Are Singapore made goods safe?

My Paper, 6/5/9, p. A6
Singapore voted 2nd-safest manufacturing centre in Asia
By Cheryl Lim

Quote1:
Singapore has been voted the second-safest manufacturing centre in Asia ... in a consumer perception survey by ... The Research Pacific Group. ... Ms Koh Wan Lyn, a senior research analyst at Research Pacific ... said that the poll was "designed to understand consumer attitudes towards a product's country of origin."

Comment1:
This clarification is significant. It is consumer attitudes that are being measured here, and not actual product/service safety.

Quote2:
Explaining Singapore's commendable ranking in the poll, she said: "Singapore has a very clean track record when it comes to its products because of its regulating agencies. They ensure that its manufacturers comply with international standards and adhere to strict safety regulations."

Comment2:
I am sceptical if regulating agencies, international standards and safety regulations are things that the average consumer is familiar with. These causal factors seem more likely to explain actual product/service safety rather than consumers' perceived product/service safety. In short, these do not explain the poll results.

Quote3:
The airline and medical sectors were two categories in which Singapore scored well. Ms Koh attributed this to the "good reputation of Singapore Airlines, and the medical and research infrastructure provided by organisations like A*Star."

Comment3:
Attributing consumers' favourable perceived product/service safety to "good reputation" is akin to saying "He is fat because he is overweight" -- it's just saying the same thing in different words. As for "medical and research infrastructure", they too go towards explaining actual product/service safety rather than consumers' favourable perceived product/service safety.

Summary & Conclusion:
The poll shows that consumers regard Singapore as the second-safest manufacturing centre in Asia. This is not the same as saying that Singapore is actually the second-safest manufacturing centre in Asia. We have not been offered any good explanation for the favourable perception.