Singapore: Difference between revisions

Singapore is ostensibly a representative democracy, although [[Your Mileage May Vary|some political science professors would disagree rather vehemently]]. The primary political party, the People's Action Party (PAP), has dominated elections since self-government in 1959 much like Malaysia, but their lead slipped in the 2006 election. However, since the 2008 Malaysian election where opposition parties achieve significant gains, the PAP has become weary changing political tides. In the 2011 election, the PAP's lead slipped once more, with various important constituencies nearly taken by the opposition <ref> Ah, Marine Parade. The opposition won a good chunk of the votes and almost got the current Prime Minister's team to leave Parliament. Officially, it's because the opposition was just good. Unofficially, one of the PAP members in the running, a young woman named Tin Pei Ling, created a scandal with her apparent lack of intelligence and almost doomed the party. There are currently petitions for her to step down.</ref> There is speculation that Singapore might end up as a two-party system with the Worker's Party (WP), especially with the first leader of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew and unofficial leader of PAP, finally retiring.

Some military analysts rank the Singapore Armed Forces as the best equipped and trained force in the region, since its highly-educated pool of conscripts allows it to invest in more advanced military technology. Recruitment is mostly on a conscription basis using a system similar to Israel's, with able-bodied male citizens above a certain age (sixteen and a half, usually deferred until eighteen after schooling) serving one and a half to two years of National Service, followed by Reservist duty annually. Note that 16-year-olds would be considered child soldiers, according to an optional protocol to the Geneva Convention.

* [[Singaporeans With Stealth Frigates]] - tropes describing the Singaporean military go here.

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* Faye Valentine, ''[[Cowboy Bebop]]''.

* ''G Gundam'' had one Mobile Fighter from ''Neo-''Singapore (a source of [[Unfortunate Implications]] in his own right.)

* Jenny Quantum, ''[[The Authority]]''.

* Tyger Tiger a.k.a Jessan Hoan, [[Marvel Comics]].

* The [[Theme Naming|food-themed]] Roti, Kaya, and Guyu, superheroes who run a kaya-sandwich shop, also written by the Kuppies.

* Flocculencio from ''[[AH Dot Com the Series]]'' (and see below)

* The Siak (pronounced Sok) Republic in ''[[Ghost in the Shell]]''.

* Madripoor, a [[No Communities Were Harmed]] version in [[Marvel Comics]], although there is a separate Singapore in this universe.

* Singapore has been mentioned in at least one [[James Bond]] film. Seems like [[MI 6]] has a tiny branch here.

* ''[[I Not Stupid]]'', an affectionate satire of Singapore's former education system.

* ''The Singapore Wink'' a novel by Ross Thomas.

* ''[[AH Dot Com the Series]]'' featured a futuristic cyberpunk version of Singapore that has been launched into space and now orbits the Earth; it is the original home of crew member Flocculencio.

* Freeware RPG game ''Everlong'' has a small fishing village named Singapore. Given that Singapore used to be a fishing village, it might not be entirely coincidental.

* ''Under One Roof'' - A longrunning sitcom that featured the Tan family, who live in a HDB flat in Bishan. Tan Ah Teck (played by ''Moses Lim'') is the awesome, if fat, father of the house, with many a humorous [[Aesop]], all of which taking place "[[Catch Phrase|Long, long ago, in the Southern province of China]]."