.com/articles/study-abroad/singapore-laws-
to-know-before-you-go

http://www.businessinsider.com/singapore-rules-laws-etiquette-
gum-drugs-2012-2