[Document1] December 19, 2008

Type: Before Lesson Notes Side note: This handout can be edited to cover additional lesson notes Chapter 2.1: Introduction
Governance refers to the way a government manages the resources of the country to carry out its functions. Peoples supports for the policies are important to ensure good governance.

Chapter 2.2: Governance in Singapore

The government is responsible for meeting the challenges a state faces. Some challenges include: Ensuring stability in the government Meeting peoples needs Building a nation Maintaining sovereignty

Chapter 2.2.1: What is the system of government in Singapore?

Singapore practices representative democracy where the leaders in the government are chosen by the people in an election held once every 5 years. During an election, the candidates with the most number of votes in each constituency will serve as Members of Parliament (MP). The leader of the political party with the most MPs in the Parliament is invited by the President to become the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister will then form the government to manage the country.

Chapter 2.2.2: What is the role of the people?

The people have the power and responsibility to choose the right leaders for Singapore. The needs and the wants of the people have to be considered when making important decisions, thus communication between the government and the people must be open. Communication channels are thus created for the government to communicate with the citizens in Singapore. Some channels include the Feedback Unit and the media (Forum page), meet-the-people sessions or through email.

Chapter 2.3: How does the government work for Singapore?

The government in Singapore consists of 3 branches: Legislature, Executive and Judiciary. The legislature makes the laws while the Executive implements policies according to the law while the Judiciary interprets the law. The separation of powers prevents each branch of the government from abusing its power.

Chapter 2.3.1: The Legislature

Consists of the President and Members of the Parliament. The Legislature makes the laws (rules of conduct established by the authority, legislation, or custom of a given community, state or nation) which helps keep order such as the prevention of crime. This enables people to live with a peace of mind. How a law is made: A bill is proposed by the Minister and reasons are given. Then he passes the Bill to the Parliament. Debate and studies are made on the Bill which is then sent to the Presidential Council for Minority Rights to determine if it is disadvantageous to any racial or religious group. It is then sent to the President for approval, which then becomes a law.
Chapter 2.2: Governance in Singapore | Chapter 2.2.1: What is the system of government in Singapore? 1

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Chapter 2.3.2: The Executive
The executive consists of the President and the Cabinet (PM and Ministers in charge of various ministries). It is responsible for making all government policies. It administers government policies through the Ministers and the Civil Service. When the Executive Branch carries out policies, feedback from the public is considered.

Chapter 2.3.3: The Judiciary

It is made up of a Chief Justice with the judges in the law courts. Anyone who disobeys the law can be charged in court. The Judiciary makes its decisions and judgments independently without influenced by the views of others.

Chapter 2.4: What are the guiding principles of governance?

To ensure stability in the country and build confidence among the people, governance has to be guided by sound principles. Some principles include: Leadership is Key: Leaders must do what is right rather than what is popular. Anticipate change and stay relevant: Opening to new ideas and assumptions. Reward for Work and Work for Reward: A living and safeguard for our future can be earned through our efforts and intelligence. A stake for everyone, opportunities for all: It is to create an inclusive society where citizens feel a sense of ownership and belonging.

Chapter 2.4.1: Leadership is Key

Honest and capable leaders which have courage to do what is right rather than doing what is popular with the people are required to maintain stability in the government and make the right decisions for the country. It is difficult to find good leadership and good governance. Potential leaders are specially selected and groomed. Honesty is a highly valued quality among the leaders of Singapore, thus its leaders must be incorruptible to win the confidence and respect of the people.

Chapter 2.4.2: Anticipate Change and Stay Relevant

The decisions made by the government need to be forward looking. NEWater: It is an alternative water supply other than Malaysias water. Although NEWater is not liked by everyone, the government communicated with them to assure them that NEWater is safe for drinking through various forms of media. Integrated Resorts: As tourism sector faced competition with more countries in Asia developing major tourist attractions, thus Singapore need to improve the tourist industry. Taking Risks: Singapore has to be open to new ideas and willing to take risks. Thus every Singaporean needs to upgrade their knowledge and skills to stay employable and contribute to the nation.

Chapter 2.4.3: Reward for Work and Work for Reward

Meritocracy, a key part of this principle, means a system that rewards hard work and talent. When people are rewarded based on their abilities and hard work, they are encouraged to do well. Meritocracy thus helps to keep everybody in the society an equal opportunity to achieve their best and be rewarded for their performance.

Chapter 2.4: What are the guiding principles of governance? | Chapter 2.3.2: The Executive

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Chapter 2.4.4: A Stake for Everyone, Opportunities for All
Having a say in decision making develops in people a greater sense of belonging in the country; thus more opportunities have been created to involve people in decision-making. Policy decisions made to serve the needs of the nation may change to suit the needs of the people and the nation over time.

Chapter 2.5: Understanding governance through the management of traffic flow in Singapore
Singapore needs to plan its land properly due to its small land area and its increased demand due to population growth.

Chapter 2.5.1: Measures to control the flow of traffic

Area Licensing Scheme: It is one of the measures taken to control the flow of traffic. Under this scheme, motorists have to pay for the use of certain roads in Singapore. Gantries were set up at the boundaries of city areas to monitor motorists driving into restricted zones. To support the ALS, other measures such as improving bus services, parking costs and park-and-ride zones were implemented. When it was first implemented, motorists were unhappy. However, over time the ALS was successful in ensuring smooth traffic flow and many people showed support for improved traffic flow in the city area. Electronic Road Pricing: The ALS was replaced by the ERP which was more efficient and effective. Park-and-Ride Scheme: It was introduced together with the ALS to control traffic flow in the CBD. Motorists park their vehicles at car parks outside the CBD. From there, they could use public transport to enter the city area. However, it was not very successful as motorists rather switch to the regular bus service or drove into the CBD before 7:30am as they thought it was not worthwhile to leave their cars parked outside the city all day. However, the scheme was still being used today as when time passes and needs of people change, measures failed in the past might work today. Vehicle Quota System: As there was an urgent need to control the car population, the Vehicle Quota System (VQS) determined the new motor vehicles allowed for registration. Car buyers had to bid for the COE (Certificate of Entitlement) before they could purchase the car. Successful bidders will pay the quota premium to obtain the COE. The COE have to be renewed every 10 years.

Chapter 2.6: Changing times, changing needs a case study of Singapores population policy
Singapores population grew rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s as there was peace and stability in Singapore again. This was because businesses in Singapore re-started and jobs were available again. Many people believed that more children mean security in old age. However, the rapid population posed several problems for Singapore such as: Unemployment Shortage of housing Insufficient healthcare services Insufficient education

Chapter 2.6.1: Why was family planning needed from 1966 to 1981?
From 1966 to 1981, 3 five-year plans were implemented to control population growth. The first plan in 1966 emphasised the need for smaller families. The second plan encouraged married couples to stop at 2. The third plan aimed to maintain the replacement level at2.1. Here are some of the measures taken to encourage smaller families:
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No paid maternity leave to be given for the third and subsequent children. No priority given to large families in the allocation of government flats. No income tax relief to be given for the fourth and subsequent children. Delivery charges in hospitals to be increased with each additional child.

Chapter 2.6.2: Why was there a need to promote population growth from the 1980s?
Declining birth rate from the 1980s. This is due to: Increased costs for living. Marriage at a later age. More jobs created and more manpower required. With the number of babies falling below replacement value, there was a need to re-examine the population policy due to the potential problems a small population would pose. Unattractive to multinational companies: Singapore would not be able to produce enough talented people to sustain its development. Therefore, transnational corporations would find it difficult and expensive to recruit Singaporeans compared to China. Singapore would be less attractive due to its smaller consumer market. Ageing population: With fewer babies each year, there would be fewer young people in the population, increasing the proportion of older people. Thus, more resources would be required to take care of the increasing number of senior citizens. Defence There will be fewer men to recruit for National Service, weakening Singapores defence force.

Chapter 2.6.3: How did the government promote population growth after the 1980s?
The Graduate Mothers Scheme: It was introduced to encourage marriages among graduates and encourage them to have more children. However, it sparked off debate and unhappiness among the people as the less-educated were unhappy as they would be neglected under the policy. Due to the negative public reactions, the scheme was withdrawn after 1 year. The government made changes to the population policy in 1987 and aimed at bringing Singapores population back to the replacement level at 2.1 children per women. Therefore parents were encouraged to have 3 or more children if they could afford it. The government only wanted parents to have more children if they could afford it as the first recession Singapore experienced was when some MMCs withdrew their investments in Singapore and workers retrenched. To help relieve the financial burden of having children, the government introduced measures such as allowing the use of Medisave to pay for the delivery charges of the first 3 children. However some policies discourage rather than encourage Singaporeans to marry and have children as: The cost for bringing up children is becoming expensive. The increased cost for medical care means that Medisave accounts can be used up in 1 or 2 hospitalizations. Singaporeans who are self-centered would prefer to stay single or have 1 child to spend more money on themselves. Despite publicity campaigns on the joys of parenthood, many married couples continued to have 1 or 2 children and reached the lowest birth rate in 2004. Other pro-family measures: Equalised medical benefits. Grandparent caregiver relief of $3000 if a grandparent is helping a couple take care of their child. 5-day work week for the Civil Service for better work-life balance. Extended maternity leave from 8 weeks to 12 weeks.
Chapter 2.6.3: How did the government promote population growth after the 1980s? | Chapter 2.6.2: Why was 4

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Attracting foreign talent: The government relaxed its immigration policy to attract foreign talent with skills that Singapore required. With the inflow of foreigners, Singapores society ahs became more cosmopolitan (A country with people coming from many parts of the world).

Chapter 2.7: Preparing for an ageing population

Singapore is facing low birth rates and an ageing population as: Due to the post-war baby boom, Singapore has a large number of people aged between 40 and 60 years old. With declining birth rates, the proportion of young people in the population is shrinking and the proportion of senior citizens is increasing. Singaporeans are living longer than before due to improved health and nutrition.

Chapter 2.7.1: How will an ageing population affect Singapore?

Demand of more healthcare and social services. Reduction in competitiveness. Smaller security forces. Strain on working population.

Chapter 2.7.2: Meeting the challenges of an ageing population.

Senior citizens as assets to society: The challenge would be to ensure that Senior Citizens remain contributing members of society. As Senior Citizens have valuable skills, knowledge, talent and work experience, they can add value to public and private organizations and help boost family life. Many Helping Hands support: Everyone has a part to play in helping the nation prepare for an ageing population. By sharing the responsibility of taking care of the senior citizens, the government burden will be reduced as the government can rely less on increasing taxes as the individual, family and community are looking after the senior citizens. Individual responsibility: Healthy lifestyle: The individual is encouraged to maintain a healthy lifestyle by watching his diet and exercising regularly. Financial planning: All Singaporeans are encouraged to plan early and be financially prepared for life in their old age. Family support: Strong and stable families bring about social stability and harmony. Thus the government has introduced some measures to help strengthen family bonds such as the Senior Citizens Week and Grandparents day. Community help: The government provides subsidies to voluntary welfare organizations running community-based services for senior citizens. Some community organizations provide free health checks and organize recreational activities for senior citizens to help them remain physically, mentally and socially active. Government Support: Tribunal for the Maintenance for Parents: Parents can get the courts help to seek financial support from their children from their children who are capable but are not doing so. Tax relief: Tax payers can claim an income tax deduction for taking care for the senior citizens, contributing to their own CPF accounts and grandparents taking care of children while parents work. Central Provident Fund (CPF): Savings in the special account (retirement, emergency and investment purposes) and a retirement account. Public housing schemes: First time buyers can get a housing grant if they buy a flat in an area where their parents live.

Chapter 2.7: Preparing for an ageing population | Chapter 2.7.1: How will an ageing population affect Singapore?