First, let’s all use the right term: Singapore is now in a lockdown, not a “circuit breaker”. (Lee Hsien Loong’s English has always been bad so just ignore his latest attempt to coin new terms)
The entire Singapore population is now in isolation, with workplaces and schools closed.
In terms of the coronavirus outbreak control, the effects of these measures (already adopted by Australia a month ago) will be a significant slowing of new infected cases.
In terms of economics, Singapore is in shambles. The numerous billion-dollar projects like Garden By the Bay, casinos and Changi Airport Jewel are guzzling cash by the days with zero tourist revenue. Lee Hsien Loong’s favourite waterfall at the Jewel was also shut down. The PAP government was forced to shut down Airport Terminal 2, and Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan hinted that he might shut down Terminal 3 as well.
S$60 billion has been spent thus far, with more heavy spending coming up “if this continues”, according to Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat. The PAP government is running up undisclosed debts in tens of billions, and chalking up losses through panic selling via Temasek Holdings and GIC to raise funding for the reckless government budget.
Lockdowns are effective worldwide, but unlike bigger countries with their own domestic economy, the Singapore government is now cornered.
Cornered into bankruptcy that is. How long can you last?
It is a catch-22 situation, remove the lockdown, allow tourists to come in and the number of new infection rise again. Unlike Australia, Singapore cannot survive without tourists. There is no value in its export if its manufacturing costs is higher than countries like Vietnam and Malaysia. With no more access to cheap labour, Singapore’s manufactured exports is uncompetitive.
6 months of lockdown, and multi-national companies will start relocating out of Singapore. The damage will then be permanent because they are not coming back even after the virus is over.
The future has been set in stone as above, unless Singapore find a solution to live with the virus. Considering the incompetency of the corrupted PAP dictatorship, it is unlikely the low IQ breed of Heng Swee Keat and Chan Chun Sing are able to find any solution. All they know – and I can fairly assure you this will definitely happen – is to play the blame game faulting other countries for not opening up.
I do have a solution, but again I have no duty to provide them to the totalitarian dictatorship. I am after all not a MP or a Minister, and I weld no political power. Come this General Election, Singaporeans should make the choice to either continue living in subservience to Lee Hsien Loong and suffer under a pompous regime that has no solution, or select a new brilliant leadership that bases decisions on rationalism and pragmatism.
Alex Tan
STR Editor