While the government did decide to go ahead with casinos despite some public opposition, there are a few key points to consider: 1) The government did take the feedback seriously and consulted the public on the issue. Even though they ultimately made a different decision, listening to public views is still important for an inclusive system. 2) Safeguards like the National Council on Problem Gambling show the government was responsive to concerns about social impacts. 3) Major decisions often involve balancing different priorities, and the economic benefits of IRs may have outweighed other considerations for the leadership. Their forward-looking role is to consider long-term national interests. 4) Ongoing engagement through platforms like REACH still give the public

1. Term 1 Week 1
Governance in Singapore (Part 2)
1

2. Recap!
★ Nation vs. State
e.g. e.g.
Nation
Palestine; common State Singapore(?);
Tibet identity self-governing Hong Kong;
among political entities
its people Vatican City
Nation-States
e.g.
Japan; France; Germany
2

3. Recap!
★ Role of a government
• Establish a stable government
• Nation- building
• Meeting the needs of its people
• Maintain sovereignty
★ System of governance
• Legislative
• Executive
• Judiciary
3

4. Lesson Objectives
✦ Singapore’s FOUR guiding principles of
governance
• Leadership: ‘Leadership is Key’
• Forward-Looking: ‘Anticipate Change and
Stay Relevant’
• Meritocracy: ‘Reward for work and Work
for Reward’
• Inclusiveness: ‘A Stake for Everyone,
Opportunities for All’
4

5. Leadership: ‘Leadership
is Key’
✴Leaders must be...
• Honest/ incorrupt/ morally upright
• have the integrity to do what is right
• win the trust and respect of Singaporeans
• Capable
• maintain stability in the government
• do what is right and not what is popular
with the people
5

6. Leadership: ‘Leadership
is Key’
✴ Careful selection and special grooming of potential
leaders
✴ Examples
• Ong Teng Cheong, who was persuaded by Lee Kuan Yew to join
the PAP in 1976
• Liu Thai Ker, former chairman of the National Arts Council
• Helped the Singapore arts scene to progress as he
provided more opportunities for local talent to
participate in international collaborations and co-
productions, such as the Singapore’s Writer’s Festival and
Singapore Arts Festival
6

7. Ong Teng Cheong,
5th President of
Singapore Singapore’s Arts Singapore’s
(1993- 1999 Festival, Writers Festival,
2010 2011
7

8. Forward-Looking: ‘Anticipate
Change and Stay Relevant’
✴ Need to be forward looking in
order to make decisions in
anticipation of future challenges
✴ Example 1: NEWater
• Lack of water resources in
Singapore + Singapore’s water
agreement with Malaysia ending in
2061 --> Need to ensure self-
sufficiency in water supply
• Creation of NEWater and
desalinated water
8

9. Forward-Looking: ‘Anticipate
Change and Stay Relevant’
• Example 2: Integrated Resorts
• Singapore’s dependency on tourism +
Competition from neighbouring countries -->
Need to improve tourist industry
• Building of IRs at Marina Bay and Sentosa from
2005
9

10. Forward-Looking: ‘Anticipate
Change and Stay Relevant’
10

11. Forward-Looking: ‘Anticipate
Change and Stay Relevant’
• Example 3: Creating a culture that is open to risk-
taking
• Openness to new ideas
• Willingness to take risks
• Providing opportunities for students to stretch
their creativity potential, such as the Tan Kah Kee
Young Inventors Competition
• Ensures that Singaporeans constantly upgrade
their knowledge and skills so that they can
contribute to the country’s economic growth
11

12. Meritocracy: ‘Reward for Work
and Work for Reward’
✴ Rewarding of hard work and talent so that people are
encouraged to do well
✴ Helps to give everybody in society an equal
opportunity to achieve their best, regardless of race,
religion or socio-economic background
12

13. Meritocracy: ‘Reward for Work
and Work for Reward’
✴ Examples
• Edusave Scholarship
and Merit Bursary
Schemes to reward
the top 10% and 25%
of students in schools
respectively
• Annual ‘Grow and Share’ Progress Package in which
surplus from Singapore’s growth shared among as
Singaporeans as a form of reward for their hard work
13

14. Inclusiveness: ‘A Stake for
Everyone, Opportunities for All’
✴ Giving Singaporeans a say in decision-making
✴ Helps to develop a greater sense of belonging
to the country
✴ Some avenues for feedback include:
• Straits’ Times Forum Page
• REACH (http://www.reach.gov.sg/)
• Meet-the-MP Sessions
14

15. Inclusiveness: ‘A Stake for
Everyone, Opportunities for All’
✴ Example: Issue of casinos in IRs
• Government consulted
Singaporeans on the issue
• Singaporeans voiced their
concerns
• Government decided to go
ahead with the setting up of
casinos in the IRs, but promised
to impose stringent social
safeguards for the casinos
15

16. National Council on Problem Gambling Problem Gambling Forum 2012
Question:*The*government*not*only*went*ahead*with*the*idea*of*having*a*
casino*despite*negative*public*feedback;*it*even*proposed*two*Integrated*
Resorts*with*casinos.*Does*this*mean*that*it*is*even*pointless*for*the*public*to*
provide*feedback*to*the*government? *
16