The connotations of the two images represents the law and order that can be observed in the society of Singapore. From our birth to death, we are guided by laws and rules on how to act, how to dress, etc. At a very young age of 7, it is compulsory for all kids to attend schools with a fixed curriculum. We were forced to wear school uniforms with standardized hairstyles to prevent any distraction from studying. Primary schools will also enforce traffic rules onto students and have them walk with their arm raised across the street to prevent any car accident by having a teacher standing on one end of the traffic light in front the school to remind any students not raising their hands above their heads.
The connotations of torture, punishment, discipline and prison are very similar as these invoke a feeling of confinement and takes the freedom to do something away from the person. Having discipline is the need to control, while torture and punishment are often together as nobody likes either of those as it forces a person to go through a horrible feeling in order for them not to commit the same mistake again. As for prison, it is a representation of discipline, torture, and punishment as it confines and minimize social contact from a person as much as possible, sometimes there's even caning conducted so that the criminal would have a lower chance of committing the same crime again.
My ideal panoptic society is where humans have the rights to coexist with each other happily and freely with priority on valuing emotional and personal connections instead of worrying about wealth and survival. I feel that we as a species should help and understand one another instead of trying to gain control and power over others.
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