I have visited Singapore three times in recent years and, each time, the island-state gave me a different feeling and experience.

　　Overall, I think I am most impressed with the unity of the people under the leadership of the government and the courage of Singaporeans in the face of adversity.

　　I first visited Singapore in early 1997. Filled with a sense of curiosity, I found the experience rather refreshing. Its economy was thriving and there were numerous recruitment advertisements in the media.

　　During the one-month stay, I made cursory observations of the city-state more as a tourist than a journalist with 20 years of experience. When I returned to China, I wrote five articles on Singapore for Xi'an Evening News, the newspaper I work for.

　　In July 1999, I came to Singapore again and spent six months here. The longer duration allowed me to gain a better and more comprehensive understanding of the tiny nation. Singapore had just emerged relatively unscathed from the Asian economic crisis and the market was booming again.

　　I participated in many cultural, business and even sporting activities and met Singaporeans from all walks of life. In short, I wanted to find out what makes Singapore successful.

　　Many praises have been heaped on Singapore, such as an efficient and clean government, a strict and impartial justice system, a friendly and educated people and an orderly and open society. They sounded rather hollow to me at first, but soon became real and concrete through many of my personal experiences.

　　When I was back in China, I penned more than 10 articles which touched on areas such as Singapore's practice of imposing severe punishment on law-breakers and its primary and secondary education. These were picked up by many newspapers and websites.

　　Last November, I was here on my third visit when a General Election was on and the Singapore economy was in recession. I observed the hustings with great interests. And I was not surprised at all that the ruling People's Action Party scored a landslide victory by winning more than 75 per cent of valid votes.

　　The way I, a foreigner, saw it, the people should vote for competent parties which have produced results. The man in the street is rather down-to-earth - it is not what promises the politicians can make but what they can deliver that matters.

　　For 30 over years, under the PAP leadership, Singapore has grown from a poor country with hardly any resources to an affluent, modern and developed nation. Its success story is well-known and is reason enough for the people to continue to throw their support behind the party.

　　Unlike the previous visits, this time round I witnessed and heard many problems brought about by a slowing economy, including retrenchment, rising unemployment and a fall in media advertisements. In spite of all these, society remained orderly and the people kept their spirits high.

　　According to a recent news report, the economic downturn had not triggered a rise in crime rates. This really set me thinking as the underlying reasons were significant. While social chaos and rampant crimes are often the result of an economic recession, this has not happened in Singapore.

　　I guess it is a matter of confidence. And with the kind of confidence the government and the people have, there is no problem that they cannot overcome together.

　　(The writer is a journalist with China's Xi'an Evening News. Translated by Yap Gee Poh)

　　笔者作为一名有近20年新闻工作经验的记者，在近几年中先后三次探亲来到狮城，每次都有不同的感受和体验。

新加坡珊顿道金融区。

　　但所见所闻，感受到新加坡人民在政府的领导下，举国上下，团结一致，表现出良好的精神风貌和战胜困难的勇气，令我感触多多。

　　第一次来狮城是在1997年初。我因是第一次来此，对周围的一切颇感好奇和新鲜。当时的新加坡经济蒸蒸日上，媒体上的招聘广告很多。

　　一个月的时间里，我更多的是以一个游客的身分浮光掠影地扫视周围的一切。回国之后，我在所工作的报社《西安晚报》刊发了《狮城行车记》、《图书馆见闻》等5篇文章。

　　1999年7月，我第二次来到狮城。由于呆的时间较长（半年），我能够从各方面对新加坡进行全方位的观察和了解。此时的狮城刚从波及全亚洲的经济危机中走出来，市场又恢复了往日的繁荣。我参加了多个文化、体育、商业的活动，接触了各方面的人，力图寻找狮城更深层、更有特点的东西。

　　政府的高效与廉洁，法律的公正与严明，人民的友善与文明，社会的开放与有序等等。这一切听起来空洞，但却通过我亲身经历的一件件事，变得那么具体、生动。

　　回国之后，我又写了《重罚出文明》、《我认识的狮城大学生》、《新加坡的中小学教育》等10多篇文章。刊发后还被多家报刊和网站转载。

　　去年11月，我第三次来到狮城探亲。恰遇岛国大选和严重的经济衰退。我以很大的兴趣关注着这次大选全过程。对于行动党最后以75%多的高得票率结果获胜，我一点也不感到惊奇。

　　因为从我一个外国人的角度来看，人民理应选择有能力、有实绩的政党来领导国家。老百姓是最朴实的，也是最讲实际的。他们不看你说的多漂亮，多么动人，而是看你做的如何。

　　建国30多年来，行动党带领人民把一个贫穷落后、没有任何资源的岛国，建成了世人有口皆碑的富裕、文明的现代化国家。这是最有说服力的理由。

　　与前两次不同的是，我这次看到和听到了许多由于经济衰退带来的问题。比如企业裁员、失业人数增加、媒体广告滑落等等。但社会环境依然有序，人民的精神面貌还那么好。

　　也许是职业习惯，我对媒体比较关注。几天前的一则电视新闻说，经济衰退并未引发全国各类案件的上升。

　　短短的几分钟倒让我想了很久，因为它的背后潜藏了很大的信息量。经济衰退很容易引发社会混乱，导致犯罪率上升，各类案件增加。而一切并未在这里发生。

　　这说明政府有自信，人民有信心。在它们面前，还有什么困难不能克服呢？

　　（作者是中国《西安晚报》记者）

《联合早报》

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