2021 Volume 2021 Issue 11 Pages 74-88
Throughout February and March 2020 (and beyond), Singapore was a best practice model for the world in coping and tackling the COVID-19 coronavirus. Singapore’s ability to trace infected individuals is considered world-class. It is an ideal combination of both manual as well as hightech digital methodologies. It takes two hands to clap (the state and its populace). By and large, Singaporeans were law-abiding and obedient citizens conforming to their enlightened government. Singaporeans have always been known to conform closely to the rule of law and the requirements of a progressive and far-sighted government. In this social contract, the government provides the economic goods (the so-called “bread and butter” issues) for Singaporeans and practices incorruptible good governance for the people. Singaporean Prime Minister (PM) Lee Hsien Loong (LHL) was determined to articulate the idea of no one left behind. The author personally experienced the world-class measures taken by the Singaporean authorities. Through observation studies and standpoint perspective, he writes this article through experiential learning and individual reasoning. The author supplemented observation studies with secondary literature. Given that COVID-19 is a new global phenomenon and academic literatures on the Singapore case study is limited, updated perspectives and news reports (both global and local articles and media materials) were utilized for this writing as well. Singapore remained as one of the safest places to be in during the pandemic for anyone, according to global benchmarks. This essay does not pretend to be comprehensive but offers some insights into Singapore’s successes in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
