Sin-galore in Singapore

By Akilan Shanmugaratnam, Hwa Chong Institution

Singapore – a cosmopolitan hub nestled in the heart of South-east Asia, a land of milk and honey appealing to foreigners seeking upward mobility. Sterile and sanitized, the island state has resolutely upheld its pristine image, projecting itself as a major tourist destination and centre for business.
Geylang Street – a culinary destination rooted firmly in the Singaporean heartlands. Steeped in heritage and exuding rustic charm by day, illuminated vulgarly by neon lighting & frequented by scantily clad women by night.
These women are nocturnal wraiths, haunting the garish alleys of Geylang, flouting their bodies just as a hawker might promote his wares. And every now and then, though not as often as they might hope, one of these women might attract a customer. These women are street prostitutes, women who trade in their own flesh.
Innumerable images are inadvertently associated with the flesh trade in Singapore – an invisible industry, an illicit indulgence; a tourist attraction perhaps, or even a local street snack.
The legislation of Singapore does exert legal authority over this shady segment of society, permitting licensed brothels to conduct their business, while criminalizing street prostitution and pimping. Brothels and other such commercialized sex venues have to submit to mandatory health inspections, and approved sex workers are issued a yellow card, the tell-tale green light for business to flourish. Despite this diluted measure of aberrant professionalism and regulation, the US State Department reported this year that Singapore does not fully comply with the minimum standards to eliminate the trafficking of women for sex.
This report hit a raw nerve with the third wealthiest population in Asia, but struck a resonant chord along notorious regions similar to Geylang Street. I paid a visit to Geylang myself, to witness firsthand the infamous hordes of solicitors, labeled “roaming nightingales” by the Chinese media. Indeed, women from China, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines line the streets like unwitting contestants in a morbid beauty pageant, embellished with tawdry trinkets and bawdy outfits.
On my visit, the taxi driver sagely opined that the “supply is bolstered by the demand,” highlighting the duality of the relationship between prostitutes and their customers. Prostitutes are entrenched in desolation, whereas their customers are motivated primarily by desperation. However, the unfortunate reality of this universe, to invoke an age-old adage, is that two wrongs simply don’t make a right.
As I ventured further into the labyrinth of lust, I began to see beauty salons, massage parlors and medical centres in an altogether new light. I was attired formally, prompting questioning glances to be cast my way, some curious, others accusatory. I learned from my taxi driver that “they are forever looking out for government inspectors.”
It seems to me that to customers, the choice between a Chinese girl and a Thai girl is merely akin to selecting between frog leg porridge and chilli crab porridge at the stall across the street. Prostitutes abandon any semblance of decency to carve out a meager living, while their customers disregard their dignity entirely. They forfeit their rights to enter a servitude fraught with mortal risk, dispensing with all subtleties to overcome their financial destitution. This involves neither the romance nor passion associated with imperial concubines and geishas; rather, the decision these women make is one grounded in calculated pragmatism and stoic resignation.
I withhold any personal judgment, but the delegates certainly had responses aplenty, portraying a myriad of perspectives on this contentious issue. In the Youth Assembly, Adriel Tjokusaputro lamented the legal status of prostitution in Singapore, asserting that “As prostitution goes up, the reputation of a country goes down.” Fellow delegate Jennifer Cho constructively interjected, proffering the suggestion that “The government should provide channels for prostitutes to enter more desirable professions, and salvage their future.”
In the particularly relevant Human Rights Council, Letitia Tandean, delegate of France, and Mia, delegate of Ghana, linked voices to make the impassioned proclamation, “Prostitution is a way to boost the economy, and if it is voluntary, then it shouldn’t be disregarded or disallowed.” Kristine Rysgaare, delegate of Bosnia-Herzegovina, was of similar disposition, averring that “It’s good that [prostitutes] are allowed, if they really need the job, though they could take courses to pick up new skills.”
These delegates have formulated definitive opinions, and vociferated their views with admirable clarity, but the Singaporean population at large seems to remain mired in denial. Times evolve and ages progress, but the issue of prostitution in the refined island city remains shrouded by a veil of crude ambiguity.