IPS Update Issue September 2023

IPS had the privilege of having Emeritus Senior Minister and IPS Founding Patron Mr Goh Chok Tong on 6 September 2023 for Social Wednesday, where he had a closed-door dialogue with IPS staff.

Moderated by Director Janadas Devan, the enriching discussion spanned issues concerning Singapore amidst a rapidly changing society and a volatile global order. This includes the recently concluded Presidential Election, and various social and economic policies.

Social Wednesday is an internal gathering held in IPS, for staff to get to know people who have interesting work, experiences or ideas.

Commentary — Where to park my bicycle? The mindset needed to beat scammers
(The Straits Times)
By Chew Han Ei, Carol Soon and Jeanne Tan
• 7-min read

In this op-ed, IPS' Chew Han Ei, Carol Soon and Jeanne Tan discuss ways to build digital trust, especially with the prevalence of malware and scams online.

They argue that Singapore must find a balance in cultivating this trust, where trust in technology cannot be so low that it deters people from wanting to use digital services, nor can it be so unquestionably high that people let their guard down. 

To achieve this, a more lasting solution is to look at human-centric dimensions of improving digital trust, such as providing avenues for redress and improving digital literacy.

Commentary — Why are voters interested in the pets of Singapore’s presidential candidates?
(CNA)
By Teo Kay Key
• 4-min read

From pets to playlist, why are voters interested in the personal lives of Singapore’s presidential candidates?

IPS' Teo Kay Key points out that the sharing of these personal details makes them more relatable, which is important for the President in uniting the nation.

Commentary — Tharman is president-elect. Is Singapore a post-race society?
(The Straits Times)
By Mathew Mathews
• 6-min read

President-elect Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam was the first non-Chinese President to be elected in Singapore. 

In this op-ed for The Straits Times, IPS' Mathew Mathews analyses whether his resounding victory shows that Singapore is a post-race society. He argues that Mr Tharman’s win is not a strong enough justification for Singapore to do away with structures that maintain racial harmony.

Commentary — The ‘Tharman effect’ at work in landslide Singapore Presidential Election victory
(CNA)
By Gillian Koh
• 4-min read

In this op-ed for CNA, IPS' Gillian Koh analyses President-elect Tharman Shanmugaratnam's landslide victory on 1 September 2023.

In spite of the several obstacles he faced during his presidential campaign, with the biggest being questions on his independence from the ruling party, what led to his eventual win?

Commentary — PE 2023 and brewing questions over the elected presidency system
(The Straits Times)
By Gillian Koh
• 8-min read

During the 2023 Presidential Election campaign period, many questions were brought up about the elected presidency, namely with regards to the nomination process and eligibility criteria. 

In this op-ed, IPS' Gillian Koh writes about how these questions were addressed, and suggests what the Presidential Elections Committee and Elections Department can do to prepare for the next election.

Commentary — Singapore’s presidential race and how social media became a key battleground
(The Straits Times)
By Carol Soon and Beverly Tan
• 7-min read

In this op-ed for The Straits Times, IPS' Carol Soon and Beverly Tan break down each Presidential candidate's social media strategy during the 2023 Presidential Election, and analyse each campaign's effectiveness. 

Each of the three candidates had a specific strategy to draw voters in. For example, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Mr Ng Kok Song made use of Instagram and TikTok in their online campaigns, while Mr Tan Kin Lian chose to focus on Facebook where he had already amassed a following prior to the election.

Commentary — Including singles in Singapore’s housing story and beyond
(CNA)
By Tan Poh Lin
• 4-min read

At this year's National Day Rally, it was announced that public housing choices for individuals will be expanded to include two-room BTO flats in any housing estate, not just in non-mature ones. 

In this CNA op-ed, IPS' Tan Poh Lin examines the implications of the policy change, and its impact on marriage and parenthood.

Commentary — After first Singapore presidential broadcast speeches, what key themes do candidates want to convey?
(CNA)
By Woo Jun Jie
• 4-min read

Following the first presidential candidate broadcast speeches, IPS' Woo Jun Jie discusses the ways in which each candidate has sought to differentiate himself. 

He also highlights some common themes each of the three candidates touched on in their speeches, such as independence from the government, their humble backgrounds, and the role of the President as a unifying force for Singaporeans.

Commentary — AI comes with risks, and more can be done to minimise them
(The Straits Times)
By Carol Soon and Beverly Tan
• 5-min read

In this op-ed for The Straits Times, IPS' Carol Soon and Beverly Tan examine AI regulations in Singapore and around the world. 

They also gave some suggestions, such as imposing legal requirements to ensure that AI developers perform due diligence and ensure the security and privacy of data, as well as expanding AI education to cover AI ethics too.

Commentary — Presidential Election Nomination Day: What to expect from the three-cornered fight
(IPS Commons)
By Woo Jun Jie
• 3-min read

In this op-ed, IPS' Woo Jun Jie discusses some considerations Singaporeans are looking at as they decide who to vote for at the Presidential Election.

He writes about the different narratives that the three candidates are making use of for the election as well, and what they mean for voters.

Commentary — Marriage registration online? It’s about time
(The Straits Times)
By Tan Poh Lin
• 5-min read

It was recently announced that marriages can now be registered online. How will this affect marriages in Singapore?

In this piece for The Straits Times, IPS' Tan Poh Lin opines that lavish weddings are not indicators of successful marriages. She writes that simplifying the process of registering one's marriage could help lower the pressure of having to organise ceremonial activities and expenses. This could help reduce cost-related disputes between the couple, which might help them stay together longer.

Commentary — Should Singapore look beyond a balanced budget to ensure we will always have enough in our reserves?
(CNA)
By Eddie Choo and Gillian Koh
• 6-min read

In this op-ed for CNA, IPS' Eddie Choo and Gillian Koh write about Singapore's national reserves, and how budget surpluses can help build the reserves for future generations.

Although there are concerns that targeting budget surpluses might be taking away from the needs of today, the writers argue that uncertain economic fluctuations, which might erode the real value of the reserves, provide greater incentive to save for future expenditure.

Commentary — Past, present or future? Deciding who pays for our public goods and services
(The Straits Times)
By Yap Jia Hui and Christopher Gee
• 8-min read

In this op-ed for The Straits Times, IPS' Yap Jia Hui and Christopher Gee write about Singapore's fiscal policies as a show of our social compact, and a means of demonstrating reciprocity across generations by providing collective funding for the country's needs.

Drawing from a public deliberation carried out on Singapore's fiscal policies and national reserves, the authors explain the hierarchical order of the four funding buckets in Singapore — additional taxes, national reserves, investment returns from the reserves, and debt. They also write about classifying public needs along the lines of "must have" and "good to have" in order to determine which bucket of funds to draw from.

Commentary — From Pioneer and Merdeka to ‘young seniors’, Singapore shifts away from generational support packages
(CNA)
By Christopher Gee
• 3-min read

In this op-ed for CNA, IPS' Deputy Director Christopher Gee discusses the announcement of the Majulah Package that will be targeted to boost the retirement and healthcare savings of Singaporeans born in 1973 or earlier.

Compared to previous packages such as the Pioneer and Merdeka Generation Packages, the Majulah Package will allocate benefits based on some means-testing. The piece explains why this is so, as well as the shift away from whole-of-generation packages.

Commentary — A home is not just a house: Singaporeans have wealth that cannot be measured
(The Straits Times)
By Gillian Koh
• 6-min read

In this op-ed for The Straits Times, IPS' Gillian Koh discusses the recently announced overhaul of HDB's Build-to-Order (BTO) housing model, and what it means for Singapore's social compact. 

She writes that tightening resale conditions and increasing the minimum occupation period for flats in the Plus category, will hopefully help to keep future prices stable and encourage owners to view public housing as homes instead of a means to grow their wealth.

Commentary — Snap Insight: Singapore’s public housing landscape gets a shake-up
(CNA)
By Woo Jun Jie
• 3-min read

During the National Day Rally speech on 20 Aug 2023, it was announced that the Build-to-Order (BTO) public housing model will be revamped to better accommodate the three aims of public housing in Singapore: Affordability, maintaining a good social mix and keeping the system fair.

In this op-ed, IPS' Woo Jun Jie explains how the new flat categorisations of Standard, Plus and Prime will help to achieve these three objectives.

Commentary — Overcoming political polarisation in a divided cyberspace
(The Straits Times)
By Carol Soon
• 7-min read

Although social media has given people more platforms to discuss pertinent issues in society, its prevalence has also led to the rise of disinformation and greater political divides.

In this op-ed, IPS' Carol Soon writes about how these pitfalls can be mitigated in Singapore. In addition to the policies regulating fake news on social media sites, she suggests educating the public on the pitfalls of social media and creating more opportunities for Singaporeans to interact with those who are different from them.

Commentary — Billion-dollar money laundering and the dirty money problem for Singapore
(The Straits Times)
By Woo Jun Jie
• 6-min read

In light of the recent billion-dollar money laundering arrest, IPS' Woo Jun Jie writes about the severe impact money laundering and terrorism financing can have on Singapore’s reputation as a financial hub.

He also highlights the challenges of keeping pace with the increasingly complex nature of money laundering activities.

Commentary — A message from South-east Asia to the US
(The Straits Times)
By Tommy Koh and Daljit Singh
• 6-min read

In this op-ed for The Straits Times, Prof Tommy Koh, Special Adviser to IPS, and Daljit Singh, Visiting Senior Fellow at the Regional Strategic and Political Studies Programme at the ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute, write about the state of America’s ties with Southeast Asia. 

They cover several issues expressed from the viewpoint of Southeast Asia, including US soft power globally, US-China tensions and US policy in the Middle East. 

The writers argue that Southeast Asia is a critical region for the US' interests and that the region should be taken seriously.

IPS Working Paper No. 52 — Regulating Artificial Intelligence: Maximising Benefits and Minimising Harms

The recent developments in generative AI have spurred much discussion on the benefits and risks of the technology. Policymakers all around the world have been rushing to minimise these risks. 
 
What is Singapore doing and where are the gaps? Currently, Singapore’s existing AI governance frameworks and toolkits are purely voluntary. 
 
In the Working Paper No. 52, IPS’ Carol Soon and Beverly Tan propose to put up some guardrails to ensure the fair and responsible use of AI as Singapore steps up its development and use of the technology in different settings.