Yale in Singapore: Lost in Translation - The Chronicle Review - The Chronicle of Higher Education: What is wrong with Singapore? Why should a great American university not engage with a rising Asian state? According to Human Rights Watch in 2010, Singapore "remains the textbook example of a politically repressive state. Individuals who want to criticize or challenge the ruling party's hold on power can expect to face a life of harassment, lawsuits, and even prison." Singapore's penal code sets out more than 20 drug-related offenses for which capital punishment is mandatory.