Hi Jasmine during my childhood day I still remembered chewing gum was sold everywhere in all sara sara store and supermarket . We had our fair share of vandalism, we will stick it on the elevators button what we considered fun to us until one day when we was taking a bus imagine a gum stuck on the seat where I sit and e the effort of trying to get rid of the gum in my brand new pants ! I realised that I was a victim of a prank, it was an horrific experiences. From that day onward, it was an enlightenment experienced to me that chewing gum was causing such serious maintenance problems in high-rise HDB public housing flats, with vandals disposing of spent gum in mailboxes, inside keyholes,on floors, stairways and pavements in public areas increased the cost of cleaning and damaged cleaning equipment. Gum stuck on the seats of public buses also constantly vexed passengers.
In the mid 1990s, Singapore's forbidding laws began to receive intense international coverage and attention from liberal civil rights activists. The U.S. media sensationalised the case of Michael P. Fay, the American teenager who was sentenced to caning in Singapore for vandalism (spray paint, not chewing gum). They also zeroed in on Singapore's other peculiar laws, including the mandatory flushing in public toilets ruling. It was around this time that Singapore developed its infamous "nanny state" image, where the movements of every citizen are constantly scrutinised and dictated by the government. A common joke is that Singapore is a "fine" country, a jibe at the excessive number of fines Singapore imposes for seemingly harmless acts like jaywalking. Most of the outside world saw laws such as the ban on chewing gum as excessively aggressive and even autocratic. It was then reported that vandals had begun sticking chewing gum on the door sensors of MRT trains, preventing the door from functioning properly and causing disruption of train services. Such incidents were rare but costly and culprits were difficult to apprehend. In January 1992, Goh Chok Tong, who had just taken over as Prime Minister, decided on a ban. The restriction on the distribution of chewing gum was enacted in Singapore Stature Chapter 57, the "Control of Manufacture Act", which also governs the restriction of alcohol and tobacco.
A Nation without Chewing Gum After the ban was announced, the import of chewing gum was immediately halted. However, a reasonable transition period was given to allow shops to clear their existing stocks. After that, the sale of chewing gum was completely terminated.
Singapore leaders responded by arguing that as a sovereign state, Singapore had the rights to formulate its own policies based on its own unique political and cultural values. Besides, they argued, these policies would result in greater overall benefits for the country. When a BBC reporter suggested that overly draconian laws would stifle the people's creativity, Lee Kuan Yew retorted: "If you can't think because you can't chew, try a banana." . I guess Singapore's sidewalks have continued to stay gum-free. A new generation has grown up devoid of chewing gum, with few significant repercussions. Tourists visiting Singapore enthuse about how they no longer need to pick gum off their shoes when walking on the streets. Today, it is generally agreed amongst citizens that the advantages of the ban far outweigh the side-effects. In Philippine I enjoy eating chewing gum but you can ensure that I always keep the whole wrapper to spit my gum into it. One admiration in Philippine I yet encounter any chewing gum on commuters and buses, or even SM mall.
