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Well, you don't have free press (the ST is a joke) and you're not allowed to criticize politicians by name. I don't know if it's a police state, but it definitely isn't a free country either.

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There are numerous internet publications where politicians are criticised by name, though many publications self-censor because politicians have often initiated (and won/settled) defamation lawsuits [1]. There have been numerous allegations on the independence and impartiality of the judiciary when it comes to said lawsuits, however [2].

It is true that no printed newspapers may be published in Singapore without a permit [3].

[1] http://therealsingapore.com/content/history-defamation-suits...

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judicial_independence_in_Singap...

[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_of_Singapore#Newspapers

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