Social Studies

2007-01-22T13:20:00.000+08:00

Assignment 1

Questions

Government in Singapore. For this first assignment, you are to blog about your thoughts on the government.

a. Using the information you have learnt from Chapter 5, you are to find a current policy that potrays any one of the principles of governance.

b. Give your view on the policy you have chosen.

Answer

a.

FOWARD looking

Integrated Resort
An Integrated Resort (IR) is a mixed-use development containing a casino. The opening casinos have been a controversial issue among Singaporeans. To date, IR licenses have been awarded to Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa. These are planned to be completed in 2009, and would be the first casinos in the country.

During a parliament session, Mr Lee Hsien Loong, the prime minister of Singapore, announced the cabinet's decision to develop two integrated resorts in Marina South and Sentosa.

The government claims the aim of the project is to boost the Singapore's tourism industry which is facing intense competition from other destinations around the region, particularly from nearby Bangkok and Hong Kong. Even closer to home, Malaysia long had a legal casino cum theme park on Genting Highlands, which proved popular with Singaporean tourists. The IRs in Singapore are expected to create about 35,000 jobs directly and indirectly. In addition to the casinos, the IRs will have other amenities including hotels, restaurants, shopping and convention centers, theaters, museums and theme parks. The industry is expected to invest five billion Singapore dollars in Integrated Resorts.

Views

In my opinon, Firstly, this project will boost our tourism.

In order for tourism to grow, we need improvements in transport and availability of amenities. Our improvements in transport have increased the mobility of people and the accessibility of places which were previously difficult to reach. Time taken for travel have also been greatly reduced. Air travel has also become more affordable, such as our budget airways. The Genting resort will be located on Sentosa island, a popular beach and golf resort linked to mainland Singapore by a causeway and monorail.

Most tourists also look for comfort and ease. They would want to go to a place with facilities that are provided for their comfort, convenience and enjoyment. E.g. recreational facilities, shopping centres, hotels etc. There will be six hotels, offering more than 1800 rooms. Each is designed to cater to specific market niche.

Secondly, boosting tourism also means boosting our economy.

It will have a strong economical impact especially in Singapore. It can become a significant source of income for our country and create employment opportunities, enabling us to have a higher standard of living. The development of the infrastructure in Sentosa will not only benefit tourists but also the locals. In addition, this Integrated Resort will also generate employment for 10,000 people. This will also enable the people to enjoy a higher standard of living. This can also lead to more equal distribution of wealth. When tourists from the wealthier and more developed countries visit us, the money they spend generates income for us and can be used to improve the lives of our people. Having this Integrated Resort also frees us from being heavily dependent on one source of income. It will become an alternative source. Hence, I believe that this Integrated Resort will boost our economy and generate employment for the people.

Consequences & ways to counter them

Several groups, such as those belonging to the Muslim and Christian communities as well as social workers, openly expressed their disapproval to the casinos. Concerns were raised about the negative social impact of casino gambling, citing worries that the casinos could encourage more gambling and increase the risk of compulsive gambling. Activist groups argued that a casino could also lead to undesirable activities often associated with gambling, including money laundering, loan sharks or even organised crime.

Later, Mr Lee Kuan Yew acknowledged the downsides of having Integrated Resorts and the concerns expressed by the public. He promised that there would be safeguards to limit the social impact of casino gambling. He stated that there would be restrictions in the admission of the local population into the casinos. e.g. family members of a patron of the casino may block him or her from entering and gambling. An exorbitant entrance fee of SGD 100 per entry or SGD 2000 every year would be imposed, and a system of exclusions. In addition, the casinos would not be allowed to extend credit to the local population

done by: chia zhao han (29) 4B