Quora Answer: How Would the 2019 Riots, in Hong Kong, Change the Political Situation in Singapore?

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “How would the 2019 riots in Hong Kong change the political situation in Singapore?”

The events in Hong Kong are not going to change the political situation in Singapore.  Hong Kong and Singapore are fundamentally different., and the underlying socioeconomic conditions that gave rise to the riots do not exist in Singapore.  There is no housing crisis, no disenfranchisement of the youth, and no perceived lack of economic opportunities.  These are institutional failures of the Hong Kong government.  Singapore has entirely different challenges, and a legal framework that precludes that level of civil unrest.

Singapore has actually benefited from the civil disturbance, with massive amounts of capital inflows from Hong Kong.  The downgrading of business confidence, and the loss of tourist receipts, have largely been diverted to Singapore.  Hong Kong’s unrest validates Singapore’s housing, and economic policy.  In short, the lesson learned is that stability is rewarded, and instability has a severe economic impact.