When SARs first struck, they were at the forefront, because of
their close proximity, it was not possible to control it swiftly.
If the point of outbreak is in Singapore, I am sure the results
would have been similar.
Cambodia? Might as well compare Somalia and Ethiopia right. Maybe
it's because they didn't pay Pol Pot enough, if they pay him and
his cronies millions of US dollars in salary, maybe Cambodia will
be like Singapore now.
There is no 2 person with same features, but yet we are able to
make comparisons based on similarities, different doesn't mean we
can't make comparisons, but we need to make equitable comparisons.
Comparing with Malaysia and Cambodia is not an equitable
comparisons. First of all Malaysia, the population make up is
different, the geographical make up is also different.
For Cambodia, it was ground zero of ideological conflict after
World War 2, where Russia and China was trying to exert hegemony on
it, with US exacting an opposing motion. If the government of
Singapore was caught in this position. Do you think that we will
able to escape unscathed? (You have a few major powers
concentrating their ideology on an undeveloped nation.) You have
4-5 giants fighting each other in your country; you think a Mr. Lee
makes a difference?
Why compare Hong Kong with Singapore? They have a colonial past,
they have similar population make up, they have a vibrant port,
they have little material resources, they have limited land space,
etc.
Hong Kong, though it's now under the care of the Chinese government
has more freedom than Singapore, they can voice their discontent
publicly with fear of being arrested and put in prison.
