In the Spotlight
"Singapore and Multilateral Governance: Securing Our Future" by Dr Noeleen Heyzer, IPS’ 10th S R Nathan Fellow for the Study of Singapore, was launched on 27th February 2024. The book compiles Dr Heyzer’s three lectures and Q&A sessions, delivered from November to December 2021.
The launch was graced by Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Foreign Affairs, who commended Dr Heyzer as a trailblazer for women in multilateral diplomacy, who made a real difference in the lives of women across the world.
Dr Heyzer, in her remarks, recalled the themes of her lectures, and she shared that Singapore’s trajectory is inextricably linked and reliant upon multilateral governance. She cautioned that while the United Nations remains crucial, it is insufficient in ensuring global peace and security alone. To secure Singapore’s future, she reflected on the three ways Singapore can contribute to revitalising the rule-based multilateral order — to become a hub for global public health; a digital hub for cybersecurity; and a financial hub for an inclusive and sustainable future.
Watch the full launch here.
Purchase the book here. Enjoy 20% off with the promo code WSIPS20, valid till 31 March 2024.
Articles
Commentary — Size of cost-of-living relief in Budget 2024 suggests long-term focus on economic resilience
(CNA)
By Clara Lee
• 5-min read
Further enhancements to the Assurance Package were recently announced in the Budget 2024, which will go towards helping Singaporeans with cost-of-living concerns and economic uncertainty. Additionally, the introduction of the SkillsFuture Level-Up programme and unemployment support will help to enhance employability and build economic resilience in the long term.
In this article, Clara Lee highlights the government's efforts to balance near-term financial support with investments in the long-term economic well-being and resilience of Singaporeans, acknowledging challenges faced by both low- and middle-income households.
Commentary — Budget 2024: Spending billions on ageing well must be followed with close measure of outcomes
(The Straits Times)
By Christopher Gee and Yap Jia Hui
• 7-min read
The 2024 Budget was introduced as the first instalment of the Forward Singapore programmes, which aimed to address challenges posed by an ageing population with an emphasis on transforming challenges into opportunities.
Christopher Gee and Yap Jia Hui discuss the strategic investments within the Budget and highlight the importance of clear and measurable outcomes.
The Age Well SG and SkillsFuture Level-Up programmes are highlighted as examples of smart investments aimed at ensuring older citizens can age actively and contribute productively, while also addressing broader socio-economic challenges.
Commentary — Budget 2024: Fresh set of keys could get young couples started earlier on married life and parenthood
(The Straits Times)
By Tan Poh Lin
• 6-min read
The Singapore Budget 2024 includes an enhancement to the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS), providing up to a year of financial assistance for young couples renting a HDB flat from the open market while they wait for their Build-To-Order (BTO) flats.
In this piece for The Straits Times, Tan Poh Lin discusses how this measure can encourage earlier family formation, as well as some suggestions such as extending the rental support and higher rental ceilings for certain situations, to further support young families in their journey towards homeownership and parenthood.
Commentary — Budget 2024: Some vulnerable workers may need more help to act on the latest upskilling measures
(The Straits Times)
By Laurel Teo
• 7-min read
The latest round of SkillsFuture measures announced in Budget 2024 focuses on mid-career workers as this is a group that is widely perceived to be more vulnerable to labour market disruptions for several reasons.
In this piece for The Straits Times, Laurel Teo discusses how a lack of awareness and misperceptions among some workers with lower socioeconomic status could hold them back from accessing the support available.
Commentary — To raise fertility rates, Singapore needs to make parenthood seem less like the ultimate sacrifice
(CNA)
By Kalpana Vignehsa
• 8-min read
Singapore’s resident total fertility rate (TFR) fell below 1 for the first time in 2023. Despite government efforts to ease the financial burdens of parents through policies, including measures from Budget 2024 to address preschool affordability, challenges persist.
In this article for CNA, Kalpana Vignehsa emphasises the need for a pro-parenting psyche and addressing the anxieties associated with parenting. She recommends parents move away from a zero-sum mindset, encouraging equal partnerships at home and having broader support beyond economic measures.
Commentary — Raising kids shouldn’t be such a struggle. How society treats parents matters
(The Straits Times)
By Tan Poh Lin
• 6-min read
Raising children in Singapore can be challenging, evidenced by the declining fertility rate despite recent policy enhancements. While financial incentives do help, they fall short of addressing the significant investment of time and money made by parents.
In this article for The Straits Times, Tan Poh Lin discusses how to encourage parenthood via social recognition and support. She calls for a rethinking of childbearing as more than just a consumer or lifestyle choice, but rather a civic contribution with positive social externalities.
Commentary — Why employees of the future need a new superpower – agility
(The Straits Times)
By Laurel Teo
• 7-min read
To survive and thrive amid economic disruption, it is not enough for workers to learn new skills; they will also need to be adaptable and agile.
In this op-ed for The Straits Times, Laurel Teo discusses the concept of agility, its importance, and how individuals can improve their work and career agility through training.
With a growth mindset, resilience, and adaptive behaviours, employee agility is a dynamic and critical quality that can determine success in a rapidly evolving job market.
Commentary — Why nations go to war: Huntington revisited
(The Straits Times)
By Tommy Koh
• 7-min read
With the end of the cold war, Professor Samuel Huntington posited that conflicts would shift from territory or ideology to a clash of civilisations.
In this article for The Straits Times, Professor Tommy Koh challenges Professor Huntington’s thesis and argues that recent conflicts, such as Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Palestine, are driven by territorial and power interests rather than civilisational clashes. Regarding US-China tensions, he attributes them to power and wealth dynamics between the two countries.
He concludes with a plea for peace and encourages the involved parties to turn away from policies and actions that may lead to war.
Commentary — Don’t underestimate casual racism at Singapore workplaces
(CNA)
By Mathew Mathews and Melvin Tay
• 5-min read
In this piece for CNA, Mathew Mathews and Melvin Tay discuss the issues of casual racism in Singapore workplaces.
They highlight the challenges in identifying and addressing casual racism and suggest that corrective actions should go beyond punishment, focusing on education and awareness to challenge underlying attitudes.
Commentary — The corporate tax contribution in sustaining Singapore’s social compact
(The Business Times)
By Christopher Gee and Yap Jia Hui
• 7-min read
In Budget 2024, it was announced that Singapore would implement Pillar Two of the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) initiative from 2025, through the Income Inclusion Rule and Domestic Top-Up Tax.
In this article for The Business Times, Christopher Gee and Yap Jia Hui suggest that MNEs should not take the short-term view to place too much emphasis on carve-out provisions to pay less tax.
They emphasise the need to redefine the value proposition for businesses in Singapore, with a focus on both tangible and intangible benefits to help sustain a stable social compact.
Recent Releases on the IPS Website
Report — Study Trip to Scotland 2023
The Scotland Study Trip of 2023, organised by the Policy Lab of the Institute of Policy Studies in collaboration with the Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities and Tote Board, focused on community empowerment.
The trip included participants from various professional backgrounds. They explored Scotland’s community development strategies and interacted with several Scottish organisations, gaining insights into innovative approaches to community-led development.
Key learnings included the importance of sharing power for community activation and recognising community sectors as significant economic entities. The trip also examined Scottish practices in managing community assets and engaging citizens in decision-making processes, aiming to apply these insights to Singapore's community development efforts.
IPS On Diversity Podcast Season 4 Episode 8 — Speaking English and the Mother Tongue
This episode of the IPS On Diversity Podcast dives into the intricate mix of language, identity, and culture of Singapore. Liang Kaixin hosts the discussion with Dr Teo Kay Key, IPS Research Fellow, and Kishan Singh, a science educator who embarked on formally learning his mother tongue, Hindi, in his mid-20s.
Dr Teo sheds light on the paradox of English proficiency in Singapore, where the mastery of the English language, seems to have diluted proficiency in official mother tongues. This decline in linguistic diversity sparks a deeper conversation about the loss of cultural identity and the implications for Singaporeans navigating their multilingual heritage.
Kishan speaks of his own experience, which underlines the broader societal and educational dynamics that influence language learning and retention among minorities.
In closing, the discussion touches on possible policy recommendations for Singapore’s approach to language education.
Recent Publications
Research Article — Epidemics, pandemics and fertility change: responses to Zika and COVID-19 in Singapore
Longitudinal surveys on married Singaporean women revealed that the Zika outbreak from 2016 to 2017 was linked to intentions of delaying, but not reducing, childbearing, while the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic was associated with both delayed and reduced fertility plans.
In this research article by Tan Poh Lin, Joan Ryan and Jeremy Lim-Soh, it was found that education was a more significant predictor of changes in fertility plans during the pandemic compared to the Zika epidemic.
Perceptions of the virus played a stronger role in downward revisions of fertility plans after Zika, whereas stress and income loss were more influential during the COVID-19 pandemic due to its broader economic and social impacts.
IPS Working Paper No. 54 — Decentralised Governance Through Blockchain
With the recent collapse of FTX and the implosion of the crypto space, blockchain technology has garnered a poor reputation. However, there is great value in exploring its utility to community self-governance and the management of public goods.
This working paper examines the application of blockchain to decentralised governance through Elinor Ostrom’s (1933 – 2012) Institutional Analysis and Development model. It studies how blockchain can be used to facilitate effective resource distribution in the digital space by increasing transparency, openness, and immutability, as well as punishing bad behaviour and rewarding good behaviour. By doing so, it sheds light on a digital tool that can help create self-governing communities without the need for the intervention of a higher authority.
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