Thanks to PM Srettha Thavisin who said last month that the Singaporean government paid two to three million dollars per show to American songstress Taylor Swift to ensure that she performs exclusively in Singapore while in Southeast Asia, the disclosure has led to lessons and debate among the neighbors of Singapore.
First the lessons. The Singaporean government is pro-active in wooing world-class performers to come to its city state while we probably could not say the same about Thailand and other ASEAN neighbors.
Singapore’s Straits Times on March 2 ran an interview with Edwin Tong, Singapore Minister of Culture, Community and Youth, that Team Singapore, a multi-agency team, was led by no less that the minister himself. They headed to Los Angeles more than a year ago to look for opportunities to boost Singapore as an international hub for entertainment, arts, and culture.
“One such meeting was with Swift’s agent, and very quickly we saw an opportunity because she had not yet announced international tour dates, so we put forward a proposition to come to Singapore … (and figured out) what can we do to make it work for you, dates, and venue-wise and so on,” Tong was quoted as saying.
Back to Thailand, Srettha was not even the prime minister a year ago and it was the lame duck junta-leader-turned-PM Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha still running the show while doing very little. So, there was absolutely no competition here.
And even if Team Thailand (and there is no Team Thailand really, due to deep political division) wants to compete in wooing Swift, one will quickly come to the realization that our mega concert venues like Rajamangala National Stadium are no match for the Singapore National Stadium for at least two main reasons.
Transports to and from the site on Ramkhamhaeng Road are nightmarish with no direct link by skytrain or subway. It has no retractable roof or air conditioning, so when it is too hot or raining, concertgoers are at the mercy of the elements. Other Thais online point out to the fact that Singapore is much more affluent, thus the locals are more able to afford expensive tickets.
If Srettha is serious about turning Bangkok into a world-class hub of concerts and entertainment, I suggest he stops hopping around foreign states for a while, go back to a drawing board, and meet with experts, officials, and business people, and come up with a concrete plan and reveal it to the public to see whether it is even feasible.
Now the debate, or controversy.
After Srettha made the remark, even Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Loong was questioned during a joint press conference with Australian PM Anthony Albanese by a reporter while attending ASEAN-Australia Summit in Melbourne earlier this week.
AFP quotes Lee as saying: “Our agencies negotiated an arrangement with her to come to Singapore and perform, and to make Singapore her only stop in Southeast Asia … The deal was reached. And so, it has turned out to be a very successful arrangement. I don’t see that as being unfriendly.”
As for AP, it quotes Lee from the same press conference as saying “certain incentives” were provided to Swift using Singaporean government funds set up to rebuild its tourism industry. Lee did not divulge on how much the Singaporean government exactly spent to “incentivize” the 34-year-old Swift and we will unlikely not know the exact amount.
According to AP: “Lee suggested that if Singapore hadn’t struck an exclusive deal, a neighboring country might have done so.”
So, was it an unfriendly act towards Singapore’s ASEAN neighbors?
Well, it depends. One man’s “incentives” is another man’s “bribery.” Despite Singapore’s clear infrastructural supremacy over its ASEAN neighbors, including Thailand, with seamless mass transportation links to the concert venue, its world-class Changi Airport, its wealth, she still feels inadequate to the point where she has to offer a monetary incentive (or bribe Swift) to perform exclusively in Singapore while in Southeast Asia.
Is it unfriendly? Well, it is at least inconsiderate to resort to the use of such a grey tactic. (Interestingly, Singapore is known for its plethora of signs reminding the public to be “considerate” to staff working at hospital, condominium, and even fast-food joints like McDonald’s).
Three examples on differing views on the controversy among the readers of Philstarlife, an online media in the Philippines.
First from a Malaysian reader Lenny Carrey: “Singapore has just embarrassed itself with this lame defense! Monopoly and any effort to refrain any form of competition and competitiveness are some principles totally resented by free market capitalism! If this is not a form of bribe, well, people with such ridiculous mindset really need to get themselves reeducated once again!
Now an example of a second opinion on the same comment section by Filipino Jennifer Ramirez: “Singapore has all the resources and way better people in the government and probably even in the whole country. So, they deserve whatever positive vibes they’re getting.”
Then a third opinion, also from a Filipino, Neils Mariano: “Why blame Singapore? I believe they were smart to offer that deal. It’s Taylor Swift you must question.”
Anyhow, the same article on Singapore’s Straits Times basically says the money its government paid to Swift to only perform in Singapore while in Southeast Asia was more than worth it. “More than 300,000 tickets have been sold for the six shows, which will draw fans from South-east Asia, with Singapore being Swift’s only stop in the region. The Straits Times reported economists estimating that it could boost Singapore’s economy by up to $500 million in tourism receipts.”
But then, what is the price of “incentivizing” Swift to just perform in Singapore but not elsewhere in Southeast Asia? What is the price of negative feelings toward Singapore generated among some Thais, Filipinos or Indonesians for using such tactics at the expense of its neighbors?
For a small city state like Singapore, maintaining a truly friendly neighbors with positive attitudes toward Singapore is priceless.
And that should be taken into account as well.
