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Show o Singap ore has rigid co des , laws l I 4 - ' 1 ' ' t . ' -! i. ,t -' ; - - 4 ... " " ' Z fe " r ' j - : ' K i : . fiee . . . - - , : . - , -, '' - ' " - . i . By QUIG NIELSEN Olf you're planning to have lots of kids, keep away from Singapore. Family planning is rigidly enforced. Parents are allowed two children, any more and the parents are severely se-verely penalized. All this becomes necessary if the government expects to stabilize the population at 2.5 million by the year 2000. Singapore's population experts claim that by that year there will be an equal number of births and deaths. If your hair is long below the top of your shirt collar don't expect ex-pect to slip into Singapore unnoticed. unnotic-ed. In fact you may never get into the country at all unless you conform con-form to the government's conservative conser-vative dress codes. And these codes apply to both young and old. This little country of 620 square kilometers 20 miles wide and 20 miles long consists of a small island and 54 islets under its jurisdiction. It could very well be the cleanest and healthiest city on the entire globe. Littering can get you a fine of up to $500. So don't carelessly toss a sweets wrapper or a cigarette butt in a public place. And how about this? "Cigarette smoking is recognized as a health hazard and is prohibited in a number of public places lifts, cinemas, theaters, and public buses as well as all government govern-ment offices." For violation, a fine of up to $500 can be levied on the offender. Heavy fines and jail terms await those who abuse the use of drugs. For anyone found in possession of more than 15 grams of heroin or morphine, and presumed to be trafficking traf-ficking the drugs, the penalty is death. "Keep away from dangerous drugs while in Singapore," the welcome brochure says. "Do not associate with those you suspect of taking drugs...at all costs." , The cleanliness of fascinating Singapore was very noticeable the moment my wife and I left our hotel the first morning we were there. So clean were the streets and sidewalks, pleasurable walks along the thoroughfares were enticing. Our flight out of Hong Kong was several hours late so our arrival at Singapore's new and strikingly beautiful Changi airport came in the wee hours of the morning. With the airport about 20 kilometers from downtown Singapore, we climbed into a taxi. We learned quickly that cabs after midnight charge double the regular fare. Our driver was courteous and gave us a speedy ride along the dimly lighted thoroughfare to our hotel. Singapore, in a tropical setting, is hot and humid but, fortunately, a morning breeze off the ocean cools the area. It is a crossroads for trade, travel and commerce and boasts the world's second busiest and, in the opinion of many a traveler, the most beautiful seaport. The advantageous location among the nations of the Orient made Singapore one of the world's great ports with the world's largest floating dock. Prior to World War II Great Britain designated Singapore one of its principal naval bases, and numerous nu-merous defense batteries and forts were constructed. In 1942, the bas-tian bas-tian was captured by die Japanese and during the retreat British troops destroyed the causeway which lined Signapore, a little country of 620 square kilometers-20 miles wide and 20 miles long-consists of a small island and 54 islets under its jurisdiction. It could very well be the cleanest and healthiest city on the entire globe. Littering can get you a fine of up to $500. balustrated stairs and look up to the high ceiling, you will understand why Kipling, Coward, Maugham and Conrad chose Raffles Hotel to be their home and workplace. " Of course, there's more to see in Singapore than the Raffles Hotel No visit would be complete without a trip to Sultan Mosque, where more than 400,000 followers of Islam worship. In the Temple of 1,000 Lights stands a 15-meter statue of Buddha framed by hun dreds of light bulbs, which give the temple its name. For a real thrill take in "Instant Asia," a 45-minute presentation of traditional Chinese, Indian and Malay dances. When the show is over, you'll have the opportunity to have a python draped around your neck while tl)e snake charmers look on. Singapore, with a rich blend of races and cultures, is known as the "Lion City," with Lon entertain ment and lion-sized sites to see. 'I j ... "V - v? 1 I ' ft ' r 1 s ! - I 1 v if it f :) ft i ? 1 4 I i i , . the island to the peninsula and sank the floating dock. Singapore became a separate nation on Aug. 9, 1965, with a parliamentary democracy. Reputedly its standards in health, education and housing are high. This cosmopolitan city is composed com-posed of about 77 percent Chinese, 15 percent Malaysian, six percent Indian and only two percent Caucasian. Cauca-sian. It's no surprise that with the majority of the people Chinese, there is a Chinatown. It's a very busy, noisy bazaar section which is the heart of Singapore for the Chinese population. The main center of Singapore is Raffles Place, named for a British agent of the British East Indian Company, Sir Stamford Raffles. He came to Singapore in 1819, and was responsible for developing Singapore into a strategic trading center. Raffles Hotel, opened in 189', is an architectural rarity, a historic 1 landmark and a fascinating place to ' visit. Somerset Maugham said that i the hotel "stands for all the fables of the exotic East. ' ' European royalty and men of letters like Rudyard Kipling and Maugham were attracted to this hotel. ho-tel. It was here the British Colonials made their last stand before being marched to Changi prison by the Japanese conquerors in 1942. Singaporeans urge visitors to "go to Raffles, marvel at its French Renaissance architecture, and indulge in-dulge in a little nostalgia. When you walk the windy corridors, climb the I V Mi'-- i -. - i - I f - t 4 5 tt A ' i kjf,4A-JU if m it ' ft Singapore, with a rich blend of races and cultures, is known as the "Lion City," with lion entertainm nt and lion-sized sites to see. Here, the Singapore dragon is on display to tourists and visitors to the small country. T i-r.3fcfc-i; .Bm J,,-"M Singapore became a separate nation on Aug. 9, 1965, with a parliamentary democracy. Reputedly its standards in health, Ur education and housing are high. Here Miss Singapore rests from her duties at Raffles Hotel. |