Veteran diplomat defends “boring city” Singapore in response to WSJ article

SINGAPORE: In Singapore news today, ex-Singapore diplomat Bilahari Kausikan has defended Singapore after a recent piece in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) characterised the little red dot as a “boring city” that is becoming cool thanks to pop star Taylor Swift’s recent concert series here.

In the article published on Sunday (10 March), the writer wrote, “Singapore is trying to shake off its reputation for being dull and uptight.”

Calling the Singapore Government “super serious,” the writer added that the city had been known for decades as “all work and no play” before the recent spate of events featuring top stars like Swift.

Sharing the article on his personal Facebook page, former Ambassador-at-large Mr Bilahari defended Singapore in a short but incisive caption.

The academic wrote: “When people say we are boring and not ‘gritty’ enough, what they really mean is we are not f**ked up and things work here.”

He added, “I have lived in ‘gritty’ cities and believe me boring is good and that is one of the reasons Taylor Swift and now Deep Purple chose to perform here.”

Mr Bilahari’s post drew more than 400 reactions and numerous comments, with many agreeing with his take. His post was also shared by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s wife, Ho Ching, on her own Facebook page.