You know you’re in #Singapore when “WE ARE WATCHING YOU” ad campaigns about people snitching is considered a big positive. Calling the police is a national pastime
While Singaporeans are encouraged to watch and report one another, who is watching the government, state organs, and other organisations with power?
Just to state for clarity, I never said that people shouldn’t ever report crimes; I’m pointing out that it isn’t great for social cohesion if we constantly promote a culture/narrative in which we are encouraged to monitor and police one another.
A similar point, albeit in a different context, was made in @acadsingapore when #Singapore was considering making contact tracing apps mandatory: academia.sg/academic-views…
#Singapore encourages snitching: if you’re not wearing a mask, if you’re not social distancing, if you’re riding a PMD on footpath, if you’re smoking in the wrong place etc. It’s one thing to encourage civic consciousness, but what narratives are we really promoting?
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