What were Theroux's main impressions of Singapore?

Theroux got the impression Singapore thought of itself as an outpost of modernity in a culturally backwater region. The country encouraged this view with fancy new buildings, including Western-style hotels and apartment houses. But Theroux found the government of Singapore to be one of the most primitive in the world, depending as it did on political repression, repressive laws, strict censorship, and the filling of prisons with political dissidents.