Ok, you and zainny make fair points. I guess I was looking at it from the perspective of, say, Turkey right now..or Somalia. But even if it isn't at that scale, freedom of speech is important and I was wrong do dismiss it so casually.
I don't think anyone seriously compares Singapore to Somalia or Turkey - by that measure it's a veritable paradise. The comparisons I have seen have all compared it to developed, first-world countries like most of western Europe, the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, etc.
It is, after all, the league that Singapore wants to play in both in image and influence.
Section 377A is pretty rarely (if ever) enforced nowadays, and judging by the government's current lacklustre response to protests against it, I have a feeling they'll probably be repealing it in the next couple of years.
The government has reacted to that by tightening up visa requirements. Probably not nearly as much as the protestors, but they're still paying attention and responding.
Not saying that these aren't issues, or that they shouldn't be protested, but compared to most other countries, you've still got it pretty good here.
I think eru meant that a majority of Singaporeans are feeling the pinch and sentiments towards foreigners are at an all time low. Mainly due to loss to jobs and housing opportunities to foreigners. Our government however maintained that foreigners are essential to growth and had there been a voting process in this decision there will be ugly results.
However I will not go as to say Singapore is less democratic due to this point.
Yes. And I am with the government on this. I am a foreigner myself here, but where I grew up---in eastern Germany---the attitude towards foreigners is way worse. And the region has not benefitted in the least from that attitude.
(As an aside, it is crazy how many Americans seem to have crazy xenophobic attitudes, too. On their `left' and `right' of the political spectrum.)
Aside from the issues mentioned in the OP?
Or if you are gay? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Section_377A_of_the_Penal_Code_...
Or immigration policy? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21485729
Or...
I live in Singapore too, and while there are plenty of pluses there are also plenty of minuses and they shouldn't be minimized or ignored.