Singapore is not so clean, Mr Murdoch! (Chee Soon Juan rebuts the media moghul...)

Letchmi (not her real name), a 40-year-old Singaporean woman, stood in the dock and pleaded guilty to pilfering $743 from the cash register where she worked as a cashier at a local supermarket. She told the judge in mitigation that she stole the money to pay for her medical expenses and that she had a 10-year-old daughter to fend for. She produced medical records to back up her plea. She had returned all the money that she had stolen. Unmoved, the prosecution pushed for a deterrent sentence. The judge imposed a fine of $2,000.

This is a scenario played out repeatedly all over Singapore. The unforgiving high cost of living in the city, coupled with low wages, has led many to commit crimes out of financial desperation. It is, of course, trite to argue that just because one is poor doesn't mean that one is entitled to commit criminal acts. There are many who face economic hardship but don't resort to crime.

This is why comments made by Rupert Murdoch in his testimony before the culture and media select committee are so jarring to reason. He described Singapore as "the most open and clear society in the world", and that since every minister is paid at least $1m a year, "there is no temptation and it is the cleanest society you would find anywhere". More...

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