Singapore decriminalizes chewing gum? Really!

Hi there! Imran here with a brief 'hello' from sunny (and often rainy) Singapore! 

Greetings from Singapore! It's your friendly host from the Little Red Dot (aka Singapore) with the latest edition of my newsletter.* If there is one 'fact' about Singapore everyone knows it's that chewing gum is illegal here. But is it really? And why does this one obscure fact define Singapore for so many foreigners? The manufacture, sale and distribution of gum has been banned in Singapore since 1992. However, gum is to Singapore as recreational marijuana is to many European countries (and US states); that is, possessing a small amount for personal use is acceptable but just don't try to become a drug (or gum) kingpin by importing and selling in large quantities! By 2003, Singaporeans had learnt to live without gum (and think without having to chew at the same time!). Nonetheless, the law was liberalized – a teeny bit - as a result of the US-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed in 2003.  It seems passage of the FTA by the US Congress was in jeopardy unless Singapore's gum trade was liberalized!  A congressman from Illinois – the home state of Wrigley's – made the sale of gum in Singapore a prerequisite for supporting the FTA. The congressman insisted bilateral trade in chewing gum be as free as in any other 'commodity.' A face saving compromise had to be found to give the stalled FTA a push. The solution was ingenious. In 2004, gum was classified as a 'medical' product. Subsequently, certain types of gum, including sugar free and nicotine gums, became available for sale at pharmacies across the island. The catch: these 'therapeutic' gums could only be purchased with a doctor's prescription. Gum cannot be bought over the counter! (So remember, if you wish to chew gum during your stay in Singapore, please either leave some time to visit a doctor to get a prescription or 'smuggle' in a few packets for your personal consumption. There is no black market for chewing gum so don't assume you can buy gum in a back alley somewhere!) Now why was gum banned in the first place? To be sure, having chewing gum stuck to the city's pavements did not keep with Singapore's aspirations of becoming a clean and green metropolis. As anyone who has had gum stuck on their shoes (or clothes) knows removing gum is a time consuming affair. Still, on it's own that wasn't enough of a reason to warrant a ban. That all changed when people started sticking gum onto the city's subway train doors causing their automatic door sensors to malfunction. The ensuing delays and disruptions to the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) subway system pushed the authorities to legislate the ban. The ban is best summed up by former Singapore Prime Minister Lew Kuan Yew's reply to a BBC reporter's question on the chewing gum ban. "Putting chewing gum on our subway train doors so they don't open, I don't call that creativity. I call that mischief-making. If you can't think because you can't chew, try a banana." And that's the story of Singapore's world famous chewing gum ban.  Imran February 2022 February 2022 promotion: Book an Amazon Explore tour during the month of February (you may take the tour in March, April or even May!) and obtain promotional rates of USD 5 (per person for group tour) or USD 10 (private tour) for Singapore: the story of a church, a mosque, a temple & Michelin starred street food in old Chinatown. To arrange a (Singapore focused) customized live virtual tour please get in touch by WhatsApp (+65 9786 7210) or email (imran.ahmed.sg@gmail.com). Please feel free to forward this newsletter to interested persons.  PS – You may visit earlier editions of my newsletter here. * You are receiving my newsletter as you have either been on a tour with me (earlier this century) or we are connected via LinkedIn. If this intrusion is not to your liking, fair enough, it is easy for you to unsubscribe. Simply use the unsubscribe button in the footer of this email. Singapore: the story of a church, a mosque, a temple & Michelin starred street food in old Chinatown   Though ethnic Chinese comprise almost three quarters of Singapore's population, the city-state is religiously and ethnically diverse, and this live tour along the Street of Harmony, Telok Ayer Street, is a great way to see Singapore's multiculturalism.  Along the route we'll also see a street food hawker center and colorful shophouse architecture. Book now» Sights and sounds of Singapore's Little India: from Hindu temples to UNESCO recognized street food   Singapore's Indian community - though small in numbers - is an integral part of Singapore's food, culture and architectural landscape. At the heart of the community is the Little India district where all this and more are on display. Join me as we stroll through the streets and side lanes of Little India and take in the sights and sounds (not the aromas!) of this vibrant district. Book now» Facebook Instagram YouTube LinkedIn Copyright © 2021 Singapore Locally La, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. Our mailing address is: Singapore Locally La 363 B Sembawang Crescent #03-727 Sun Natura Singapore 752363 Singapore Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

Gong xi fa cai or Happy Chinese Lunar New Year (in advance)!

Hi there! Imran here with a brief 'hello' from sunny (and often rainy) Singapore! 

Greetings from Singapore! It's your friendly host from the Little Red Dot (aka Singapore)! Welcome to the second edition of my newsletter. You are receiving my newsletter as you have either been on a tour with me (earlier this century) or we are connected via LinkedIn. If this intrusion is not to your liking, fair enough, it is easy for you to unsubscribe. Simply use the unsubscribe button in the footer of this email. Singaporeans are well adjusted to the multiracial character of our city-state. Schoolchildren are taught about the main ethnicities living in Singapore, i.e. Chinese, Malay, Indian and 'others' in an effort to promote interracial harmony. However, with almost three out of four Singaporeans being of Chinese descent, the Chinese community makes up the lion's share of Singapore's population. (Lately this overwhelming Chinese majority has sparked a debate about the idea of 'Chinese Entitlement' in a multiracial state. But let's leave controversies out of this newsletter!) Therefore, one of the most important dates in Singapore's annual calendar is the Chinese Lunar New Year (CNY). The city, especially Chinatown, will be decked out to ring in the lunar new year which happens on February 1. February 1 is the day we leave behind the Year of the Ox and welcome in the Year of the Tiger. Out with the Ox and in with the Tiger! If you want to read some tea leaves about your own fortunes in the Year of the Tiger check out these predictions. The twelve animals in the Chinese zodiac Chinese New Year is a period of family, festivities, food and firecrackers (careful: setting off firecrackers without permission may land you afoul of the law in Singapore!). Festivities generally last two weeks and highlights include a CNY family reunion dinner as well as the exchange of Red Envelopes between friends and family. Traditionally, the CNY period is also a time to honor deities and visit the graves of ancestors. A red envelope - hongbao in Mandarin and ang pow in Hokkien (a Chinese dialiect widely spoken in Singapore) - is a gift of money inserted into an ornate red envelope. In Chinese culture the color red symbolizes energy, happiness and good luck. Year of the Tiger red packets Despite not being Chinese (was it my name which gave that away?), I am looking forward to the upcoming CNY celebrations. The celebratory spirit and cheerful mood are infectious! Do you have friends or family who celebrate CNY? Make it a point to wish them "gong xi fa cai" in the lunar new year. Let's hope that whatever else the Tiger may bring, the new year will once and for all take away this darned COVID-19 virus – variants and all!  Best wishes in advance for a happy, healthy and prosperous Year of the Tiger! Imran January 2022 PS - To arrange a (Singapore focused) customized live virtual tour please get in touch by WhatsApp (+65 9786 7210) or email (imran.ahmed.sg@gmail.com). Also, please feel free to forward my newsletter to interested persons.  PPS – You may visit the last edition of my newsletter here. Singapore: the story of a church, a mosque, a temple & Michelin starred street food in old Chinatown   Though ethnic Chinese comprise almost three quarters of Singapore's population, the city-state is religiously and ethnically diverse, and this live tour along the Street of Harmony, Telok Ayer Street, is a great way to see Singapore's multiculturalism.  Along the route we'll also see a street food hawker center and colorful shophouse architecture. Book now» Sights and sounds of Singapore's Little India: from Hindu temples to UNESCO recognized street food   Singapore's Indian community - though small in numbers - is an integral part of Singapore's food, culture and architectural landscape. At the heart of the community is the Little India district where all this and more are on display. Join me as we stroll through the streets and side lanes of Little India and take in the sights and sounds (not the aromas!) of this vibrant district. Book now» Facebook Instagram YouTube LinkedIn Copyright © 2021 Singapore Locally La, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. Our mailing address is: Singapore Locally La 363 B Sembawang Crescent #03-727 Sun Natura Singapore 752363 Singapore Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.