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Demographics -Aging, Low Birth Rate,

Migration
2. Sexuality and Gender issues
3, Education
4. Sports
5. Economics and Globalisation
6. Med ia
7. Pol itical isation
Li bera I

8. Science and Technology

' To highlight the relevance of issues already discussed to
Singapore

. A focus on arguments, supported by examples.

. A clear move away from example-driven essays.

-

GP is all about arguments and using logic to persuade your

reader. The examples, merely support the arguments. We
often forget this and obsess over examples.
. lssues/Arguments
The rise in our elderly population poses
problems for Singapore as it would lead to a
shrinking workforce which would then
reduce the economic productivity of the
nation. Foreign investors would also place
their money in countries with mqre young
people that would fuel future growth. The
current fertility rate stands at 1.29 which is
below the replacement level of z,r. ln zoo5,
one out of every 12 5ingaporeans was aged
65 or above. By zo3o, this ratio will becorne
one out of f ve, This also creates a huge
burden on the government as it will need to
spend to suppoft these elderly through
various qovernment services such as health
care.
r AlternativeViews
The elderly will continue to fuel
the demand for goods (physlcal aids) and
services (healthcare) that are related to their
age and the groMh of that particular market
would benefit both the country and the
elderly. This is called the Silver lndustry. t'lore
mature and experienced workers would also
give our economy a competitive edge.
The challenges of an aging population are
not insurmountable and have led the
government to make numerous changes to
adapt. For example, the retirement age has
been increased to reflect a heaithier
workforce capable ofworking for more years.
The qovernment has also done much to
highlight the positive contribution older
workers can make through campaigns.
r lssues/Arguments
The highly stressful and competitive
society has both reduced our sex-drive
and incentive to have children. Couples
cdnnot seem to flnd t me away from their
work to procreate or to spend time w th
children, For example, the zooS Durex
Survey showed that Singapore had one of
the lowest frequency of sexual intercourse
in the worldl This is especially true for the
generatlon of married adults who find it
hard to achieve'Work-Life Harmony'.
Rising cost of living also deter cou ples
from having ch ild ren.
. Alternative Views
The phenomena of decreasing birth rates
is not unusual and reflects globaltrends
where development often occurs at the
expense of family. However, the
problem is not insurmountable and
Singapore has adopted measures similar
to other developed nations, The
government has put in place many
ncentives for couples to have children by
addressing their concerns. Cash gifts of
$3ooo will be given for th_e :'t child, s6ooo
for the second and sgooo forthe 3'd and
4th. Childcare subsidies of up to sr5o per
month are a lso provided a long with a
reduction of foreign maid levy. tMaternity
paid leave has also been extended to 4
months from 3, These policies help address
many of the concerns of cost and time as
reflected by married couples.
. A possible Rebuttal
Howeverthe truth ofthe matter is that
the incentives provided are either
insufficient or do not address the root of
concerns. One-off baby bonuses are
mediocre compared to the cumulative
expenses that would in incurred for
bringing up the child, Maid and.childcare
subsidies may not be sufficient in a id ing
families with a lower income. The demands
at work still do not change and the much
needed parentaltime with children cannot
possibly be replaced by childcare, maids or
even relatives.
. lssues/Arguments
There are too many foreign workers in
Singapore. The increased competition
created has led to the Ioss ofjobs for the
locals. ln zoo7, 6r% of newjobs created
went to foreign workers. Th is also creates
a potential problem for the ag6ing
workforce that we have. Employers would
prefer chea per and you nger foreig n
workers to older localworkers.
. Alternative Views
Even if there were less foreign workers
around, it would not necessarily mean
that the newjobs created would go to
Singaporean citizens. The skills required
for the job and willing ness to take on the
job are factors that need to be taken into
cons'deration. Certain jobs that require
foreign talent that Singapore is lacking
would definitely have no 6ther better
candidates. Jobs that are considered to be
demeaning to social status or having too
iow wages would also never be taken up by
S ngaporeans. Recently/ the StraitsTlmes
p blished the bottor-,- :o-obs that
S ngaporeans do not want. These included
Bus Dr ver, Waitress, Security G uard and
Masseuse,
r lssues/Arguments
Singapore women today have
greater status and rights and
institution a lised sexism is close to
non-existent, Women have clea r
legal and human rights via.a recently
strengthe ned Womans C ha rte r.
Many women play prominent
leadership roles in the private and
public sector. Women are particularly
we ll- represented in Singapore's
education and legal sector. Examples
include the Director General of
Education at MOE Ms Ho Peng and
High Court Judge Bellnda Ang.
. Alternative Views
_These improvements are
cosmetic in that women do not hold
positions of real power in politics, the
military, law enforcenrent and the
judiciary. Singapore is still run by the
'old boys club'. (Eg/Elab) Since
independence, Singapore has seen a
maximum of one female cabinet
minister at any one time. (Eg)
. lssues/Arguments
Singapore is still largely a conservative society
which frowns on alternative sexual lifestyles, S -ch
r Alternative Views
rntolerance 's iot co.qruent to tl'e level of . Given that we are an Asian and highly
education and eco-oiic de\ elopment of Si-gapore. paterna listic society, Singapore has
In zoo8, Parliament voted to keep Section 3774 of done well in slowly accepting people
the Penal Code, maintaininq that sexual relations of alternative sexual orientation, The
betwee- nen is illegal, in spire of an arenome^-
which legalised un^arL-a ra.al) sex between public sector now recruits homosexuals
co.rsenunq l^eterose".-ral couple:. I'l^ s shows tl-at rye even in highly sensitive positions in the
are far from developed n our attitudes.towards m ilitary, law enforcement and
people wno are drffere.t.37'A also makes l'rtle education, The government is also
5ense, e\cept as d syrbol ofour national ir creasing.y to lera nt of gay n ig htspots
Intolera.ce/ as politrcians c'early sard rha'tl-e aw and activities as long as these do not
,.rou d neler be enfo-ced. Why keep a law rhdt aon r
be usedt The 'e( e.'AWARE saqa where o smal
violate the law in any w5y. The AWARE
gro Jp o! co- servatives laurched a coup of fe'rrrnist saqa actuality did in fact reflect national
organisatlon also highlights our national maturity and growing liberalism on
conservatism in sexual matt€rs. While the liberals sexual mattera as a dlverse range of
returned to power, the l,4inistry of Education views weTe reflected.
suspended work with AWARE on sexuallty
awareness co-rses, reflecting trar rhe p:br c
per(ei/es AWAaE to be p-o horose",al and that
this is nof a(ceptab e to the ra nsT.ea - The issLe
also righ,ignred tl'at S.rgapo-eans are una ble to
l-a-dle deba"es on sLrcL iss.es in a ba anced way.
. A possible Rebuttal
These so-called improvements are in fact a
fagade and merely represent the mercenary
nature of the Singapore government, The
government is still very intolerant of
homosexuality, but tolerates gay nightspots and
activities as they help earn 'pin k dollars'- a very
iucrative and fast-growing economic.sector.
'Pink'spenders and tourlsts tend to be hig h-
spending. Also, such nightspots contribute much
in terms oftaxation (alcohol, cigarettes and
licensing), The government is also aware that
many homosexuals are highly talented and
wishes to retain and attract such talent to
Singapore.
r lssues/Arguments
The privileged status of elite school students
has sparked resentment and suspicion of
many, A keen sense of difference is felt by
most students that are in better schools. They
are generally proud and have a higher level of
self-confidence/esteem as a result of school
brand ing. Such students tend to believe that
not everyone is born equa I in life and that they
shou ld accept their fate and seek to excel in
other area. Society also appears to adopt a
biased view of students from the elite schoois.
TheWee Shu Min saga of zoo6 h igh lig hts this.
She wrote a rude blog entry reflecting a
dismissive attitude towards the non-elite and
was soundly rebuked by the pu blic. Her father,
MPWee Siew Kim was told by the PL4 to
apologise a second time following a half-
hearted first apology, Th s reflected the
political sensitivity of such divlsions in society,
. Alternative Views
The stratification of students according to
academic ability is a natural element of any
society and should not be resented. Any
progressive society must filter out its leaders
and talents. While it may indeed be true that
Gifted Education Programme students are
proud to be part of a privileged class, they are
often mistaken to be arrogant when being
earnest/ aggressive when passionate and
condescending when ind ifferent. Such
students also suffer the same teenage woes
and ind ulge in the same interests as other
teenagers. There is no discrimination, only
d iffe re n ce.
r lssues/Arguments
The Singapore education system has been
successful. Singapore has a hig h literacy rate of
96%, with 89.5%o having Secondary or h ig her
education (zoo8 demographics). lVuch of its
success has been attrlbuted to disciplined rote
learning where students are constantly d rilled
and made to memorize answers, enabling them
to fair very well in national examinations, such as
the GCE 'O' and 'A' levels. Our education system
is also popular with other countries in the region
such that many foreign students come here to
pu rsue their ed ucation, This reflects the
perception that Singaoore education prepares
students for a globalised future in a holistic
fa sh io n,
r Alternative Views
Others criticise our education system,
arguing that it has churned out students
that are ill-equipped to handle the global
economy, The "force-feed ing" approach
employed i- many Asian countries,
includ ing Singapore, will not be able to
prod uce th in king, questioning ind ividuals
for the knowledge economy. Students
need to create their own knowledge as it is
not possible for a teachelto transmit all of
his or her knowledge to students.The
h igh ly d isciplined school system has also
been accused of stifling creativity and
ind ivid ua lity in stude nts. Teache rs are
known to be more criticalthan affirmative
in Singapore too.
. A possible Rebuttal
The Singapore government has made
changes to the education system to
address criticisms and concerns. To
address the problem of rote learning and
lack of creativity, MOE placed greater
emphasis on th in king skills and
stream ined the currlculum to.allow for
infusion of more activities that promotes
creative and critical thinking skills. The
introd uction ofthe inter"disciplina ry
Project Work at the JC level a lso a llows
students to learn better problem solving
and com mun ication skills. Vision
statements such as'Thinking Schools,
Learning Nation'and initiatives such as
'Teach Less, Learn More'all reflect MOE's
shift towards a more effective education
system for the future.
r lssues/Arguments
ln a globalised era, where high migration flows
are occurring, there is no pride lost in
importing foreign tal€nt to achieve sporting
glory (and thereby further national pride). For
example, the entire 5 inga pore Olyrnpic team
that wo. a Silver ar rhe Beijrng Olyn pics '.tere
China-born, natura ised Singaporeans. lf we had
utilised only Singapore-born talent, we may
never have achieved this monumentalfeat.
Foreign-born talent is also used in other
Singapore national spofts teams such as football
and badminton. Besides, why should
Singaporeans be over-sensitive about such
foreign-born talent when major first worid
countries like the US, UK and Australia also
adopt sim ila r policies?
. Alternative View
Critics argue that many ofthese foreign.talents
are economic mercenaries who do not speak
English or adopt Singaporean habits. So, are
they really Singaporeans? One Brazilian football
import returned to Brazil and has reporlediy re-
app ied for Brazilian nationality. Furthermore, such
practices deprive up and coming local sporting
talent from playing for the country.
It makes no sense to spend millions on a Spods
School and then imporl a foreign-born athlete to
represent Singapore.
r lssues/Arguments
With insufficient talent it makes more
sense to focus on school sports (to
develop character) than waste millions
on international sport, which bring
negligible returnS to SingaPore,
. Alternative Views
While it is indeed true that school sports are key
to building character, it would be a grave error
to abandon international sports simply because
we Iack world beating results as international
sports are a fundamental glue that bind people
from various races and religions together. lt is
impossible to speak of national pride without
international sports teams to cheer on. For
exampl<!, many Singaporeans look forward to
football matches between Silgapore and
lValaysia as an oppoftunity to don the national
colou -s and d isplay nationalpride.
. A possible Rebuttal
These foreign-born talents do not seek to
replace localtalents but actually stretch and
further develop local sports standards as far as
possible. By acting as sparring partners and
teammates, they eventually draw ocaltalents into
the ranks of regional and international sporting
elite. Kendrick Ng, a local badminton prodigy is
one such example. He used to spar with Ronald
Susilo, an lndonesian-born Singapore badminton
player, Kendrick is now a regionaltalent. Also, if
imported at a young age, many ofthese foreign-
born talents do become Singaporean in their
habits. Susilo and China-born Singapore national
swimmerTao Li are two such examples. Tao Li now
speaks Eng lish qu ite fluently, and her ma nnerisms
are very local.
. lssues/Arguments
The influence of globalisation can
weaken national identity and
disrupt social cohesion within the
country. The young are especially
vulnerable to foreign values and life
styles as a result of globalisation. The
world has become borderless. Our
own citizen s comprising young
mobile profess ion a ls and budding
entrepreneurs no longer Iimit their
dreams within the confines of
Singapore or even Asia. The world is
their hinterland. This loss of national
identity and belonging can translate
to brain drain and a reduction in
motivation to contribute to society.
. Alternative Views
Although globalisation's
detrimental impact on social
cohesion is valid, awareness of it
has.resulted in both the people and
the government making a conscious
effort to resist it's impacts.
Educational policies such as national
education help teach the public to
value what it means tcbe
Singaporean. Sin ga po rea ns are also
proud of who they are. Although they
appear to embrace foreign culture,
they are often proud to be identified
as Singaporeans when travelling or
living abroad. Singapore Day, a
h iqhly successful Singapore festival
hosted in a different major city every
year is one such example. (Elab)
r lssues/Arguments
So ny, Toyota a nd
Pa n ason ic have become h ouse h old
brands in Singapore. Local brands
such as Enzer and Akira are unable to
compete in terms oftechnology and
quality, and have no choice but to
reduce prices greatly in order to get
a small piece of market share.
. AlternativeViews
However, globalisation has also
allowed local brands to attain
international recognition by rising
beyond our shores to compete
against other major brands in the
global market. One such example
would be London-based desig n er
Ashley lsham. Other successful local
brands include Breadtalk, Hyflux ,
Adam Khoo Lea rn ing Technologies
and Pasta ma n ia.
. lssues/Arguments
The Singapore media, while increasingly r Alternative Views
bold in its coverage and opinions, is still
The balanced and responsible and
viewed by the West and more liberal
approach taken by the StraitsTimes is in
Singaporeans, as a mere mouthpiece of the
fact a correct one. Unlike the adversarial
ruling party and elite establishment.
role take by the Western press, the
Editorials and think-pieces may be more
Singapore media sees its role as more
openly criticalthan the 8os and 9os, reflectinq
const'uctive. lt olfers alternat ve views,
a new breed ofjournalists, but often they siop
but stays clear of politicking by not taking
short of making pointed criticisms of politlcal
s des in palV oolirics. Whrle the 5ingapore
office-holders, as in other democracies. For
media may advocate issl.ies, they see it as
example, following the escape ofSingaporean
beyond their role to interfere in the
terror st N4as Selarnat from a detention centre,
political process by advocating against the
ma ny called for an a pology from the M inlste r
government. The local media also never
of Home Affalrs. The Straits Times, did not,
criticizes or mocks local leaders, ln
podraying such calls as reactionary and
adopting sucl- p-acrices, it is keeping
logically flawed.
within the available political parameters
and practicing responsible journalism.
. A possible Rebuttal . A possible Rebuttal
It is not responsible ofthe mainstream The New Media has also played a
media to stop short of criticising major role in pushing for greater
politicians. Suchjournalists are in fact
accountable to the public. lt is also
transparency. ln light of massive
disjngenuous to attack or mock foreigr losses by government owned
leaders with a free-hand, while treating Temasek and the Government of
local leaders with kid gloves, This is simple Singa pore lnvestment Cooperation
hypocrisy and patronising towards the (GlC), netizens were far more vocal
educated pu blic.
in their call for open ness. The
The New Media has in fact been more
bold than the mainstream in criticizing mainstream media was far more
the government, and the government is circumspect.
find ing it increasingly hard to control
this new mouthpiece ofthe people. For
example, durinq the recent organ trading
case against retailerTang Wee Su ng,
netizens were h ig hly critica I of the
governme nt's elite-biased a pproach.
r lssues/Arguments
The Singapore political scene is liberalising,
albeit slowly, and in a manner which reflects
the usually cautious approach adopted by the
ruling PAP and Singaporeans in general. 1n June
2009, PM Lee announced legislative changes that
would ensure smaller Group Representative
Constituencies (GRCs) and a minimum of 9
oppositlon m€mbers of parliament, all in a bid to
i-duce g edte'debate and a te-^ar ve views in
parliament. These may not be big changes, but
they indicate thdt the PAP acknowledges the
needs of a modern, highly-educated and traveled
populace, who find a'rubber-stamp' parliament
patronising and not befitting a modern
developed first-world nation.
. Alternative Views
The liberalisation of Singapore's political
is moving at far too slow a pace for some.
The openness of Singapore's political
scene is completely incongruent to the
level of openness of the economy and the
globalised nature of the population,
Given their exposure to foreign lifestyles
and political systems, many rnobile young
Singaporeans find Singd-pore's political
climate stifling. ln pafticular, the media is
seen as a rnere mouthpiece ofthe PAP, The
recent changes are viewed suspiciously as
piece mea I efforts to control and pacify the
desire for more political openness. The
argu ments is that many won't vote for the
ooposrllo- \rov. ing rl-at alte.'ratrve /iews
in Parlrament are now guaranteed.
r lssues/Arguments
The Singapore government has moved too fast in
instituting technology in government processes.
For example, in most government counters, until
recent complaints, custorners were expected to go
cashless. This was very inconsiderate to the poor and
elderly who don't have such ba nking services. The
government should adopt a more gradualapproach.
Elements of E-government wh ich have crept into the
mainstream have greatly inconvenienced those who
are not internet sawy and highlighted the growing
technological divide in Singapore. For example,
whe r the gove rn ment issues Eco'o^iic
Restructuring Shares and CPFTop"ups for the elderly,
the recipients often have to apply on line. They often
turn to community centres and volunteer
organisations for help. This is grossly inconsiderate
to the needy and elderly poor.
r Alternative Views
Arguments against the rapid development of
technology in government services fail to see
that slowing down the process would in fact
slow down the technological pace ofthe entire
country as government services are
fundamental services which have national
impact. While some minorities may be affected,
the vast majority adapt fast and this leads to
great nationaltechnological leaps. There is then
a ripple effect, impacting the private sector, and
other areas of technology. For example, the e-
Nets function first used by the lmmigration and
Customs Authority for online passport
applicatlons, was later used by several prominent
driving schools and other service providers such
as Singa pore Post.

For example, in the case of embryohic stem-cell
research, a hot-button topic in rnany countries/
the Singapore government allows such research
as long as embryos are less than 14 days old. The
religious communities agreed that embryos after
r4 days had heart beats and were thus
'ensouled'. (Elab) Aborlion and in-vitro
fertilisation are also allowed in Singapore as long
as patients are fully briefed on the physical and
emotional considerations. This in spite of
opposition from the religrous camp. This
highlights the balanced approach taken by the
Singapore government.
Singapore's seemingly pragmatic and
balanced approach to bioethics is in fact a
fagade aimed at creating the appearance
that the needs of the various communities
have been met. ln fact, the decisions are
largely driven by a mercenary desire to allow
embryonic stem-cell research/ abortion and
in-vitro fertilisation (amongst others) as
these a.ctivities represent an active segment
of our diverse economy. Despite widespread
concerns about the easy ava ila bility of
abortion and the social and emotional
consequences/ the government allows these
services to be ava ila b le with the caveat that
'education'should be undeftaken. Moral and
religious considerations are merely given lip-
service and are not major factors in decision-
making where the economy is concerned.
. lssue/Arguments
5ingaporean society has over-
emphasised education in and
developments of science and
technology, so much so that
Singaporeans lack soft"skills and the
local arts scene is poorly supported. All
this leads to a country with a strong
economy, but lacking in soul and
character. lt is often noted that
Singaporean students cannot present or
spea k and argue well.
r Alternative Views
The early emphasis on science and
technology was a necessary stage of our
development as a modern nation, Now that
we have consolidated our status as a Asian
hub for research and development, we have
staded pushing for more holistic education,
balancrng a scienrific focus with a growing
focus on vaiues, a deep sense of history and
soft skills such as speaking and advocacy. A
simple example would be the introduction of
both the International Baccalaureate and the
compulsory status of Project Work in the A
Levei syllabus. Both ofthese developments
emphasis public speaking and the art of
pe rs ua sio n.