How was the General Election held on the second day of 1997 fought and won in 1996? What will the public soul-searching on dreaming "The Singapore Dream" mean for public policy and governance? What does it indicate about social values? Will the national economy be able to afford "The Singapore Dream"? Did the slowdown in the second half of 1996 suggest a need for structural reform for Singapore’s long-term economic vitality and security? Is Singapore a country that truly "punches above its weight" in international relations and diplomacy? Or is "geography, destiny"? How will Singapore make her way into the new millennium?

These are some of the issues explored in Singapore: The Year in Review 1996. It reproduces papers and commentaries presented by experts, both academics and practitioners, at a Conference of the same title held by The Institute of Policy Studies on 15 January 1997. The Conference is devoted to a retrospective analysis of events, policies and trends that emerged in 1996. The areas covered were: The Economy, Domestic Politics and Foreign Affairs. For the first time, the Conference convened a panel discussion with four young Singaporeans, simply titled "The Singapore Dream", aimed at obtaining insights into the aspirations and values of their generation regarding life in Singapore

This publication is not only a record of developments in 1996; even more so, it is a collection of considered insights on the key aspects of public policy in Singapore.

Koh, Gillian, ed. 1997. Singapore: The Year in Review 1996. Singapore: Times Academic Press for IPS.

(98 pages, ISBN 981 210 110 1)