The organised violence in recent weeks of protesters seemingly bent on pushing Hong Kong ever closer to total anarchy has left not a few Singaporeans wondering why the authorities there have not cracked down on them hard.

Puzzled Singaporeans have lamented that the Hong Kong government led by Mrs Carrie Lam, the Chief Executive, is behaving like the proverbial deer caught in the blinding headlights of an oncoming truck - so petrified it cannot even blink. They cannot understand why it seems to baulk at taking decisive action, including calling in soldiers from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) garrison in Hong Kong to help restore order.