This reflective report is based on the parallel session titled “The Future of the ‘Many Helping Hands Approach’ to Sustainable Social Impact,” which was held at the IPS Conference on Civil Society 2013, 11 November, Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel. Speakers Ms Ang Bee Lian Director of Social Welfare Ministry of Social and Family Development Ms […]

This reflective report is based on the parallel session titled “The Future of Civic Education for Thriving, Deliberative Democracy,” which was held at the IPS Conference on Civil Society 2013, 11 November, Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel. Speaker Associate Professor Kenneth Paul Tan Vice Dean (Academic Affairs) Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy National University […]

Technology as a double-edged sword is now common wisdom. Social media, instant messaging and file-sharing sites have become fertile grounds for disseminating information. While Internet technologies have been harnessed for public good, they have also given rise to undesirable behaviours with devastating consequences. Recent incidents include a student from a local university who became the […]

By Devadas Krishnadas   The COE system was first introduced to control demand for private vehicles and to serve the larger goal of keeping traffic flow efficient. With land becoming increasingly scarce, adjustments to vehicle-related taxes need to be seen in the context of the larger challenge of land scarcity. This challenge is made more difficult […]

By Donald Low Public housing policies in Singapore have been highly successful in enabling home ownership for the majority of Singaporeans and in giving citizens a stake in the country. The proportion of the resident population living in public housing is about 85%, with the large majority (around 95%) owning the flats they occupy. Equally notable […]

By Carol Soon Authenticity, egalitarianism and informed participation are the trifecta of effective government-citizen dialogue for policy formulation. Ranging from nation-wide public consultative exercises to targeted forums and individualized engagement on politicians’ Facebook pages, citizens now have at their disposal a rich palate of options when communicating with policymakers. Policymakers’ proactive and multi-prong approach in reaching […]

By Ku Swee Yong Re-examining the basis for public housing: shelter or asset? Changes to public housing policies have been fast and varied. For example, the housing minister recently allowed singles to buy BTOs and he gave further considerations for disadvantaged families. In addition, policies were tightened for new buyers in terms of loan requirements, thereby […]

By Devadas Krishnadas  “You have got to believe in something. You are not just building houses in order that people can procreate and fill these houses up because there is no point in that. You do these things because in the end your create a happy and healthy nation, a society in which man finds fulfilment […]

By Christopher Gee The challenges presented by Singapore’s demographic trends (a rapidly ageing population, with a group of elder Singaporeans with limited education who make up more than 40% of the bottom fifth of income distribution) have necessitated a change in national priorities.  Singapore was a much younger nation (politically, economically as well as in its […]

By Elvin Ong Electoral System Reform for a More Moderate and More Inclusive Singapore On 23rd March 2013, The Straits Times published an article by ex-PAP MP Dr Ker Sin Tze, suggesting that Singapore can learn from the experiences of Hong Kong and Taiwan in attempting its own style of electoral system reform. On 27 March […]

By Alisha Gill and Donald Low It’s not all bad: Good policies and good governance in Singapore. When we were asked to write a piece for IPS Commons on good policymaking and good governance in Singapore, we were initially quite dumbfounded. As policy researchers and analysts, we tend to focus on the negatives – on what’s not working, […]

By Alisha Gill and Donald Low The 2013 Budget points to a slowly changing governmental approach to Singapore’s social compact. More than anything else, it shows a government that is trying to find a new balance between its long-standing emphasis on individual responsibility and incentives with a greater willingness to expand social protection and increase the progressivity of […]