Singapore

Singapore evolved from a developing nation to first world status at the end of the 20th century. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, Singapore has the highest standard of living in Asia, ranking 11th in the world. Although Singapore is technically the 22nd wealthiest country in the world, according to measurements by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, research shows that a significant proportion of the population live in poverty.

The problem of poverty is especially seen amongst the elderly population. With the rise of elderly people steadily increasing in Singapore due to increasing life expectancy, geriatric malnutrition is on the rise as well. Surveys show that many elderly people have no idea what nutrition is. In 2001, 25% of patients age 61 and older at Tan Tock Seng Hospital were suffering from malnutrition. According to an interview with Mr. Lee Yeow Keong, a 70 year old bachelor who works several part-time jobs at bookstores and newsstands, “by the time [he] paid for other expenses like rent, there wasn’t much money left for buying nourishing food.”

One of the main human rights issues in Singapore is the significant restriction of speech and freedom of press. Although legally, the law provides for freedom of speech and freedom of expression, in reality these freedoms are significantly restricted. Pressure to conform and intimidation by the government results in self-censorship among journalists. Two companies, Singapore Press Holdings Ltd (SPH) and MediaCorp, own all general circulation newspapers. SPH has particularly close ties to the government-- making the coverage of domestic events and reporting of sensitive issues usually reflect government policies and the opinions of government leaders. Furthermore, strict defamation and press laws limited criticism of officials, since government leaders strongly urged the news media to support the goals of the elected leadership.

Another right that was not fully respected is the freedom of religion. The law provides for freedom of religion but the government banned some religious groups. The Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act (MRHA) gives the government power to restrain leaders and members of religious groups and institutions from carrying out political activities that interfere with religious harmony or show “disaffection against” the government. As an example, the Societies Act allowed the government to ban meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Unification Church.

Although statistics show that the adult prevalence rate of HIV is at 0.2%, it is highly suspected that actual rates are significantly higher than that. Amongst the population of newly infected individuals, about 88% were males who acquired the infection by sexual exposure to prostitutes or casual sex partners. Homosexual acts are illegal in

Singapore, and AIDS is seldom discussed. Therefore, the population that might be highly undercounted are homosexuals, since it is illegal and they will most likely be stigmatized, they are more likely to not get tested or report their results.

In society individuals with HIV/AIDS claim that they are socially marginalized and face employment discrimination if they reveal they are suffering from the disease. Although the government discouraged discrimination and praised employers that welcomed workers with HIV, activists say that AIDS awareness efforts are undermined by the laws that make gay sex illegal.

One of the main problems in Singapore is the seasonal smoke/haze resulting from the Indonesian forest fires. The worst smog hit in 1997-1998, when the El Nino weather led to major Indonesian fires that burned an area several times larger than Singapore itself. Approximately 10 years later, Singapore is still affected by the seasonal smoke, resulting from the 1997-1998 forest fires. The smoke spread to Singapore, Malaysia, and South Thailand- costing Singapore more than $60 million, mostly from a drop in tourism and industrial production. owever it is estimated that the seasonal smoke/haze, actually cost Singapore a lot more money than $60 million, because the estimate does not take into account environmental damage and long-term health effects.

In order to prevent the issue of forest fires, the Indonesian government needs to implement more effective ways to punish and prosecute illegal slash-and-burn land clearing. Furthermore, the Indonesian government needs to implement an aggressive fire prevention strategy to revise policy flaws and prevent careless forestry practice. Cleary, the uncontrollable forest fires affects the entire environment, and if action is not taken immediately, further irreversible damage will result.

The public education system in Singapore is divided into single sex and co-educational schools. Although there are no official studies made about the difference between the two, some general observations can be made about the characteristics of their students. Single sex schools, historically have been the centers of education in Singapore. All boys schools tend to have students with poor communication skills with the opposite sex, due to the lack of exposure to the opposite sex. Girls from all-girls schools tend to be very career oriented and independent, and are less likely to marry; furthermore if they do marry, it tend to be at a later age and with a higher rate of marital divorce/problems.

Many boys and girls from single-sex schools, especially from elite schools, develop sexist attitudes. Boys tend to hold the view that females in Singaporean society have too much influence and power, causing them to avoid their traditional gender roles of housekeeping and procreation. Additionally, the girls tend to hold the view that boys are unimportant in their lives.

It is clear that single-sex education has its benefits. Without the distraction of the opposite sex during the peak adolescent years, students are free to pursue academics and other interests with less distractions. However, it is clear that a better social balance needs to be made for children attending single-sex schools. These students need to socially interact with the opposite sex to avoid sexist attitudes and improve communication skills.

Other than the differences between single-sex and co-educational schools, the government has a very good public education system. Virtually 100% of children were enrolled through grade 6, and the dropout rate for secondary school was low. The overall literacy rate is 92.5%, with males at 96.6% and females at 88.6%. This might suggest that there is a little less emphasis on the education of women in comparison to men.

Autistic Association is an organization that serves individuals with autism through information and education. They act in the interests of people living with autism by promoting and encourage their treatment, education, welfare, and acceptance. Additionally, they stimulate public awareness and understanding of autism within the community and family members of people with autism, to assist people with autism reach their full potential. By promoting and facilitating research regarding the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of autism and associated conditions, they hope to improve the lives of all people living with autism.

Bone Marrow Donor Programme (BMDP) - is a non-profit organization dedicated to establishing a volunteer marrow donor registry who are willing to donate their bone marrow to people with leukemia and other life threatening blood-related diseases. Furthermore, their visions to finance testing of bone marrow donors and making the information easily accessible to patients in search of compatible donors; as well as to financially assist patients that are in need when undergoing transplants. Most importantly, they finance research into the causes and treatment of blood-related diseases, in the hope of finding better cures and preventing the development.

Down Syndrome Association (Singapore) is a non-profit organization focused on providing people with down syndrome as well as their family members with the adequate support needed. They assist people with Down Syndrome reach their full potential with the hope of allowing them to lead a normal life and contribute to society. Furthermore, they educate the public on Down syndrome to make the public more aware about this genetic disorder and prevent misconceptions.

MINDS Youth Group of Singapore is an organization that provides services that enrich the life of the intellectually disabled through a well trained team of volunteers. Their adult and teenager volunteers train people with intellectual disabilities to develop skills that enable them to lead more fulfilling lives. Furthermore, MINDS Youth Group works to educate the public on the causes of intellectual disability and provide counseling and support for trainees and their families.

Singapore Anti-Tuberculosis Association (SATA) was initially established in 1947 to eradicate tuberculosis, when TB was a major killer. Because of the declining incidences of TB, SATA has evolved into a medical clinic that provides affordable healthcare services to the community: with their target population being the less advantaged, needy, and aged. Their new mission is to provide earlier detection for other respiratory related diseases to allow earlier access to treatment.

Singapore Cancer Society works to educate the people of Singapore about cancer by initiating public education and activities aimed at preventing and controlling cancer. They also help people living with cancer as well as their family and peers through assistance programs. By providing free screening for breast cancer, cervical cancer, and colorectal cancer, the SCS promotes early detection as well as financial assistance and rehabilitation programs for people fighting cancer.

Singapore Street Festival - also known as Street Revolution, was created to provide Singaporean youths with the opportunity to inspire across multicultural boundaries and connect with popular culture. They acknowledge and recognize the strengths of their local talents by allowing youths to showcase their abilities in the performing or visual arts, sports, entrepreneurship and technology. Street Revolution believes that youths require events and activities to nurture their creative minds as well as occupy their time in a positive way.

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