Singapore-style repression has come to Britain

In September 2022, I came to the UK in the hope of leaving behind an overbearing and censorious state. In 2021, an op-ed I wrote for the Nikkei Asia Review provoked the ire of the Singaporean authorities because I exposed their feigned ignorance about cartels abusing lockdown loopholes during Covid-19.

The UK state – while much less competent than Singapore’s – is no less heavy-handed when it comes to dealing with dissent

In response, the government waged a character assassination campaign against me and blocked foreign news outlets that dared to cover my case. When I was offered a lifeline – a chance to study for a master’s in international security at Bath – I did not need to think twice before grabbing it with both hands.

I thought I would be rebuilding my life in a society famou