Chan Heng Chee

Founding Director (1987 – 1988)

Professor Chan Heng Chee, Founding Director of IPS, recalled the climate of fear in Singapore in the 1980s, but also the sense that “somehow there was a dam that wanted to burst,” with people being afraid to but wanting to express their views. IPS’ mission was to be a platform for alternative ideas to be discussed, and where people could share ideas and discuss issues important for Singapore, with the hope of coming up with a conclusion and recommendations useful to the government. She was deemed a good fit for Founding Director as she was a constructive critic. 

In the one year that she served as Director, she set up the Institute with her deputy Jon Quah, selecting and furnishing the physical premises, and hiring staff. She highlighted the importance of funding during this process. She also recounted the high-powered board, comprising private and public sector leaders, that was “very thoughtful” and met quite frequently. While her greatest issue was a lack of time, IPS nonetheless succeeded in holding a course on the history and politics of Singapore for civil servants, and frank closed-door discussions on pertinent issues. 

Looking to the future, she said that while IPS had done useful work (e.g., publication of the Singapore Chronicles series), it needed to do better as a centre for Singapore studies. She commented on the different strengths that directors such as Tommy Koh and Janadas Devan brought to the Institute, and ended by recounting a memorable moment from her IPS farewell dinner.