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How Does Singapore Keep Crime So Low? | AB Explained

Asian Boss

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Singapore is often called one of the safest and cleanest countries in the world. But has Singapore always been this safe? What trade-offs had to be made? ASIAN BOSS explores the origins of its strict laws and enforcement — and whether this level of safety can be replicated in Western countries.

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00:00 - Intro
04:01 - Chapter 1: When Order Becomes Survival
16:33 - Chapter 2: Zero Tolerance
29:06 - Chapter 3: Could the "Singapore Model" Work in America?

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20 Comments

@AsianBoss Creator 7 months ago (edited) Pinned

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If you enjoyed this deep dive, check out our latest episode on how the iPhone ended up dominating the Japanese phone market: https://youtu.be/vkJU1nmI55I

@annietan449 7 months ago

Please don't be too trusting. I am a Singaporean and I never leave my valuables unattended

@gerardlow2705 7 months ago (edited)

I am a police officer working in Singapore. Reports of people losing or having items stolen still do happen. My advice is: it is generally still not advisable to leave valuables (e.g. wallet, handphone) unattended at a table. Usually, if I want to "reserve" a spot at a cafe, I try to use less valuable items that cause less inconvenience when lost (e.g. water bottle, umbrella, tissue packet)

@voltronleo 7 months ago

Few months ago I was having coffee at the Paris Baguette in Changi Mall. I left my camera sitting on the table and didn't realize until I was back at my place. Two weeks later I went back and just stopped to ask. They had it at their main office off-site. The staff was super helpful in rushing someone to go get it. I couldn't believe it and I couldn't be more grateful to them.

@DanielTheAu 5 months ago

You COULD leave your wallet or laptop to reserve a seat, but most sane Singaporean leave a tissue packet instead. Works just as well, everyone respects the tissue packet. This is a pro tip for any tourists reading this planning a visit.

@robertaaldarossi5337 5 months ago

I came from Brazil, a violent country, and I live in Singapore!! I fell so blessed to be here, an amazing country, for me I would stay here forever, I love this place!

@JulesA-C 7 months ago

Absolutely spot on. Tough laws can't hold a society together. It needs to be a good mix of providing for the local society, jobs, good pay, housing and affordable food. Keeping it safe is a big factor but it's the ability to know you have a future and a positive one. Thanks for the video😊

@Amyshm 7 months ago

To add one small detail that might have a bigger impact in the long term: in Singapore public housing (where about 80% of the population lives), the government has an intervention — a racial balance quota for each building block. This means people of the same race cannot cluster together. We are “forced” to live with other races. The idea is that when kids from different races live near each other, they are more likely to attend the same nearby schools and naturally become friends. We have Malay and Indian neighbours on the same floor. We sometimes buy home-cook Indian curry from the Indian neighbour family & I really like my Malay auntie neighbour. She is very friendly and kind 😊

@LeeJcc 7 months ago (edited)

I'm Singaporean, and thank you for the clear and well-researched explanation of our laws and why we have them. I'm truly impressed!

@TayneCooper 5 months ago

Back in the eighties I remember people (men) used to urinate in lifts, they put detectors in the floor of lifts would stop the lift and trap the perpetrator until he would be caught

@CharlesFraser-x5z 6 months ago

I hope Singapore manages to maintain! It sounds as though the social contract there is coming under stress. I hope things do not become so unaffordable as to break the system as it currently exists.

@amitagnihotri30 7 months ago

On my recent trip to Singapore, my wife left the phone in a public bus, and people were honest enough to submit it to the driver. Within 20 mins, the driver picked up the call and asked me to collect it from the Bus Depot.

@lawriephillipasequeira8592 7 months ago

Lived in Singapore for 5 years with an 18 yr old young son ....he enjoyed the underground music scene and honestly had a great time , I worried but I never had to worry about him as much as my friends in Europe . I will always be grateful to Singapore for that .

@kpof5567 6 months ago

Singapore's cleanliness is ingrained in all my Singapore friends. For example, if we traveled to a country where littering is prominent (e.g certain parts of Thailand), my Singapore friends will still carry their rubbish with them until they found a public bin, failing that, they will literally lug all the rubbish with them until they reached the hotel. I find that admirable.

@ChideNorms 5 months ago

One thing I immediately noticed when I was in Singapore was how beautiful city works landscaping was EVERYWHERE.

@Dude-etiquette 4 months ago

I recently went to Singapore and often went to the food court and saw people leaving their phone, bags, wallet etc to save the table and was really shocked. I loved how safe the place is

@wiebl5266 7 months ago (edited)

Probably one of the best research and presentation I've seen. Balanced, well thought out, well researched, and simply clear. Great job!!! And thank YOU for doing your homework on Singapore and helping others understand our way of life so truthfully. The no guns, no drugs laws are supported by the large majority. Thank YOU.

@1337hacks 7 months ago

Singaporean here. On FAFO enforcement, there’s a Chinese saying “Slay one to terrorise hundreds”. The harshness of the laws publicly applied to just a few people is enough to keep the entire population in line. 杀一儆百. But crime enforcement in Singapore isn’t like crazy effective under an omnipresent police. Investigations take time and some crimes slip under the cracks.

@TheBlackmentos94 7 months ago

Most foreigners and even my fellow Singaporeans who are born after the 80s don't remember what it was like to live in a society that had the racial tensions and issues that existed before. My father born in the late 50s still remembers the violence of the racial riots in the 60s and how his elder siblings prepared knives in case the clashes between the malay and chinese came into their neighborhood. As someone born in the 90s, I have never experienced such societal issues and think most of us take for granted or assume Singapore's peace and harmony has always been this way.