Not one but TWO casinos

A real disappointment and a date to mark in the history of our nation. Singapore has decided that she should go ahead with the idea of integrated resort with casino, but what's surprising is that she has decided to go with TWO such resorts on this small island nation. Kiasuism? One-upmanship? Desperation? It's hard to say. But with the ambitious tourism targets she has set for herself, Singapore really needs something new, hence this "instant" ticket to make Singapore "less boring", not unlike buying a big sweep ticket to hope for that big strike.

I think some dollars will roll in, more high net worth tourists will drop by and spend more time (not to mention more money), but I question the quality of tourism or quality of life for Singaporeans.

Firstly, the quality of tourism. Singapore is a city state. She is a fine city (no pun intended) for savoring the rich diversity of the Asian cultures and cuisine. She may not have scenic lakes or snow-capped mountains, but for her size, the beauty of Singapore is that she can be seen and tasted in a few days. Tourists like the well-developed infrastructure and the fact that you can be a first time visitor and still find it hard to get lost. Well-linked transportation, well located accomodation, the unique Little India, Chinatown, Geylang Serai, Boat Quay, shopping malls with lots of eateries, and helpful signs and directories which are everywhere. The real tourist who is here for a tour will find Singapore attractive, and possibly more so than other countries. They will find Singapore meaningful. Yes, they may not spend more than the spending tourist whose aim is to spend money, yet these are the ones who will remember Singapore as a country, not as a shopping centre or a casino, and these are the ones who will promote Singapore in a healthy way over the years.

Secondly, the quality of life for Singaporeans. Who in the right frame of mind is proud to say that his son or daughter works in the casino? Would the leaders' encourage their children to work in the gaming industry? When a family patronizes the integrated resort, are the parents interacting with the children at the amusement park or are they doing their own things? Will children not be set thinking that the things their parents do in the adults-only area must be really exciting? Will families not be worse off when parents finish the day with big losses, and take it out on the rest of the family? Or when parents become addicted to casino gambling?

An integrated resort is only integrated from the facilities perspective. Family interaction and objectives can hardly be said to be integrated.

Theme parks in other countries have been known to draw in the crowds, and I don't see why we cannot focus on building upon the Sentosa brand which is the one & only in this world. Let's face it. If Singapore is boring, Sentosa is one reason. We have not been innovative in turning this designated plot of land into something really outstanding over the years, and we are perhaps now hoping for a miracle in the form of a free casino ticket (we got two tickets, remember?)

Take one step back and look at Singapore. Our unique diversity is now giving way to crass rojak. There is a fine line between the two, but alas, I think we have crossed or at least are crossing the line. We put in 2 MRT players only to find that we are too small for that. We encourage more taxi operators only to find that taxi drivers are tripping over each other for the commuter. We ignore the original beauty of Sentosa to squeeze in landmarks and parks of all manner into the small island, making it a big-time turn-off. Face it, the Merlion statue doesn't exude an air of majesty as compared with the Statue of Liberty or The Eiffel Tower. We built the Esplanade but it doesn't seem to be going anywhere. What next? Car-racing? Cock-fighting? How about mimicking the hugely profitable wrestling industry, along with all the skimpily-dressed women?

Go back to the basics. The unique diversity, not the rojak, is what makes Singapore special. The world will not pass us by simply because our neighbours have casinos and we do not, and we cannot afford to follow the crowd all the time. The arts, the sports, & the music industries all have tremendous potential for further development & will certainly benefit from having more focus and support.

The character of Singapore must be amply seen in her brand, and by that, I am referring to the positive aspects of her character, not kiasuism. The fact that others have one casino BUT we have two is not going to make Singapore less boring. Sure, the dollars will roll in, the business community will be happy, the banks will be happy, some people will be happy because there are more jobs, but these are short-term feel-good stuff and in the process, Singapore is losing her soul and character which has successfully steered her through the thick and thin in the last 40 years.

Category: cf_hs