TR EMERITUS

As a quitter for 8 years now, I hardly keep up with news from the home much. However I was back recently for 3 weeks and I was surprised by the number of floods, in July! Now, I remember the floods when I was a kid, but that was over 20 years ago, and far as I can remember, there was no major floods in the years before I left. I... 

I am not sure if I should thank this guy named Alan Shadrake or not. Because of his book, A Jolly Hangman, which I have not read, the death penalty is suddenly shoved to the forefront of public awareness, a la storm in a tea cup. After so many years in the doldrums, if you ask any Singaporean, they will tell you unequivocally... 

"Chewing gum is banned in Singapore?" a curious friend in Bangkok asks. Encouraged by my nod, she cautiously probes:"What happens when you get caught, death sentence?" You laugh. Perhaps the question was almost child-like in its naivety. But it highlights the far-reaching reputation of a government that freely dishes out harsh...