The Politics of Bahrain and Singapore Compared
6/28/2009
Matthew King
University of South Florida
Abstract
This paper compares the two island countries of Bahrain and Singapore. Both islands are of similar size, important in their area or region. Throughout the paper the countries will be described in respects to their history, national symbolism, geography, people, governmental structure, their economy, military and current transnational issues. Upon completion of each section the two countries will be compared to find their similarities and differences. In conclusion the paper will explain how the different aspects of their countries development and structure affect them and their position in world affairs.
Bahrain and Singapore Compared
How do two islands, smaller than the size of New York City, become important independent nations in their regions? How do their beliefs, location, and size affect them as a society and as a nation in playing an important role to the world overall? This paper explores the similarities and differences between these two countries and how their geographic locations, beliefs, education, and problems affect their way of life and their role in their respective regions and in the world.
History
Bahrain was initially a commercial trading center under the influence and eventual domination of Iran in the 17th century. It was captured from the Persians in 1783 and ruled ever since by the al-Khalifa family. Numerous treaties gave Britain rule over Bahrain’s defense and foreign affairs until Bahrain became independent of British rule in 1971. (Peck, 2008)
Singapore was founded as a British trading colony in 1819. The city fell to the Japanese during WWII in 1942, but Britain re-established rule in 1945. Singapore separated from British rule in 1959, joined the Malaysian Federation in 1963 and separated from the Federation, gained independence, was admitted to the United Nations, became a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, and became a republic in 1965. ("Singapore at a Glance," 2009)
Both Bahrain and Singapore were established as important commercial trading centers, gained their independence from Britain and went on to establish themselves as important, self governing independent nations. Singapore broke from British rule in 1959 and Bahrain in 1971.
Nation’s Symbol
Bahrain’s national flag has one red and one white vertical stripe, with five points symbolizing the five pillars of Islam. (Figure 1) The five pillars of Islam are the foundation of Muslim life and include the faith or belief in the Oneness of God and the finality of the prophet hood of Muhammad; the establishment of daily prayers, the concern for and giving to the needy, self-purification through fasting, and the pilgrimage to Makkah for those who are able. (Zahid, 2005) Red is the traditional color for flags of the Persian Gulf States. ("CIA - The World Factbook - Bahrain," 2009)
Figure 1 – Bahraini Flag
Also of significance to Bahrain is Shajarat al-Hayah, better known as the “Tree of Life”, a 4 century old mesquite tree growing in the middle of the dessert and one of nature’s most baffling creations, because there is no water source available to sustain or feed the tree yet it still grows. It is symbolized as a powerful life sustaining force and is believed by some to be the actual location of the Garden of Eden. ("Tree of Life in Bahrain," 2009)
Singapore’s national flag also has one red and one white horizontal stripe, with a crescent moon and five stars. (Figure 2) The crescent moon represents a rising young nation and the five stars represent the nation’s ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality. The red in the flag represents universal brotherhood and equality of man and the white stands for pervading and everlasting purity and virtue. ("National Symbols - National Heritage Board," 2004)
Figure 2 – Singaporean Flag
The Singapore’s lion head is also a symbol of Singapore, originally named Singa Pura or Lion City. (Figure 3) The lion head symbolizes courage, strength and excellence, and resilience in the face of challenges. Its mane’s five partings represent, like the flag, the nation’s ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality. ("National Symbols - National Heritage Board," 2004)
Figure 3 – Singapore’s Lion Head
Bahrain’s national symbol is rooted around their religion, as are most Arab Nations, where Singapore’s national symbols seem to lean more towards their pride in overcoming obstacles and promoting peace throughout the nation.
Geography
Bahrain is 273 square mile island, with a 100 mile coastline, located in the Middle East on the Arabian/Persian Gulf. (Figure 4) The capital of Bahrain is Manama, situated on the north end of the island. The most prominent natural resources available to the Bahraini’s are oil, associated and non associated natural gas, fish, and pearls. However, by the early 80’s Bahrain’s oil field were mostly depleted, yet the government had the foresight to invest in other industries to keep their economy prospering. Hazards that are prevalent in Bahrain include droughts and dust storms. Environmental concerns include desertification, coastal degradation and lack of fresh water resources. (Peck, 2008) Bahrain’s small size, central and strategic location in the Persian Gulf and proximity to its Arab neighbors require it to play a balancing act in foreign affairs. ("CIA - The World Factbook - Bahrain," 2009)
Figure 4 – Kingdom of Bahrain
Singapore is 265 square mile island, with a 120 mile coastline, located in Southeast Asia on the Singaporean Straight. (Figure 5) The capital is Singapore situated on the South East end of the island. Singapore is also a focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes. The most prominent natural resources available to the Singaporean’s are fish and deep water ports. Hazards and environmental issues of concern to Singaporeans include industrial pollution, waste disposal, limited natural fresh water resources, and seasonal smoke/haze from forest fires in Indonesia. (Ulack, 2008)
Figure 5
Both Bahrain and Singapore are fairly small islands of similar size and tend to have similar resources and environmental issues. For both fishing and their strategic location have helped them become important countries. Both also have issues with not having natural fresh water resources.
People
The population of Bahrain is 727, 785, which is 163rd of all countries. Of those, 63% are Bahraini, 19% Asian, 10% Arab, and 8% Iranian. (Figure 6) The predominate language in Bahrain are Arabic, followed by English, Farsi, and then Urdu. Muslim is the prominent religion at 85%, followed by 9% Christian and 6% other. Of the Muslim population there are over double the number of Shia than Sunni Islam, yet the Sunnis control the country’s government. (Figure 7) Education in Bahrain is non-compulsory and free with 84% attendance, with 3.9% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) being used on education expenditures. ("CIA - The World Factbook - Bahrain," 2009)
Figure 6 – Ethnic Groups in Bahrain Figure 7 – Religion in Singapore
The population of Singapore is 4.7 million, which is 118th of all countries. Singapore is a mix of ethnic groups including 77% Chinese, 14% Malay, and 8% Indian. (Figure 8) The predominant language in Singapore is Mandarin Chinese, followed by English, Malay, Hokkien, Cantonese and other Chinese dialects. Buddhism is the prominent religion at 42%, followed by 15% Muslim, then Taoist, Hindu, Catholic, and other Christians. (Figure 9) Education in Singapore is non-compulsory and primary school is free for 6 years with universal attendance. Since 1987, English has been the language of instruction but Chinese, Malay or Tamil is being taught due to a policy of bilingualism. As of 2001, 3.7% of GDP is being used on education expenditures. ("CIA - The World Factbook - Singapore," 2009)
Figure 8 - Ethnic Groups in Singapore Figure 9 - Religion in Singapore
A majority of Bahrain’s population is from the Arab nations with some Asians mixed in, whereas, Singapore has mostly Chinese and Malaysian ethnic groups. Of course, this is mostly due to their location. When it comes to religion, the numbers seem to coincide with their ethnic groups. Bahrain has a large number of Muslims, of different types, which is the predominate religion in the Arab world. Singapore has a large number of Chinese and Malaysian populations and, with their close proximity to Asian and Indian countries, tends to lean toward the Buddhist, Hindu, and Taoist religions. Not surprisingly, their language is dominated by their population, most Bahrainis speak Arabic and most Singaporeans speak Mandarin or other Chinese dialect. What is significant is that both have English as their second language and in Singapore schools are taught in English. This is probably due to both countries being under British rule at one point.
Government
The Kingdom of Bahrain has a constitutional monarchy and the al-Khalifa family has been the head of the Monarchy since 1783. The Kingdom of Bahrain gained its independence from the British on December 16, 1971 with their current constitution established on February 14, 2002.
The executive branch includes a Chief of State, Head of Government, and a Council of Ministers. The Chief of State is the King and is established by heredity. The current King, since March 6, 1999, is King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa. The current Head of Government is appointed by the monarch and, since 1971, is Prime Minister Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa. The Council of Ministers, or cabinet, is also appointed by the monarch.
The legislative branch of Bahrain is bicameral (al-Majlis al-Watini) and consists of 80 seats. The Shura (Consultive) Council is appointed by the King and obtains 40 of the seats and the Council of Representatives is elected by the public and acquires the remaining 40 seats. The council’s are elected to serve a 4-year term.
The administrative division consist of 5 governorates; the Asamah, Janubiyah, Muharraq, Shamailyah, and Wasat. There are no political parties because they are prohibited by law but there are political pressure groups and leaders including Shia activists, Sunni Islamist legislators, and several small leftist and other active groups. Suffrage in Bahrain is at 20 years of age.
The legal system of Bahrain is based on Islamic law and English common law and they have not accepted compulsory ICJ (International Court of Justice) jurisdiction. The judicial branch of Bahrain includes the High Civil Appeals Court. (Peck, 2008)
The Republic of Singapore has a parliamentary republic. The republic gained its independence from the British in 1959 and from the Malaysian Federation on August 9, 1965. The constitution was established on June 3, 1959 and amended in 1965 and again in 1991.
The executive branch includes the Chief of State, Head of Government, and a cabinet, or Deputy Prime Ministers, led by the Prime Minister. The Chief of State, which is an elected position, is currently being held by President Sellapan RamaNathan. President S R Nathan was elected on August 18, 1999 and re-elected on August 17, 2005. The Chief of State is elected to a 6-year term. The Head of Government, or Prime Minister, is appointed by the President and is usually the leader of the majority party or leader of the majority coalition in the House of Parliament. The current Prime Minister is Lee Hsien Loong, who was appointed August 12, 2004. The Deputy Prime Ministers are appointed by the president, from the members of parliament and are responsible to the parliament.
The legislative branch of Singapore is a unicameral parliament consisting of 84 seats. The members of the parliament are selected by popular vote during general election every 5 years. The current members of Parliament include 82 members from the People’s Action Party, 2 from opposition parties, 1 non-constituent, and 9 nominated members of parliament (MP). The president may add up to 9 additional members, 3 of those from the losing candidates who came closest to winning seats may be appointed as ‘non-constituency’ members.
Political parties of Singapore include the People’s Action Party (PAP), Reform Party, Workers Party (WP), Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) and the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP). Suffrage in Singapore is at 21 years of age and is universal and compulsory.
The legal system of Singapore is based on English common law and they have not accepted compulsory ICJ (International Court of Justice) jurisdiction. The judicial system of Singapore includes the Supreme Court, whose Chief Justice is appointed by the President on advice from the Prime Minister. It also includes subordinate courts whose judges are also appointed by the President on advice from the Chief Justice. Singapore also has a Court of Appeals. (Ulack, 2008)
Both Singapore and Bahrain have a fairly complex political system. The executive branches are similar in that they both have a Prime Minister and a cabinet, both of which are appointed by the Chief of State. Where they differ is that Bahrain is a monarchy and chosen by heredity, whereas, Singapore has a President, elected by the people. The legislative branches are somewhat dissimilar, in that one is unicameral and the other is bicameral. Bahrain’s legislative branch does not seem too complicated, with half the seats being appointed and the other half being elected. Singapore, however, is somewhat more complex, not so much in as how they are appointed, by election, but on how they are to be divided or distributed and with the possible addition of more members. The reason for this is understandable, to provide and promote equality, which is one of Singapore’s ideals. Also interesting is the inclusion or non-inclusion of political parties. Bahrain has political parties outlawed whereas Singapore has several political parties, but they are all represented in the legislative branch.
The laws of both countries are somewhat similar except that Bahrain includes Islamic Law, not surprising since they are an Arab nation. Neither Singapore nor Bahrain have accepted ICJ jurisdiction. The countries are also dissimilar on the number of courts they have, Bahrain only has the one court whereas Singapore has numerous courts.
Economy
The economy of Bahrain is based on its highly developed communication and transport facilities. Aluminum is also a big part of Bahrain’s economy, however petroleum production and refining account for 60% of their export or 11% of their GDP. The GDP of Bahrain is $26.7 billion and 110th of all countries in as of 2008 with a GDP per capita of $37,200 (29th of all countries in 2008). The labor force of Bahrain is 463,000, with 80% industry and 20% services. The unemployment rate of Bahrain, as of 2005, was estimated at 15%, or 150th of all countries.