Dear Singapore Airlines

11 LonglandsRd New Mills STOCKPORT Cheshire SK12 3BL 31st March 1994 Singapore Airlines 580 Chiswick High Road LONDON W4 5RB           Dear Singapore Airlines           I have heard that your catering is probably the best in the air, and for this reason I have decided to fly with your airline when I visit Sydney, Australia, this autumn. En route to Sydney it is my intention to make a stopover in Singapore for a few days. In fact this is the reason I am writing to you, because since deciding on the trip I read something in my newspaper about Malaysia which disturbed me more than somewhat. For the article in my Daily Telegraph informed me that it is common practice over there to flog wrongdoers with a cane, and went on to relate the story of the sorry plight of a young American, who the Malaysian authorities intend to flog senseless because he had been found guilty of the crime of writing graffiti on motor cars. Now don’t get me wrong, I have no intention of writing graffiti, or for that matter committing any other crime, whilst I am in your country, but it is possible even in the most just of societies to be wrongly accused and convicted of a crime. Then again, what exactly is classified as a crime in Singapore? I have heard that you are hot on litter louts over there, so what for example would the position be if I happened to be kidnapped during my stay in Singapore, wrote a ‘Help!’ note which I somehow managed to throw onto the pavement, and the note was subsequently found and I was rescued? Quite naturally I would expect the kidnappers to be given very short shrift, but how would I stand with regard to causing the ‘help’ note to be on the pavement –could I be flogged for the crime of dropping litter? Sampling the delights which Singapore no doubt has to offer is all very well, but not at the expense of having a bottom that I wouldn’t be able to sit down on for a month! Or is the dropping of litter not a floggable offence? I would be very grateful if you could let me know because it may mean the difference between my stopping over in Singapore or flying direct to Australia – still with Singapore Airlines of course. Yours faithfully T Ravenscroft (Mr)