IPS Update Issue March 2020

On 25 February, the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) held a forum streamed through Facebook Live, to discuss Singapore’s response to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus 2019 or “COVID-19”. Experts shared their views and answered pertinent questions on the medical, economic, media, and social impact of COVID-19.

The panellists comprised Dr Vernon Lee, Adjunct Associate Professor at Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health and Director (Communicable Diseases) at the Ministry of Health; Barnabas Gan, Economist at the UOB Global Economics & Markets Research; Dr Carol Soon, Senior Research Fellow at IPS; and Dr Shashi Jayakumar, Senior Fellow & Head of the Centre of Excellence for National Security at S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. The forum was moderated by Dr Gillian Koh, Deputy Director (Research) of IPS.

If you missed our Facebook Live event, watch it here. Our report of the event can also be found here.

Commentary — “Tech is not all bad. Our COVID-19 experience shows this.”
(CNA)
By Carol Soon
• 4-min read

From the #braveheartsg movement to Be Kind SG and Mask Go Share, the COVID-19 outbreak and other small deeds on a day-to-day basis have shown that technology is a positive and powerful tool for collective problem-solving and action. 

IPS Senior Research Fellow Carol Soon makes the point that more can be done to support these ground-up initiatives.

Commentary — “Budget 2020: Enhancing SMEs’ survivability in times of crisis”
(The Straits Times)
By Faizal Yahya and Shazly Zain
• 5-min read

While Singapore Budget 2020 support packages have been well-received by its primary beneficiaries, small and medium-sized enterprises, there are lingering concerns over the implementation of these policies.

IPS researchers Faizal Yahya and Shazly Zain highlight some of these worries in their op-ed.

This report by IPS researcher Dhevarajan Devadas provides a review of key policy and political developments in Singapore in 2019, including the enactment of POFMA to combat online falsehoods, restrictions on personal mobility devices, and Singapore’s ties with China, the United States and Malaysia.