Singapore has experienced remarkable progression in the first 50 years of its independence. This volume comprises chapters written by thought leaders in Singapore where they re-examine Singapore's key governing institutions, systems, principles and values as they consider the country's next 50 years. Given the prospect of deep and possibly disruptive internal and external change, how might Singapore's governance fundamentals respond; which will we have to re-commit ourselves to and which might we have to adapt or even abandon? The book comprises some quietly provocative thoughts that the informed public, intellectuals and scholars interested in Singapore as well as political development in small countries in an uncertain, global age might find useful as they formulate their own positions about the future.

"Singaporeans enjoy one of the longest lifespans in the world today. Singapore is also one of the most rapidly ageing societies in the world. Given these population trends, business and workers, individuals and families will experience significant changes in the way they work, play and organise their lives together. This book is a collection of speeches presented at Singapore Perspectives 2018 by leading thought leaders and eminent speakers on how our economic, political and social institutions can best adapt to and manage a rapidly ageing population. Contributors to this book tackle the urgent need to shape mind-sets, policies and decisions today for the best outcomes for current and future generations."--

Singaporeans enjoy one of the longest lifespans in the world today. Singapore is also one of the most rapidly ageing societies in the world. Given these population trends, business and workers, individuals and families will experience significant changes in the way they work, play and organise their lives together.This book is a collection of speeches presented at Singapore Perspectives 2018 by leading thought leaders and eminent speakers on how our economic, political and social institutions can best adapt to and manage a rapidly ageing population. Contributors to this book tackle the urgent need to shape mind-sets, policies and decisions today for the best outcomes for current and future generations.

This book focuses on 'governance' or how a society governs itself across the state, business and civic sectors in Singapore and how it might evolve over the next decade.

The Singapore Perspectives series is a yearly publication that provides critical analysis of emerging trends and issues Singapore faces in terms of social, economic and political development. It is a quick and essential reference for understanding the broad policy discussions that animate thought leaders, policy-makers and the public in the country during the immediate period or that are likely to do so in the short and medium term. In this volume, contributors take an in-depth look at four topics of pertinent interest to Singapore's mid- to long-term future and offer some radical ideas for Singaporeans' consideration. They are: Can Singaporeans Afford a High-Cost Singapore?; Can Singaporeans Remain Rooted?; Can Singapore Preserve Its Hub Status?; Can Government Do Less, and Singaporeans More? Contributors include Member of Parliament Inderjit Singh, playwright and law academic Eleanor Wong and former president of the Law Society of Singapore Philip Jeyaretnam. Co-published by the think-tank, the Institute of Policy Studies, Singapore, this is a useful publication for those with an interest in understanding the governance challenges facing a small, highly globalised economy and nation-state, or those who want a quick feel of the pulse of Singapore.

In 2015, Singapore celebrated 50 years of independence. The Institute of Policy took stock of how the choices people made have led the city-state to where she is today. As achievements are being celebrated, a conversation about the road ahead also begins. With much nation-building efforts premised upon the existence of this imagined community known as 'Singapore', it is an opportune moment to question and reimagine who 'we' are.The book documents the conference proceedings at Singapore Perspectives 2016 where the fourth generation of government ministers presented their thoughts on the social, economic and political future of Singapore and engaged in dialogues with panelists and audience members on the directions the country should take.

This book explores the historical origins, contemporary dynamics and future challenges of social cohesion in South, Southeast and East Asia—one of the most dynamic and at the same time heterogeneous regions in the world, in terms of economic, political and human development. The comparative case studies in this volume develop a better understanding of social cohesion in Asia by exploring how social cohesion is understood, analyzed and sometimes politically instrumentalised. Examining different dimensions and qualities of social cohesion and how they are linked together, it also discusses the challenges of social cohesion in individual societies. The case studies include examples from Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Myanmar, Singapore, South Korea and Mainland China and building on the conceptual work and empirical findings of the Asian Social Cohesion Radar, this book provides detailed cross-country analyses over the past 15 years. Combining rigorous conceptual and theoretical reasoning with a systematic empirical analysis of trends across the region, Social Cohesion in Asia will be of great interest to students and scholars of Asian politics, international relations, political sociology, comparative politics and Democratization Studies.

This book is a collection of speeches presented at Singapore Perspectives 2019 by current players in international relations and leading academics and opinion shapers on how the post-Cold War world order, with emphasis on the relations between the United States and China, will affect small states like Singapore and countries in Southeast Asia — at local, national, and regional levels.It features speeches by prominent personalities, such as Singapore Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, former Singapore Foreign Minister Mr George Yeo, and former Indonesian Foreign Minister Dr Marty Natalegawa. Each speaker presents a fresh perspective on important developments in the world today.

This volume is a book of reflections and encounters about the region that the Chinese knew as Nanyang. The essays in it look back at the years of uncertainty after the end of World War II and explore the period largely through images of mixed heritages in Malaysia and Singapore. They also look at the trends towards social and political divisiveness following the years of decolonization in Southeast Asia. Never far in the background is the struggle to build new nations during four decades of an ideological Cold War and the Chinese determination to move from near-collapse in the 1940s and out of the traumatic changes of the Maoist revolution to become the powerhouse that it now is.

This book presents insights on Singapore's politics and governance from leading thinkers, based on selected commentaries from Singapore Perspectives conference series co-published by Institute of Policy Studies and World Scientific. Contributed by the who's who of Singapore's government, business and academia circles, they provide diverse viewpoints over state-society relations, governing principles, electoral politics, foreign policy, among other important issues.Will consensus or contest secure Singapore's future? Should pragmatism be retained as Singapore's governing philosophy? What if the nation-state is no longer the key organisational unit of the international community? What if Singapore has to choose between China and the United States? What if Singapore becomes a two- or multi-party system? This volume explores a range of possible answers to these questions and more.