In Singapore, Geylang is home to women working legally under government-issued licenses, paying taxes and being protected just like workers in other industries.
Bustling Geylang
Located on the eastern side of the Singapore River, Geylang is a bustling commercial street in Singapore with many guild halls, food and more distinctive than these are the local entertainment venues.
Geylang has 44 small alleys of various sizes, each with its own number plate, singular alleys for people to eat and drink, even alleys for people to play, and large and small entertainment venues are hidden in these alleys.
Surprisingly, there are many temples here, and it is hard to imagine that in this projectile land, sacred temples can coexist with entertainment venues for many years.
The streets are often marked by monks and fancy-dressed girls, each hurrying to a different world, but in the same time and space.
So many people say that Geylang is a magical place, where you can not only feel the worldly fireworks, but also find the great wisdom of the world.
Strict management
The entertainment venues in Geylang are not ordinary, but the work of the girls is legal, and the women working here must obtain a work license issued by the government, which requires the individual to submit an application to the government.
Very few of the women working here are Singaporeans, and many come from Vietnam, Thailand and other places.
Both local and foreign workers must undergo a strict medical examination before joining the company, and if the medical examination report is not suitable, they will not be able to obtain a work permit.
In addition, they have to sign a document that contains some rules that they must follow, such as that they must be between 21 and 35 years old, that they must commute to and from work on time like workers in other industries, that everyone can only work in a defined area, and that they will be punished if they work across regions.
The document also stipulates that foreign practitioners are not allowed to provide services to Singaporeans. The duration of the work permit is only two years, after which the foreign worker must leave Singapore and cannot enter Singapore in the same capacity in the future. While working in Singapore, they are not allowed to marry Singaporeans in order to prevent them from remaining in Singapore by marriage.
The government issues about 1,000 such licenses a year, and many people who do not have them work secretly, and these illegal practitioners are targeted by the local police.
The local government is strict in the management of the area, police raids are common, this generation of female workers have to undergo bi-weekly medical examinations, if they find abnormalities, they must stop working, and some foreign workers may be repatriated.
History of Geylang
The entertainment venues of Geylang originated in the 19th century. Since Singapore is located at the throat of the Strait of Malacca, its strategic location made it quickly become a transportation hub, and with the development of free trade, many crew members and foreign workers came to Singapore, and the arrival of these people made entertainment venues mushroom.
After World War I, as these places increased, the government began to introduce special laws and regulations to increase the management of these places, and slowly the Geylang area began to become a gathering place for these women.
After World War II, Japan occupied Singapore, but in the chaos of Geylang area has achieved unprecedented development, it may be that many women really can't find the means to make a living, so they have to come to Geylang, of course, some women were deceived by others to come here.
Once outlawed
In the 70s of the 20th century, Singapore wanted to ban the entertainment venues in Geylang, but in the end, it did not do so. Because the government found that the ban would cause a series of problems, such as many women leaving Geylang and entering society could not find a job at all, they had to return to their old jobs, which made the ban measure exist in name only. Many people in society have a strong opinion about this, believing that they have corrupted the social atmosphere.
With the abolition of these establishments, the original practitioners no longer paid taxes and fees, and the local tax revenue was reduced. The existence of Geylang has promoted the development of local tourism, and tourism has also been affected to a certain extent after the ban.
As a result, the ban was eventually lifted and the government began to regulate the management of the area by issuing work permits.
Strict laws in Singapore
Although there will be some difficulties in banning Geylang entertainment venues, many people believe that Geylang entertainment venues will one day disappear because Singapore's laws are very strict, which makes the existence of Geylang entertainment venues very difficult.
We can take a look at its relevant legal provisions:
1. You can't drink alcohol on the street late at night
Alcohol is prohibited in all public places across the country from 10:30 am to 7 am in Singapore, so you may be fined S$1,000 if you drink on the street at this time.
2. You can't eat or drink on the MRT or you may be fined S$500.
3. Parking must be turned off
If you are driving a motor vehicle in Singapore, be sure to turn off the engine immediately after stopping, Singapore stipulates that the engine is not allowed to idle when the motor vehicle is stationary, otherwise you may be fined S$70. If it is not the first time to violate this rule, the fine may be increased to S$100, and failure to pay within the deadline will result in a fine of S$5,000.
4. Do not rub the net at will
In the mainland, many shopping malls, restaurants, and barbershops have free WIFI for everyone to use, and many people like to rub the Internet in these places, and the boss is not disgusted by this, because this can increase the popularity of the store, but it is illegal to rub the Internet in Singapore! Don't be careless, because if you're not careful, you could face up to 3 years in prison.
5. Do not bare your body at will
It is illegal to be naked in public and the weather in Singapore is relatively hot, but even so, you should be careful not to dress too coolly, and if you make others feel distracted, then you may be fined.
Even at home, you are not allowed to be naked, and if you overindulge yourself and happen to be discovered and reported by a neighbor or roommate, you may be fined S$2,000 and may face 3 months in prison.
6. Singapore attaches great importance to environmental protection, so it cracks down very some acts that damage the environment.
Don't litter
First-time offenders will be fined S$2,000, trash throwing for the second time will be fined S$4,000, and a fine of up to S$10,000 for the third time and above.
Do not spit or you may be fined S$1,000.
Do not doodle freely, otherwise you may be fined S$2,000 or face 3 years in prison, plus 3-8 lashes.
Animals should not be fed haphazardly as food scraps can pollute the environment and you may be fined between S$500 and S$1,000 if you insist on doing so.
Chewing gum is not allowed into the country as it is very difficult to clean and violators may face a fine of S$1,000.
Whipping in Singapore
The strictest penalty in Singapore is caning, which is punishable for serious wounding, assault on women, and destruction of public property.
The whip used for execution was about 1 meter long and 1.3 cm thick. In order to ensure the flexibility of the whip, the whip will be soaked in clean water the night before the execution, and the whip that absorbs enough water will not break during the execution.
The flogging is carried out by special prison guards, and the prisoners are tied to a 2.74-meter-high whipping rack, because the whip is thick and long, so if a few whips go down, the human may open the flesh.
When the caning is carried out, a forensic doctor is present. After each lash, the doctor examines the wound and stops the execution if the victim is found to be unable to bear it.
However, this does not mean that the remaining lashes will not be carried out, and he will continue to be punished when the prisoner's body recovers again.
Flogging makes many people creepy, many people can only withstand about 3 lashes, generally speaking, the part of the whipping is usually the buttocks, 2-3 weeks after being beaten, the beaten can only stay in bed, unable to sit normally.
Because flogging is so lethal, Singapore stipulates that women and men over 50 and under 18 do not receive flogging.
Can strict laws and regulations and entertainment venues coexist?
In recent years, the future development of Geylang has often been talked about, and there are different opinions on whether the advantages of Geylang outweigh the disadvantages or the disadvantages outweigh the benefits.
Those who advocate the existence of Geylang Entertainment Venues believe that banning it in a "one-size-fits-all" manner will not be done once and for all, but will breed more problems, and maintaining the status quo is the best solution.
Advocates of banning Geylang casinos argue that Geylang's existence is like a cancer that corrupts the social atmosphere and leads to rampant criminal activities, which is incompatible with Singapore, which is known for its strict laws.
Whether Geylang entertainment venues will disappear under strict laws and regulations is still unknown. However, the practitioners of Geylang do not seem to care about this problem, they are still immersed in their own world, and they live a life of drunken gold fans and warbler songs and dances every day.
Geylang mode is not replicable
Many people think that Geylang has a unique style and can be copied, but this is very wrong! Each country has its own circumstances, and the Geylang model may legally exist in Singapore, but may not be feasible in other countries. Blindly follow suit, I am afraid that I will regret it!
What are your views on this issue, welcome to exchange and discuss together!