If you like things clean and orderly, then Singapore may be your perfect holiday destination. After the chaotic hustle and bustle of neighbouring countries, Singapore is a truly amazing place to visit because of it’s immaculate cleanliness. But if you plan to travel there, you first need to learn about the weird laws in Singapore.

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Chewing Gum in Singapore

So many visitors want to know – is chewing gum illegal in Singapore? What are the infamous smoking laws in Singapore? Are there any other crazy Singapore laws that visitors need to know about?

To answer the first question, it most definitely is illegal to chew gum in Singapore. And similar to narcotic drugs, it is also illegal to sell non-medicinal gum in Singapore. Fines are up to $100,000 or 2 years in prison!

There has however been a softening of this tough law since it was introduced in 1992. You are now allowed to chew nicotine gum and medicinal gum, as long as it is sold by a pharmacist or dentist. This includes standard “sugar free gum”. But the seller of medicinal or therapeutic gum must record the name of the purchaser of the gum.

But the chewing gum ban in Singapore does not stop there. You are not allowed to bring gum in from other countries either. Well no more than 2 packets, anyway. So make sure you check your backpack before that flight into Singapore. You wouldn’t want to get caught at airport security with a few packets of gum in your luggage.

Punishment for Gum Chewing in Singapore

Whilst Singapore still penalises some criminal offences with caning, thankfully there has never been a caning for gum chewing in Singapore. Instead fines and imprisonment are the  normal penalties imposed. The reality is that you would face a heavy fine if you chewed gum, and then decided to throw it away as litter.

Why Is Chewing Gum Illegal in Singapore?

So exactly why is chewing gum illegal in Singapore? It all started many years ago in the public housing sector. Vandals discarding used gum on elevator buttons, in keyholes and in mailboxes, reportedly caused ongoing maintenance issues and government repairs costs.

But it didn’t stop there. Ongoing gum offences on buses and in public areas resulted in yet more spending on maintenance and cleaning. I think anybody in the free world (where gum is still legal) can relate to this.

The Mass Rapid Transit System

The final straw was when the 5 billion dollar Mass Rapid Transit System came online in 1987. Renegade vandals turned to the MRT, and began to terrorise the system with their used chewing gum. They began sticking gum on the door sensors, causing the train doors to malfunction resulting in embarrassing and costly disruptions to train services.

The MRT incidents took it one step too far, and the Prime Minister imposed a chewing gum ban in January 1992. Good on him I say. What we see today is a clean Singapore. There are no unsightly gum stains on pavements and public areas around the city. There is no gum stuck all over the seats of public buses and trains. I imaging the schools are a whole lot better for the ban.

Downtown Singapore is so clean - Weird Laws in Singapore
Spotless Singapore footpaths

Other Weird Laws In Singapore

Chewing gum bans are not the only weird Singapore laws. If you are travelling to Singapore and normally participate in any of the following, I strongly urge you to abstain during your stay. Or face heavy penalties.

The smoking laws in Singapore come under more scrutiny than any other, due to the high number of smokers. No smoking in public… sheesh! This is probably not so much a weird law, but the way the world is headed. Sorry smokers, but I think your days of smoking in public are numbered.

More Than Smoking Bans

But look past the smoking laws, and you may consider some of those below to be crazy laws in Singapore. The penalties below are indicative only and may vary substantially in real cases. But don’t take my work for it, check out the links to Singapore Statues websites.

  1. Chewing Gum in Singapore will land you a $100,000 fine or 2 years in jail
  2. Mandatory Flushing of Public Toilets – $150 fine
  3. Smoking in a Public Place – $150 fine
  4. Spitting or Expelling Mucus From the Nose in Public – $1,000 fine
  5. Littering – $300 – $1,000 fine
  6. Jaywalking – $1,000 / 3 months jail
  7. Graffiti – caning / jail
  8. Drinking Liquor in Public Places from 10:30 pm to 7:00 am – $1,000 fine
  9. Feeding Pigeons – $500 fine
  10. Eating on Public Transport – $500 fine
  11. Urinating Anywhere But a Toilet (Especially Public Elevators!) – $1,000 fine
  12. Connecting to Somebody Else’s Wi Fi – 3 years jail / $10,000 fine
  13. Playing a Musical Instrument in Public that is Annoying Other People – $1,000 fine
  14. Interfering With Public Traffic by Flying a Kite or Playing a Game – $5,000 fine
  15. Singing in Public when Obscene Lyrics are Involved – 3 months jail
  16. Distributing Obscene Material – 3 months jail
  17. Same Sex Relations – 2 years jail
  18. Nudity, Even in Your Own Home – $1,000 fine
  19. Taking Drugs and Then Entering Singapore – $20,000 / 10 years jail
  20. Possessing narcotic drugs including cannabis – $20,000 fine / 10 years jail / capital punishment
  21. Attempting Suicide – fine / 1 year jail

Is It Safe To Go To Singapore?

If your are a compulsive gum smuggling, WiFi stealing, mucus spitting, pidgeon feeding litterbug, perhaps you should reconsider travelling to Singapore as your next holiday destination. But for everyone else, Singapore is a remarkable place to visit and should be on every bonafide traveller’s bucket list.

Just try to remember some basic do’s and don’ts, avoid those weird laws of Singapore, and you will be fine. And keep your medicinal gum to yourself.

Weird Laws in Singapore

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