Small but mighty; Singapore has time after time surpassed global superpowers as the world’s leading Smart City. “Outsmarting” Helsinki and Zurich, it has transformed its traditional networks with digital solutions, enhancing efficiency for businesses and citizens. Leading the league in digitized mobility, and healthcare solutions, Singapore’s achievements, given its short history, are notable. A country rich in culture and patriotism; it would be remiss not to coin Singapore’s achievements as remarkable. Yet, amidst the lively chatter of its underdog triumph, there exist scarcely acknowledged social and generational issues. A further exploration of Singapore’s technological landscape through the lens of marginalized groups and its elderly population under the umbrella of the city’s rapid morale, reveals issues common in rapid-progress societies. Riad Meddeb of the MIT Technology Review notes: “truly smart cities recognize the ambiguity of lives and livelihoods, and they are driven by outcomes beyond the implementation of ‘solutions.’”
The Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay, and vibrant depictions of wealth in the movie Crazy Rich Asians are likely the first things to come to mind when people think of Singapore. From Orchard to Nassim Avenue, it was hardly a surprise that Singapore was ranked first in the 2020 IMD’s inaugural Smart City Index.
In 2014, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong launched its “Smart Nation” initiative which later received $2.4 billion Singapore dollars in support. Consequently, Singapore saw a fast-paced introduction of a wide range of smart technology in both its private and public sectors. IMD’s Smart City Index, released during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighted the cities which were able to intertwine technology and kinship to withstand the damaging effects of the pandemic, of which Singapore was part. Furthermore, the nation has excelled in its ability to optimize mobility, healthcare, and academia, fostering a generation of people who are educated in the limitless potential of smart technology. With consideration to the fact that its population is on a steady rise, Singapore has utilized autonomous transport catered towards elderly populations and students, traffic-relief surveillance, and enhanced healthcare systems to streamline Singaporean life.
Nationalism, discipline, and labor stand tall as the pillars of contemporary life in Singapore. Primary students have packed schedules that leave little time for play while research finds that Singapore’s working populations sleep the least and work the longest hours. The competitive angst instilled at a young age thereby do not appear to wither with age. Life is frantically paced, with little room for leisurely activities and a limitless set of goals. As Kenneth Goh best phrased it; “One could gain insights from a casual conversation with a colleague from another industry and draw inspiration from how nature solves complex problems during a trial run in the midst of resolving an argument between kids at the playground.” Singaporeans are raised with the expectation of exceptionalism, leaving little room for average results leading Goh to worry about the potential loss of trail blazers or visionaries who dare to challenge creative limits.
Yet, many Singaporeans show little resistance to slowing down. A special kind of patriotism has become embedded in Singapore’s tale of a sleepy fishing village turn buzzing metropolitan exemplar. While being a relatively small nation with limited natural resources, Singapore’s achievements are largely influenced by its fast-paced national morale. Slowing down to many is viewed as a threat to sovereignty, as the virtue of “speed” is embedded in the city’s shared conscience.
As the globe slowly shifts towards a tech-governed future, while smart apps and cutting-edge platforms seem appealing, a closer look reveals that it may only benefit higher socioeconomic classes. Ramya Chandrasekhar, a writer at the NYU School of Law carefully acknowledges that “smart city technologies are layered on top of pre-existing structures and inequalities, which mediate how these innovations are experienced.” In 2022, the NYU Center for Global Rights and Human Justice conducted a survey which explored the treatment of marginalized groups, particularly migrants, in Singapore to “explore the dark side of these purported urban utopias.” The conversation examines how with past experience, technologies have been tested primarily on impoverished populations for the “greater goals” of the smart city. Reports of police robots surveying migrant workers in 2020 garnered global headlines, but this was merely the tip of the iceberg.
Dr. Haines, Assistant Professor at the Technical University of Denmark discusses several issues pertaining to the introduction of heavy surveillance measures of migrant workers in Singapore’s little India. Following 2013’s little India riot, the government introduced biometric sensors, scanners, and CCTV cameras in the name of “national security” generated by smart technology which further marginalized racial groups. The introduction of the “TraceTogether” app during the 2020 pandemic was first tested amongst migrant workers living in heavily surveillance dormitories. Furthermore, Haines is critical of the Singaporean government’s decision to exploit “Low right spaces at the fringes to test out new technologies,” pointing out that it is one thing to test on individuals who trust the government, but another to test it on vulnerable demographics. A large focus on building smart cities runs the risk of turning the city into a technology project regarding citizens as “users” and not “people.” Haine concludes her statement by acknowledging that the harmful effects of surveillance measures on migrants remain understudied.
In a city that is perpetually moving, there exists a widening gap between those actively contributing to innovation, and those who may hinder the herd. Singapore prides itself on its commitment to integrate older generations within society claiming loneliness, home accidents, and accessibility concerns to be at the forefront of many of the goals set by the Smart Nation Initiative. In response to COVID-19, smart technology focused on relieving isolation and loneliness for elderly individuals. As a result, development of wider sidewalks, longer crossing times, and sensored carpets to track accidents are in the works to ensure they are not left behind.
While Singapore’s efforts to support its elderly population through new initiatives are commendable, there are concerns about how seniors will adapt to foreign technologies. The technological landscape which engulfs Singapore is a picture painted primarily of younger, faster, individuals, potentially sidelining those who need more time to adjust. Toh EE Ming of Singapore’s Today, interviewed several members of the elderly populations which revealed mixed feelings towards technological advancements; some showed disdain while others were indifferent. Factors stemming from literacy levels to day-to-day habits influence larger apprehensions towards using technology for means of payment or transportation as older generations prefer the comfort of the familiar rather than expending energy adjusting to foreign customs. 67 year old Madam Tang Siew Tin believes in flagging down taxis rather than digital bookings because such apps “affect people’s rice bowls, take away their business from them.”
Beyond the proliferation of smart devices, smart technology has extended into bureaucratic systems. The process for a Singaporean to receive an Identity Card in Singapore requires a complicated multistep process which often assumes users are familiar with new technology. Sociologist Tan Ern Ser at the National University of Singapore said the divide ultimately arises from too low or lack of literacy amongst the elderly folks: “they are more likely to be daunted by a steep learning curve, and fear of making mistakes” he said. He cautioned that the digital divide could contribute to a growing “sense of alienation and helplessness for some elderly.”
Recognizing the humanity behind the technology has proven to be an understudied struggle as Singapore rises to become the world’s leading smart city. While it has achieved remarkable feats in the technological sector and addresses struggling demographics, it is evident that they require closer attention. The exploration of privacy and exploitation of marginalized migrants in Singapore followed by the elderly population’s inability to integrate reveals that more work is required for Singapore to achieve their goal of becoming not only a rich state, but an empathetic one who prioritizes its people in order to enrich its growth.
Edited by Hanna Schmoelz
Megan Tan is in her third year at McGill University, currently pursuing a BA&Sc in Cognitive Science with a minor in Philosophy. As a Staff Writer at Catalyst Publications, Megan aims to bridge her background in Behavioural Science with International Development as her writing is mainly focused on the Health and Technological dimensions of global political issues. Having grown up in Singapore, Qatar, and Canada, Megan strives to use her diverse upbringing to offer a multifaceted lens through which she examines the interplay of technology, health, and cognitive science.