But success cost it some of its soul, say those who remember the Singapore of old. Its days as a lazy, steamy backwater of pirates, alleyways and intrigue are a distant memory. More tourists would come. Because while the apartment blocks may not be much to look at, some 80 percent are owned by those who live in them. That's probably the world's highest rate of home ownership and one of the reasons why few Singaporeans are inclined to rebel against the established order.
Critics say defamation suits are a key tactic used by the government to silence dissent.
Another is denying housing renovations to neighborhoods that vote for opposition candidates. In an interview with the AP, Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong compared liberalization to a balloon that must be inflated slowly or it will burst. So those wishing to speak at Speakers' Corner must first register with authorities, microphones are not allowed and a sign prohibits speakers from discussing religion or race. Speakers' Corner, an acre of grass by a police station, hasn't quite lived up to the high hopes people had when it opened last September. Most days, there are no speakers.