Singapore Perspectives: Politics

Description

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 book is a collection of speeches presented at Singapore Perspectives 2020 by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Heng Swee Keat, as well as Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing. It also features speeches and discussions by public intellectuals and civic leaders. Each speaker presents a perspective on their "experience" of politics, both in the traditional sense of elections and governance as well as beyond those formal structures. Readership: Students, academics, policy makers, corporate sector officials and civil society activists, and general public interested in Singapore. Contents Preface viiJanadas Devan Acknowledgements Introduction • Natalie Pang and Shamil Zainuddin 1 Singapore, Together • Heng Swee Keat Section I: Paths Taken Introductory Remarks • Tan Tai Yong 2 The PAP: Past, Present and Future • Lam Peng Er 3 Singapore’s Opposition: Surprises or More of the Same? • Zuraidah Ibrahim 4 Fatalism is Fatal for Small States • Bilahari Kausikan Section II: New Forms and Movements Introductory Remarks • Farish A. Noor 5 Activism in Singapore in the Digital Age: Influencer Cultures, Meme Factories, and Networked Virality • Crystal Abidin 6 Lorongs of Wisdom • Cai Yinzhou 7 Removing Barriers, Excavating Potential from the Underserved • Carrie Tan 8 Creating and Uniting a Climate-Conscious Singapore • Nor Lastrina Hamid 9 Three Hypotheses on Keeping Singapore Going, Growing and Glowing • Chan Chun Sing Key Moments of Q&A About the Contributors