IPS Update Issue February 2020

IPS held its annual flagship conference Singapore Perspectives (SP) conference on Monday, 20 January 2020. The theme of SP2020 was “Politics”. The conference featured dialogue sessions with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Heng Swee Keat and Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing. Our panel speakers included public intellectuals, civic activists and youth leaders — 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, Senior Research Fellow of Internet Studies Crystal Abidin, Director of Citizen Adventures Cai Yinzhou, Daughters of Tomorrow Executive Director Carrie Tan, and Singapore Youth for Climate Action co-founder Nor Lastrina Hamid. Check out our video highlights with the panellists and moderators on Facebook or YouTube.

Commentary — “Protecting public health is key in novel coronavirus fight but we must also tackle xenophobia”
(CNA)
By Mathew Mathews and Shane Pereira
• 4-min read

The novel coronavirus has arguably been weaponised by some around the world to justify their racism against Chinese nationals and stoke communal tensions. Careful terminology, community leadership and responsible behaviour online are needed to stem potential anti-PRC sentiments, say IPS’ Mathew Mathews and Shane Pereira. 

Commentary — “Supporting active fatherhood in Singapore”
(TODAY)
By Yvonne Arivalagan 
• 5-min read

An IPS study on stay-at-home fathers has shown that men who take on a more active role at home are likely to face stigma for their decision. IPS researcher Yvonne Arivalagan shares the ways policies and employment practices in Singapore can help to combat the stigma they face and support paternal involvement in the family.

Commentary — “Greater effort needed to end workplace discrimination” 
(The Straits Times)
By Gillian Koh and Damien Huang
• 5-min read

Age, race and gender workplace biases are just as critical an issue as foreigners displacing locals unfairly — these will also have an impact on the livelihoods of Singaporean workers and their families. IPS researchers call for a whole-of-Singapore approach and urge HR professionals to snuff out workplace discrimination decisively. 

Commentary — “Helping Singapore workers and businesses ride through volatile economic cycles”
(TODAY)
By Nicholas Sim, Damien Huang and Sabrina Heng 
• 5-min read

In the era of Industry 4.0, where the economic landscape is rapidly changing, we can expect the threat of long-term unemployment to extend to younger workers, not only those in their 50s, if they are not able to re-equip themselves with new skills in time. How should Singapore respond?

IPS Deputy Director Gillian Koh moderated a breakfast dialogue session for our corporate associates. Goh Swee Chen (former Chairman of the Shell Companies in Singapore) and Chia Ngiang Hong (REDAS President, CDL Group General Manager) spoke on the topic of sustainable employment and how companies can declare and show their support.

An IPS study found that few Stay-at-Home Fathers (SAHFs) actively chose to become their children’s primary caregiver, but rather assumed the role out of economic necessity and a preference to raise their children without external support. Nonetheless, many respondents learned skills and strategies over time to perform the role successfully and in a manner that was apparently “masculine” and “useful” to their family. However, cultural norms prevent SAHFs and breadwinning mothers from fully embracing their respective roles. Policy implications of these findings are also explored in the report.