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SINGAPORE
Super Quick Revision For General Paper
25/5/2013

The Singapore Govt (1)

25/5/2013

It is difficult to discuss Singapore without discussing its government. This is because most of what we can see in Singapore are products of a topdown approach However, in very recent times, there has been a gradual inching towards more bottom-up and openly collaborative approaches to developing the country, or at least different areas of life here.

The Singapore Govt (2)

25/5/2013

http://therealsingapore.com/content/endingpolitics-dominance The ruling party has been reported as aiming to be dominant without being dominating. Allowing more views DPM Tharman Shanmugaratnam has tried to present the party as being left of centre (2013) Some critics have panned this because being dominant is associated with being more rightwing Analysts observe : The Sg Govt is - above all this PRAGMATIC i.e. do whatever works for the govt and society to survive and work well

The Singapore Govt (3)

25/5/2013

PRAGMATISM has impacted many areas : 1. Politics 2. The Economy 3. Defence 4. Population control 5. Resource and Environment Management 6. Education 7. Arts & Culture 8. Society

POLITICS / The Government

25/5/2013

Strengths Praised for being forward-looking Achievements shown across many human development indicators Efficiency-driven, quick to bounce back from setbacks Low crime, low corruption

POLITICS / The Government

Some Areas for Improvement

25/5/2013

Coping with the awareness that the Govt does not have the right or the best answers Not necessarily able to attract the best brains to government Criticised for resorting to old-school tactics related to unpopular authoritarian ways to stifle opposing views The long-term adverse effects of policies that promoted success in the earlier decades are now even more apparent than before Faces a generation who are looking for more than the stability that the government has already facilitated Changes in the external / global environment also compel the government to re-think what works Need to galvanise the support of the people, not all of whom make judgements about the government with full knowledge and complete objectivity

Society

25/5/2013

Strengths Very literate Adopting pragmatism business-as-usual sort of resilience work towards material progress

Society

JC 2 General Paper

25/5/2013

Some Areas That Are Already Improving (to varying degrees)

PAST waiting for government directives to do things (side-effect of rigidity in education) uncreative ? complain culture ? NOW more self-initiated endeavours allowed, govt gives support (enterprise) OR more engagement with the govt PAST pragmatism meant putting the aside the seemingly un-useful (namely the arts, cultural heritage, religion, alternative lifestyles) NOW all these have greater presence in society than before because these form part of a persons identity, and cannot be indefinitely repressed for the sake of material progress PAST stress, competition (side-effect of being meritocratic but without the expected rewards in a generally high-achieving society) NOW Looking for self-actualisation, more than meeting traditional expectations + govt efforts to change education & other aspects of life NOW have a heart for others (because business-as-usual pragmatism adversely affects relationships, and how we relate to the less fortunate)

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25/5/2013

What anchors Singapore as it evolves ?

Future : Diversity Look to the pledge Look to universally accepted rights and values