The chewing gum ban in Singapore was enacted in 1992 and revised in 2004. Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " It bans the import and sale of chewing gum in Singapore. In Economics, an import is any good (eg a Commodity) or Service brought into one country from another country in a legitimate fashion For songs called "Chewing Gum" see Chewing Gum (song Chewing gum is a type of Confectionery traditionally made of Chicle Singapore Since 2004, chewing gum of therapeutic value has been allowed into Singapore following the United States-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (USS-FTA). "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The United States of America —commonly referred to as the See also List of free trade agreements This is article is on free international trade
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Legislation
This law was created because people disposed of gum incorrectly by sticking it under chairs, etc. . , Incorrect disposal of gum lead to this law banning gum. Chewing gum is banned in Singapore under the "Regulation of Imports and Exports (Chewing Gum) Regulations. " Except for chewing gum of therapeutic value, the "importing" of chewing gum into Singapore is absolutely banned.
A common misconception among citizens is that personal use quantities of chewing gum are allowed into Singapore. However, according to the set of Regulations, "importing" means to "bring or cause to be brought into Singapore by land, water or air from any place which is outside Singapore . . . " any goods, even if they are not for purposes of trade. The set of Regulations also does not make any provisions for personal use quantities to be brought into Singapore. Therefore, bringing chewing gum into Singapore, even small quantities for whatever purpose, is technically prohibited. [1]
History
In his memoirs[2], Lee Kuan Yew recounted that as early as 1983, when he was still serving as Prime Minister, a proposal for the ban was brought up to him by the Minister for National Development. Lee Kuan Yew, GCMG, CH ( born September 16 1923 also spelled Lee Kwan-Yew) is a Singaporean of Chinese immigrant background Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation. Chewing gum was causing serious maintenance problems in high-rise public housing flats, with vandals disposing of spent gum in mailboxes, inside keyholes and even on elevator buttons. For songs called "Chewing Gum" see Chewing Gum (song Chewing gum is a type of Confectionery traditionally made of Chicle The Housing and Development Board ( Abbreviation: HDB; Simplified Chinese: 建屋发展局 Malay: Lembaga Pembangunan dan Perumahan Chewing gum left on floors, stairways and pavements in public areas increased the cost of cleaning and damaged cleaning equipment. Gum stuck on the seats of public buses was also considered a problem. However, Lee thought that a ban would be "too drastic" and did not take action.
In 1987, the S$5 billion metro system, the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), began operations. Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) The Mass Rapid Transit or MRT (大众快速交通 or more commonly known as 地铁 Malay: Sistem Pengangkutan Gerak Cepat; Tamil: சிங்கை It was then the largest public project ever implemented in Singapore, and expectations were high. One of the champions of the project, Ong Teng Cheong, who later became the first democratically-elected President, declared," …the MRT will usher in a new phase in Singapore's development and bring about a better life for all of us. Ong Teng Cheong, GCMG ( January 22, 1936 - February 8, 2002) was the first directly elected President of Republic President is a Title leaders of Organizations companies, Trade unions universities, and countries. "
It was then reported that vandals had begun sticking chewing gum on the door sensors of MRT trains, preventing the door from functioning properly and causing disruption of train services. Such incidents were rare but costly and culprits were difficult to apprehend. In January 1992, Goh Chok Tong, who had just taken over as Prime Minister, decided on a ban. Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) Goh Chok Tong ( Hokkien: Gô· Chok-tòng born May 20 1941) was the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from The restriction on the distribution of chewing gum was enacted in Singapore Statute Chapter 57, the Control of Manufacture Act, which also governs the restriction of alcohol and tobacco. In Chemistry, an alcohol is any Organic compound in which a Hydroxyl group ( - O[[hydrogen H]]) is bound to a Carbon Tobacco is an Agricultural product recognized as an addictive drug processed from the fresh Leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana.
Immediate results of ban
After the ban was announced, the import of chewing gum was immediately halted. However, a reasonable transition period was given to allow shops to clear their existing stocks. After that, the sale of chewing gum was completely terminated.
When first introduced, the ban caused much controversy and some open defiance. Some took the trouble of traveling to neighbouring Johor Bahru, Malaysia, to purchase chewing gum. Johor Bahru, also spelled Johor Baharu, Johor Baru, ( "Baru" means "new" in Malay) or Johore Bahru and abbreviated For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and Offenders were publicly "named and shamed" by the government, to serve as a deterrent to other would-be smugglers. As time passed and the uproar died down, however, Singaporeans became accustomed to the lack of chewing gum. Surprisingly, no black market for chewing gum in Singapore ever emerged, though some Singaporeans occasionally did manage to smuggle some chewing gum from Johor Bahru for their own consumption.
International attention
In the mid 1990s, Singapore’s forbidding laws began to receive intense international coverage and attention from civil rights activists. The 1990s collectively refers to the years between and including 1990 and 1999 The U. S. media sensationalised the case of Michael P. Fay, the American teenager who was sentenced to caning in Singapore for vandalism (spray paint, not chewing gum). Michael Peter Fay (born May 30, 1975) is an American who was caned in Singapore as an 18-year-old (25 days before turning 19 on May Caning is a Physical punishment (see that article for generalities and alternatives consisting of a number of hits (known as "strokes" or "cuts" with Vandalism is the behaviour attributed to the Vandals in respect of Culture: ruthless Destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or Venerable They also zeroed in on Singapore’s other peculiar laws, including the "mandatory flushing in public toilets" ruling. It was around this time that Singapore developed its infamous "nanny state" image, where the movements of every citizen are constantly scrutinised and dictated by the government. Nanny state is a Derogatory term that refers to state Protectionism, Economic interventionism, or regulatory policies and the perception that A common joke is that Singapore is a "fine" country, a jibe at the large number of fines Singapore imposes for acts like jaywalking. This is about pedestrians and traffic For the recurring Jay Leno segment see his recurring segments. Many in the outside world saw laws such as the ban on chewing gum as excessively aggressive and even autocratic.
Singapore leaders responded by arguing that as a sovereign state, Singapore had the rights to formulate its own policies based on its own unique political and cultural values. Besides, they argued, these policies would result in greater overall benefits for the country. When a BBC reporter suggested that overly draconian laws would stifle the people's creativity, Lee Kuan Yew retorted: "If you can't think because you can't chew, try a banana. Lee Kuan Yew, GCMG, CH ( born September 16 1923 also spelled Lee Kwan-Yew) is a Singaporean of Chinese immigrant background "[3]
The image of Singapore as an uptight, stiff-necked republic continues to be widely upheld and gleefully lampooned by foreigners. This is despite a concentrated effort by the government to portray Singapore in a more favourable light. The recent loosening of the ban on chewing gum is part of these efforts.
Revision of the Act
The issue of chewing gum moved into an unexpected arena: international trade negotiation. In 1999, during a midnight golf game, United States President Bill Clinton and Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong agreed to initiate talks between the two countries for a bilateral free trade agreement (USS-FTA)[4]. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States The Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore is the Head of government of the Republic of Singapore (and prior to 9 August 1965 Goh Chok Tong ( Hokkien: Gô· Chok-tòng born May 20 1941) was the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from The talks later continued under the new administration of President George W. Bush. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Details of the closed-door negotiations are unknown, but it became apparent that by the final phase of the negotiation in early 2003, there remained two sticky issues: the War in Iraq and chewing gum. The 2003 invasion of Iraq, from March 20 to May 1 2003 was spearheaded by the United States, backed by British forces and smaller contingents from Australia
First, U. S. officials requested that Singapore express support for U. S. invasion of Iraq, which was readily agreed without fanfare. Second, they demanded that Singapore lift the ban on chewing gum. The Chicago-based Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company enlisted the help of a Washington, D.C lobbyist and Illinois Congressman Phil Crane, then-chairman of the U. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. The William Wrigley Jr Company ( was founded on April 1 1891 originally selling products such as Soap and Baking powder. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D Lobbying includes all attempts to influence Legislators and officials whether by other legislators constituents or organized groups The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. Philip Miller "Phil" Crane (born November 3, 1930, in Chicago Illinois) is a former American politician S. House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade, to get chewing gum on the agenda of the United States-Singapore Free Trade Agreement. The United States - Singapore Free Trade Agreement was signed May 6, 2003 and ratified by the US House of Representatives [5]
This caused serious dilemma to Singapore leaders. They knew that the USS-FTA would be a great boost to Singapore's economy and they could not afford the negotiation to be dragged by the chewing gum issue, but to give in easily would have had political consequences.
Beside its authoritative rules, the long-running Singapore government was also known for its creativity in formulating "creative" schemes to tackle social problems, including the Corrective Work Order, Certificate of Entitlement and Nominated Member of Parliament. Corrective Work Order, commonly known as CWO, is one of the two penalties (the other is a fine) in Singapore to be meted out to 'litterbugs' (those who The Certificate of Entitlement (COE, instituted by the government of Singapore, is a program designed to limit car Ownership, and hence the number of A Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP is an unelected MP that does not represent any Electoral district in the Parliament of Singapore. This time, they managed to pull out another trick. First, they recognised the proven health benefits of certain gums, such as a brand of sugar-free gum that contains calcium lactate to strengthen tooth enamel. Calcium lactate is a white crystalline Salt made by the action of Lactic acid on Calcium carbonate. Tooth enamel is the hardest and most highly mineralized substance of the body and with Dentin, Cementum, and dental pulp is one of the four major Second, the sales of this newly categorised medicinal gum was allowed, provided it was sold by a dentist or pharmacist, who must take down the names of buyers. Healthcare professionals were not amused by this new responsibility.
Soon, the USS-FTA was signed, the ban was revised and the gum lobbyists declared victory. "They were tough," Crane said of the talks. Philip Miller "Phil" Crane (born November 3, 1930, in Chicago Illinois) is a former American politician Some found it surprising that Wrigley had fought hard on this battle, given the small size of Singapore's chewing market. But the company said it was worth it. "There's many examples in our history of things that may have not made short-term financial sense but was the right thing to do in a philosophical or long-term sense," said Mr. Christopher Perille, Wrigley's senior director of corporate communications. Wrigley is now planning how to rebuild Singapore's market, such as using billboards. They may face another obstacle: all advertisements for medical products must be approved by the Health Sciences Authority. The Health Sciences Authority ( Abbreviation: HSA; Chinese: 卫生科学局 Malay: Penguasa Sains Kesihatan) is a statutory [5]
Meanwhile, with USS-FTA, Singapore's $20 billion annual exports to the United States will soon enjoy free tariffs, with potential duty savings of $150 million. It is expected to boost Singapore's gross domestic product by 0. 5%.
Biodegradable Gum Being Researched
If gum were made of biodegradable material then the problem of cleaning up gum might be mitigated. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have been experimenting with replacing part of the gum base with biodegradable zein (maize protein). This article is about the flagship campus For other uses and locations of University of Illinois, see University of Illinois (disambiguation The University of Zein is a class of Prolamine Protein found in Maize. It is usually manufactured as a powder from Corn gluten meal. [1]
References
- ^ Phua, Ree Kee (2005). "Reply to enquiry on Chewing Gum. " E-mail to Wei Zhong Goh.
- ^ Lee Kuan Yew (2000). From Third World to First: The Singapore Story. ISBN 0060197765
- ^ BBC News | FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT | Singapore's elder statesman
- ^ Bill Clinton (2004). My Life. Knopf. ISBN 0-375-41457-6.
- ^ a b Cris Prystay "At long last, gum is legal in Singapore, but there are strings", The Wall Street Journal, June 4, 2004.
- Ho Khai Leong (2003) Shared Responsibilities, Unshared Power: The Politics of Policy-Making in Singapore, ISBN 981-210-218-3.