Singapore said yesterday it will allow construction of two casinos, gambling that the decision can boost its economy and juice up its staid image. Critics fear residents of one of Asia's safest cities will succumb to vice with casinos on their shores for the first time.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (李顯龍) revealed the government's decision in parliament after months of mulling the economic pros and social cons. Singapore has received nearly 20 proposals from international gaming giants angling to build a casino in Southeast Asia's most prosperous country.
Lee cited efforts by some of the world's great cities to reinvent themselves with transportation, cultural and other development projects, and warned that Singapore could become an Asian "backwater" unless it competes with its neighbors.
"In Asia, Shanghai is full of drive and energy. Hong Kong is opening its Disneyland, Hong Kong is also talking about opening a casino to compete with Macau," Lee said.
"Will Singapore be part of this new world, or will we will bypassed and left behind?" said Lee, whose father, former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew (李光耀), was instrumental in shaping Singapore's development since independence in 1965. "We want Singapore to have the X-factor, that buzz that you get in London, Paris or New York."
Singapore's Cabinet had encouraged citizens to speak up on the casino plan, triggering lively exchanges in the media, on Internet chat sites, in offices and homes. For a while Singaporeans appeared to be split evenly in the debate -- unusual in that Singaporeans so rarely challenge their government's plans.
"The ministers themselves were evenly split," Lee said. "They also shared the qualms of the public about the social impact."
Lee said one casino will be built as part of a resort with other attractions on the island of Sentosa, and the other will be at Marina Bay on Singapore's main island. Both projects, worth a total of S$5 billion (US$3 billion), will be five minutes by car from the central business district.
Many Singaporeans lay down bets on race horses and fork out cash at parlors with slot machines and sports wagers. But the prospect of a large, Las Vegas-style casino alarmed many who think Singapore's strict social controls are its main asset.
One group, Families Against the Casino Threat, organized an online petition that more than 30,000 Singaporeans opposed to more gambling signed.
Singapore hopes that billions spent on casinos with theme parks and hotels will boost its S$184 billion (US$112 billion) domestic economy, attract high-spending tourists and create thousands of jobs.
"Tourism in Asia is growing phenomenally, especially with the traffic from India and China. Our market share is declining, they are spending a shorter time in Singapore," said Lee, who predicted that the project will create 35,000 jobs.
NEXT GENERATION: The four plants in the Central Taiwan Science Park, designated Fab 25, would consist of four 1.4-nanometer wafer manufacturing plants, TSMC said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) plans to begin construction of four new plants later this year, with the aim to officially launch production of 2-nanometer semiconductor wafers by late 2028, Central Taiwan Science Park Bureau director-general Hsu Maw-shin (許茂新) said. Hsu made the announcement at an event on Friday evening celebrating the Central Taiwan Science Park’s 22nd anniversary. The second phase of the park’s expansion would commence with the initial construction of water detention ponds and other structures aimed at soil and water conservation, Hsu said. TSMC has officially leased the land, with the Central Taiwan Science Park having handed over the
The Philippines is working behind the scenes to enhance its defensive cooperation with Taiwan, the Washington Post said in a report published on Monday. “It would be hiding from the obvious to say that Taiwan’s security will not affect us,” Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilbert Teodoro Jr told the paper in an interview on Thursday last week. Although there has been no formal change to the Philippines’ diplomatic stance on recognizing Taiwan, Manila is increasingly concerned about Chinese encroachment in the South China Sea, the report said. The number of Chinese vessels in the seas around the Philippines, as well as Chinese
AUKUS: The Australian Ambassador to the US said his country is working with the Pentagon and he is confident that submarine issues will be resolved Australian Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd on Friday said that if Taiwan were to fall to China’s occupation, it would unleash China’s military capacities and capabilities more broadly. He also said his country is working with the Pentagon on the US Department of Defense’s review of the AUKUS submarine project and is confident that all issues raised will be resolved. Rudd, who served as Australian prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and for three months in 2013, made the remarks at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado and stressed the longstanding US-Australia alliance and his close relationship with the US Undersecretary
‘WORLD WAR III’: Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said the aid would inflame tensions, but her amendment was rejected 421 votes against six The US House of Representatives on Friday passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal 2026, which includes US$500 million for Taiwan. The bill, which totals US$831.5 billion in discretionary spending, passed in a 221-209 vote. According to the bill, the funds for Taiwan would be administered by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency and would remain available through Sept. 30, 2027, for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative. The legislation authorizes the US Secretary of Defense, with the agreement of the US Secretary of State, to use the funds to assist Taiwan in procuring defense articles and services, and military training. Republican Representative
RSS