IPS Update Issue June 2023

IPS’ 35th Anniversary Conference, titled “Revisitings”, took place on 12 June 2023. The conference re-examined some of the critical issues facing Singapore. These include Meritocracy, Housing, Pluralism and our Social Compact, which were the themes of the four panel discussions. Each panel opened with a speech on the topic, namely by Minister for Education Mr Chan Chun Sing, Senior Minister of State for National Development and Foreign Affairs Ms Sim Ann, Minister for Home Affairs and Law Mr K Shanmugam, as well as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Mr Lawrence Wong.

The conference panellists featured prominent thought leaders such as Professor Chan Heng Chee, Associate Professor Daniel Goh, Ms Zuraidah Ibrahim, Ms Corinna Lim and Associate Professor Walter Theseira. Over the four panels, speakers considered how the Singapore model can be adapted to better address emerging challenges and discussed the redefinition of success.

Watch the four conference panel discussions here, and the videos played during the conference here.

Read IPS Director Mr Janadas Devan’s opening remarks here.

Commentary — Can workplace fairness law deter errant employers and avoid worsening work conflict?
(The Straits Times)
By Mathew Mathews and Melvin Tay
• 7-min read

In this piece for The Straits Times, IPS' Mathew Mathews and Melvin Tay discuss the drafting of the new Workplace Fairness Legislation (WFL) which is slated to be read in parliament next year.

They discuss how this new law will work to protect victims of workplace discrimination, as well as how it might affect employer-employee relationships.

Commentary — Snap Insight: Heft of Tharman Shanmugaratnam may deter others from contesting Singapore Presidential Election
(CNA)
By Gillian Koh
• 3-min read

It may come as a surprise that Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam offered himself as a candidate in the Presidential Election.

In this snap insight commentary for CNA, IPS' Dr Gillian Koh opined that SM Tharman's strengths may deter other candidates, but a contest would strengthen the legitimacy of the office.

Commentary — What Singapore’s impending workplace discrimination law means for younger, future workers
(TODAY)
By Mathew Mathews and Hazim Zulfadhli
• 5-min read

Singapore may soon be implementing new laws to counter workplace discrimination. The interim report on Workplace Fairness Legislation (WFL), released in February 2023, puts forward recommendations to bolster existing measures for fair and merit-based employment.

In this op-ed, IPS' Mathew Mathews and Hazim Zulfadhli discuss what these new laws entail, and what they mean for younger workers entering the workforce.

Commentary — Battle of the Asian tigers? Hong Kong and Singapore shouldn’t buy into the myth
(The Straits Times)
By Woo Jun Jie
• 5-min read

In this op-ed for The Straits Times, IPS' Woo Jun Jie discusses the comparisons made between Singapore and Hong Kong as financial hubs. He addresses the myth of the "winner takes all" competition between the two cities, arguing that both cities serve different regions and have different approaches to cryptocurrency management.

Commentary — Why does everyone think they are middle class?
(The Straits Times)
By Tan Ern Ser and Sim Kai Lin
• 8-min read

Singapore is well-known for having a large middle class. But what does it really mean to be "middle class"?

In this op-ed for The Straits Times, academic adviser to IPS, Tan Ern Ser and research associate Sim Kai Lin unpack the definition of being middle class and explain why such a large group of Singaporeans identify with being in this group. They also write about how young people today may find it more difficult to chase material middle-class aspirations because of our volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world.

Citizens’ Report on The Ngee Ann Kongsi-IPS Citizens’ Panel on Employment Resilience

The employment landscape is changing due to global trends like rapid technological progress, shifting industry priorities, and increasing remote and hybrid working arrangements post-pandemic. As such, there will be more transitions in and out of employment throughout one's career in future. 

Employment resilience refers to the capability of workers to remain and continue to be employable and “in-demand” in the face of changing expectations and competition. The Ngee Ann Kongsi-Institute of Policy Studies Citizens’ Panel on Employment Resilience, was held over four sessions in February and March 2023. The participants co-created recommendations for this challenge statement: “How might we strengthen our employment resilience?”

Launch of Stewardship of the Singapore Media: Staying the Course by 11th S R Nathan Fellow Mr Patrick Daniel

The book Stewardship of the Singapore Media: Staying the Course, featuring three IPS-Nathan Lectures by 11th S R Nathan Fellow Patrick Daniel, was launched on 16 May 2023.
 
Mr Daniel highlighted in his speech the importance of media laws in ensuring meaningful journalism. He also mentioned the importance for legacy media outlets to combat fake news that is spread rampantly on social and digital platforms.

Minister of Communications and Information, Mrs Josephine Teo, urged media companies to embrace digital transformation while remaining reliable news providers, reaffirming the government's commitment to support local media players. Read Minister Teo’s full speech here.

Watch the full recording of the launch here.