Singapore ranks highly in international measures like education but scores poorly in rankings of press freedom and execution rates. While Singapore presents itself as a liberal democracy, it has an autocratic political culture with heavy restrictions on dissent like strict media control and laws against criticism. The latest example is a British author who was jailed and fined for his book questioning Singapore's legal system and death penalty. While Singapore claims restrictions protect social stability, other Asian nations like Hong Kong and Taiwan have thrived with more freedom of speech. By refusing to grant its people basic freedoms, Singapore is harming itself. The prosecution of the author also brought more attention to his legitimate criticisms of Singapore's system of routine executions.

1. Language Exercise #2 - Editing (Singapore and Freedom – The Guardian)
Ms Pepper Lee Page 1
Name:_________________________________ Class:_______
ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE EXERCISES #2: EDITING
Instructions:
Read the following article (which will be useful for students specializing in media/ censorship or Crime
and Punishment.). Spot the errors and correct them in the column on the right. These can be both
grammar and spelling errors. There are altogether 30 errors – attempt to edit them all.
Once again, note: Do attempt this exercise without looking up answers. For further explanation of rules,
drop me a message (email/ text) and let’s make use of the September holidays to work on grammar/
spelling issues!
Topic: Freedom of Press/ Capital Punishment in Singapore
Article 2: Singapore & Freedom
17 November 2010, The Guardian
Article (with errors) Edits
Singapore is proud of it’s place near the top of many international rankings.
Its school system is by some measures the world's best. The island state
promotes itself as diverse, competative and cultured – an exciting global hub.
But there are two league tables which shame Singapore. The first, compelled
by the campaigning group Reporters Without Borders, place the country
136th in the world for press freedom– below Iraq and Zimbabwe. The
second is the rate in which Singapore executes convicted criminals:
argueably higher, per capita, than any other country in the world.
Singapore presents itself as a modern liberal democracy: it had a parliament,
elections, courts, a constitutionally right to free speech and the consumerist
gloss of capitalism. Its citizens are free to become rich and to travel. Much
do both. The country has by any measure succeeded since independance. But
it’s autocratic political culture – overseen by the country's founding father
and current official Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew– is highly and
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2. Language Exercise #2 - Editing (Singapore and Freedom – The Guardian)
Ms Pepper Lee Page 2
needlessly restrictive. The media is largely state-owned. Defame and
contempt laws threatens dissent. The latest victim of these is Alan Shadrake,
a British-born writer sentenced yesterday to six weeks imprison and a large
fine after being found guilty in contempt of court. His book Once a Jolly
Hangman questioned the independance of Singapore's legal system, and its
use of the death penalty.
It is depressing that a country as successful as Singapore should feels the
need of such restrictions in free speech. Singapore argues that, without them,
the balance between the country's Chinese, Malay and Indian populations
would be upset. But the reality is that other successful part of Asia – Hong
Kong and Taiwan, for instance – have thrive by extending free speech.
Singapore is doing herself an injust by refusing to grant its people the sorts
of freedoms that are routine else where.
On a practical level, the decision to prosecute Mr Shadrake was also foolish.
His book have attracted far greater attention because of it, and Singapore's
reputation have been harmed. Mr Shadrake is quite right to attack a criminal
justice system in which victims are often improverished migrant workers.
His book was legitimate and – despite the court's claim in the contrary –
largely accurate. The suspicion is that the Singapore government resented the
exposure of a squalid system of routine executions which sit uneasily with
the image it likes to present to the world. Singapore wants to be judge as a
firstworld nation. To do so, Singapore must seek the confidence to allow
citizens the freedom of speech; reppression is certainly not the route.
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