Chew On This
Just don't do it in Singapore.
Howdy! It’s Joey, back with more Fun Fact Friyay. Today’s fact is roughly 12% better if you consume it while walking.
It’s illegal to import and sell gum in Singapore.
Today’s fact is a little self-serving since I’m taking a trip to Singapore. To avoid sticking out like a sore thumb (or, you know, going to jail), it’s good to brush up on some of the cultural norms of the places you’re visiting.
When Singapore gained independence in 1965, then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew was determined to turn the city-state into a “first-world oasis in a third-world region.”
Lee enacted many public policies, including a ban on importing and selling gum, which he believed mucked up the streets and public transportation. If you've ever accidentally sat or stepped in someone’s used gum, you know how it ruins your whole day.
While you can chew gum as an individual, importing the sticky stuff can lead to a fine of up to $100,000 or 24 months imprisonment. Even advertising gum has a fine of up to $2,000.
An exception is gum for medical reasons, such as dental chews. Either way, spitting the gum out on public grounds constitutes littering, which is also illegal. I like that.
In fact, Singapore has several laws that I think we should all adopt. Here are a few of my favorites:
No playing musical instruments in public. Concerts are one thing, but this law falls under the “Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act” and has been in effect since 1906. Offenders face up to a $1,000 fine and confiscation of the instrument. The police probably won’t smash it in front of you, though.
No connecting to other people’s Wi-Fi. I always get a kick out of seeing people who have creatively named their Wi-Fi networks. “Pretty Fly for a Wi-Fi” or “Bill Wi the Science Fi” are delightful wordplay, and I will not be swayed otherwise. But I wouldn’t dare try to leech off of their networks. In Singapore, unauthorized use of someone else’s Wi-Fi can cost up to $10,000 and three years in jail, with a whopping five years and $20,000 for repeat offenders.
It’s mandatory to flush a toilet after using it. This should be common courtesy, and yet people ignore it all the time. Now, if we can just get guys to stop peeing on the seat, too…
One law I’m glad we do not have here in the United States is caning as a form of punishment. American Michael Fay received four lashings of the cane in 1994 for violating Singapore’s Vandalism Act.
The incident was covered in a Weird Al song. That’s how you know you’ve truly made it.
I lived in Singapore almost two years, Joey, and loved it. It's where I started writing. I'm working on an essay collection about my time there. Message me if you have any questions!