So Singapore made news earlier this week for being the happiest country in Asia, according to the World Happiness Report 2017. That’s all jolly and good, but a closer look at the report tells a deeper story. Singapore actually slipped four places from 2016’s rankings, from 22nd to 26th this year, despite still holding onto the crown within Asia. Globally, Singapore continues to trail behind western nations who have historically led the happiness charts.
We should give credit where credit is due, and not look down on this achievement. Singapore is way ahead of neighboring Malaysia (at 42nd spot), Japan (at 51st spot) and South Korea (at 56th spot), and there is no denying the excellent standards of living here. But What is catalyzing this perceived drop in happiness from the local populace then? It may take another study to find out the real answer, but here are some happenings from recent memory that may be stoking the flames of dissatisfaction for us everyday people.
Losing culturally meaningful landmarks
Next on the national gentrification pipeline are the Sungei Road flea market, Rochor Centre and parts of the Ellison Building. The storied Sungei Road flea, more affectionately known as the Thieves Market, is making way for a new Sungei Road MRT Station, while the latter two buildings are being torn down in order for the North-South Expressway to be built.
We can wax lyrical all day as to why the vendors at the Thieves Market deserve to preserve their source of livelihood, or how the rainbow-hued Rochor Centre and conserved Ellison Building have etched their way into our fond memories. But the main loss for all of us is the blow—yet another one—to our collective memory of culturally significant places that we can co-associate with.
Culling of wild animals
The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) earlier this year culled 24 free-roaming chickens at the Thomson View estate on Sin Ming Avenue, causing an uproar among concerned citizens as to why such a severe measure was taken. The issue was only exacerbated when it was found that the chickens were possibly of an endangered red junglefowl species, but was never allowed confirmation through DNA testing. Akin to the animal groups who vocalised their concerns, we believe there is definitely room for exchanges between the authorities and wildlife experts before such extreme approaches towards animal control are decided upon.
Museum and bookstore closures
Independent repositories of art and literature are not having an easy time staying afloat in our city-state. Besides the sudden closure of the MAD Museum of Art & Design on Tanglin Road earlier this week, last year’s shutter of the world renowned Pinacotheque de Paris’ Singapore outpost came as a shock to the community as well. Lesser-known establishments like Art Social Haus, a coworking space for artists, also closed its doors just as 2016 turned a corner.
Meanwhile, the beloved Basheer Graphic Books chain had to downsize regionally, while the likes of BooksActually had to contend with new business models ranging from subscription boxes to book vending machines. All we can hope for is the continued fervency for #SingLit, whether through new and inventive platforms (poetry slams, readings etc.) or through more traditional print formats alike.
Surging taxi prices
Jumping on the surge pricing bandwagon perpetuated by Uber and Grab are legacy taxi companies like Comfort Delgro and SMRT. This means that regular cab ride prices could soon be subjected to the ups and downs of supply and demand. For the commuter, this simply means that we need to be prepared for a scenario where taxi fares are going to skyrocket just as we need them the most. The only silver lining here is the possibility that the livelihoods of cabbie uncles do actually improve through better earnings.
Leaving individual freedoms alone
Photo credit: Flickr user Benson Kua (@bensonkua)
It’s bad enough that Singapore’s censorship board decided to have a field day about that particular kiss when Les MIserables was showing at Esplanade, but to have history repeat itself for a seemingly innocent film like Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, is astounding. If you’ve already been to the cinemas to catch the film, you’d realize just how ridiculous the supposed “controversy surrounding Disney’s first gay character has been. Lucky for us, the blink-and-you-would-miss-it-scene, which depicted LeFou’s only gay moment in the show, was left untouched. This is a small win for tolerance in this nation, but we’ll take what we can get; as long as the anti-LGBT Wear White campaign doesn’t rear its ugly head at this year’s Pink Dot gathering.
