While elections themselves in Singapore and Malaysia are clean, procedural rules, access to state-controlled print, radio and TV outlets and laws on public assembly make it hard for the opposition to make a dent. But those who only find fault with Asia's democracy fail to understand that neither is Western democracy unalloyed and unmodified. In fact, it bears little resemblance to its prototype. Democracy in the ancient Greek city-states was the obligation of free men to participate in the affairs of the regime. Today, it would be impossible to replicate the Athenian model.
Nations are too large for direct participatory democracy, and the issues they face are too complex.
Here alone, ancient Greeks would find modern democracy, whether in America, Europe or Asia, alien to their understanding. Thus, adaptations aren't by nature bad. It's all been done before. Fact is, it'd be better to understand democracy more as a means towards an end, rather than as something to be valued for itself. It's a guard against tyranny.