Singapore Perspectives 2020 "Politics"

The Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) held its annual flagship Singapore Perspectives (SP) conference on Monday, 20 January 2020. The theme of SP2020 was “Politics”. We engaged attendees in a socio-historical dialogue about Singapore’s politics — past, present and future.
 
As in other societies, Singapore’s politics can be described either in terms of the political parties that have competed for power over the course of its history, or in terms of the citizens who have defined our polity and have driven our democratic processes. Naturally, as Singaporeans have become better informed and more engaged in fashioning their own future, the nature of the contest among the political parties has also shifted. This conference sought to engage attendees in a reflective dialogue on their “experience” of politics, both in the traditional sense of elections and governance as well as beyond those formal structures.
 
The conference featured dialogue sessions with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Heng Swee Keat, as well as Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing. The programme also included panel discussions involving public intellectuals and civic leaders such as former Ambassador-at-Large Bilahari Kausikan; Deputy Executive Editor of South China Morning Post Zuraidah Ibrahim; co-editor of Lee’s Lieutenants Lam Peng Er; and Singapore Youth Award 2017 Recipient Cai Yinzhou.

Please click here to view the programme with conference brief.


Opening Remarks
Mr Janadas Devan
Director
Institute of Policy Studies

Opening Keynote with Mr Heng Swee Keat, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance 
Chairperson
Mr Janadas Devan
Director
Institute of Policy Studies
Speaker
Mr Heng Swee Keat
Deputy Prime Minister
and
Minister for Finance

• Speech by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Heng Swee Keat at the Singapore Perspectives 2020 Conference.


Panel I: Paths Taken



Panel II: New Forms and Movements



Dialogue with Mr Chan Chun Sing, Minister for Trade and Industry


Downloads
• Report on Singapore Perspectives 2020: Politics

Media Coverage
• All Singapore Stuff. 2020. Heng Says Singapore Together Is New Singapore Way, Conveniently Just Before Elections Period. 20 January.
• Berita Harian. 2020. Chun Sing: S'pura boleh bertakat jika rakyat pegang pada nilai sama, kekal bersatu. 22 January.
• Berita Harian. 2020. 'Singapura Bersama' landasan baru bawa negara ke depan. 22 January.
• Channel NewsAsia. 2020. Budget is not a 'goodie bag' but a financial plan for Singapore's future, says DPM Heng. 20 January.
• Channel NewsAsia. 2020. Singapore must act decisively against nativist tendencies: Heng Swee Keat. 20 January.
• Channel NewsAsia. 2020. Singapore must 'defy the odds of history' to thrive: Chan Chun Sing. 20 January.
• Channel NewsAsia. 2020. Singapore's political system must evolve, deliver concrete solutions: Chan Chun Sing. 20 January.
• Channel NewsAsia. 2020. The Singapore Perspectives Conference: Episode 1. 30 January.
• Channel NewsAsia. 2020. The Singapore Perspectives Conference: Episode 2. 4 February. 
• Global-is-Asian. 2020. New Social Forms and Movements in Singapore. 13 February.
• Mothership. 2020. Heng Swee Keat tackles questions on POFMA, 377A, & the S’pore Together movement. 20 January.
• Mothership. 2020. Heng Swee Keat faces tough questions from SDP, PSP & PPP leaders at IPS conference. 20 January.
• Mothership. 2020. Heng Swee Keat: S’pore Together movement, like home ownership previously, to be 4G leaders’ new cornerstone. 20 January.
• Mothership. 2020. Chan Chun Sing: S’pore needs ‘good & real political leaders, not just politicians for the short-haul’. 20 January.
• Mothership. 2020. Chan Chun Sing on S’pore govt providing data: Data sharing is not the ‘panacea’ to everything. 20 January.
• Mothership. 2020. Chan Chun Sing on finding leaders: We don’t need ‘fair weather candidates’ only here during good times. 20 January.
• Mothership. 2020. 3 constants for opposition are no coalition, serve as check on PAP & underdog advantage: SCMP’s Zuraidah Ibrahim. 20 January.
• Mothership. 2020. Here’s what we observed from Heng Swee Keat & Chan Chun Sing’s tag team at S’pore Perspectives. 21 January.
• Mothership. 2020. Progress S’pore Party’s Michelle Lee asks IPS speakers about ‘rivalry’ between Hong Kong & S’pore. 21 January.
• New Straits Times (Malaysia). 2020. Singapore opposition to copy PH tactics for next year's poll. 25 January.
• Nikkei Asian Review. 2020. Singapore deputy PM warns opposition on exploiting social splits. 20 January.
• NUS News. 2020. Singapore’s future political landscape. 22 January. 
• South China Morning Post (Hong Kong). 2020. Singapore's next challenge is to defy the odds of history: PAP's 4G leaders. 20 January.
• South China Morning Post (Hong Kong). 2020. Singapore's climate change puzzle: with no wind and grey skies how can Lion City kick its fossil fuel habit? 21 January. 
• South China Morning Post (Hong Kong). 2020. Singapore election: the PAP’s order and stability will win out, but how will the opposition shape up? 23 January.
• TODAY. 2020. Singapore Together movement ‘a cornerstone’ of nation building where citizens, leaders find common cause: Heng Swee Keat. 20 January.
• TODAY. 2020. DPM Heng fields questions on GST, foreigners and Pofma from public, opposition members at IPS conference. 20 January.
• TODAY. 2020. Continue to be angry productively, say young panellists to other millennials fighting for causes. 20 January.
• The Business Times. 2020. Singapore cannot assume it is immune to divisive forces: Heng Swee Keat. 20 January.
• The Business Times. 2020. Singapore not immune to divisive forces: DPM Heng. 21 January.
• The Independent Singapore. 2020. As PAP’s 4G faces upcoming GE, Chan Chun Sing says his vision for Singapore is to ‘defy the odds of history’. 21 January.
• The Independent Singapore. 2020. DPM Heng: Having new citizens is very much part of our effort to take care of Singaporeans. 21 January.
• The Independent Singapore. 2020. WP politician challenges Chan Chun Sing’s claim that the EBRC is independent. 22 January.
• The New Paper. 2020. 4G leaders to work with Singaporeans to design policies: DPM Heng. 21 January.
• The New Paper. 2020. Opposition leaders question DPM Heng on GST, immigration policy. 21 January.
• The Online Citizen. 2020. Chan: I never doubt the independence of our Electoral Boundaries Review Committee. 21 January.
• The Online Citizen. 2020. Singapore’s political system has to evolve with the times or risk collapse, says Chan Chun Sing. 21 January.
• The Online Citizen. 2020. Netizens call out Heng Swee Keat over remark about “nativist tendencies”. 22 January.
• The Online Citizen. 2020. DPM Heng Swee Keat says visitors pay GST too but doesn’t mention that they can claim a refund when leaving. 23 January.
• The Online Citizen. 2020. Opposition parties question Heng Swee Keat about GST, divisive force and presidency. 23 January.
• The Straits Times. 2020. 4G leadership will build future of hope and progress for Singaporeans: DPM Heng Swee Keat. 20 January.
• The Straits Times. 2020. Singapore needs leaders willing to stay the course: Chan. 21 January.
• The Straits Times. 2020. Sharing data in itself not panacea to policy issues, says minister. 21 January.
• The Straits Times. 2020. Opposition party members quiz DPM on GST, immigration. 21 January.
• The Straits Times. 2020. A 'happy mistake': Bilahari Kausikan on Singapore's biggest foreign policy blunder. 21 January.
• The Straits Times. 2020. Divisive forces can't be allowed to take root here, says Heng Swee Keat. 21 January.
• The Straits Times. 2020. 4G leaders to offer Singaporeans more say in shaping policy. 21 January.
• The Straits Times. 2020. Singaporeans can be like universal adapter to plug into the world. 22 January.
• The Straits Times. 2020. The will to defy the odds of history. 22 January.
• The Straits Times. 2020. Forum: DPM Heng shines at IPS conference. 23 January.
• The Straits Times. 2020. Forum: Singaporeans seek assurances for this and future generations. 23 January.
• Yahoo News Singapore. 2020. Singaporeans must welcome new citizens, not allow others to ‘exploit’ tensions and divide us: Heng Swee Keat. 20 January.
• 联合早报. 2020. 《南华早报》副执行总编辑：我国反对党无法团结 因选民诉求不一致. 1 月 21 日.
• 联合早报. 2020. 王瑞杰：预算案将助国人应付退休提升技能. 1 月 21 日.
• 联合早报. 2020. 与会者尖锐提问 陈振声轻松回答. 1 月 21 日.
• 联合早报. 2020. 针对热门课题 近 10 反对党人论坛上发问. 1 月 21 日.
• 联合早报. 2020. 朱艾达：2020年全国大选已知与未知因素. 2 月 10 日.
• 8视界. 2020. 王瑞杰：政府致力让40、50岁国人 有更多技能提升机会.1 月 20 日
• 8视界. 2020. 陈振声：国家若要保持卓越 政治领导角色举足轻重. 1 月 20 日