1. Principles of Governance (pg. 34 – 41)
- Government’s duty is to meet needs of people and nation.
- To ensure stability in the country & build confidence among people, governance needs to be
guided by set of sound principles.
- Principles adopted by Singapore highlighted by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during
National day speech in 2004.
PRINCIPLES EXPLANATION POSITIVE OUTCOMES REMARKS
Leadership is key Leaders must do what is - formulate sound policies >Honest and capable
right rather than what is that bring SG to greater leaders -> maintain
popular. heights of development stability and make
- progress , prosperity, right decisions.
stability >must have moral
- people feel greater sense courage and
of belonging to country integrity to do what
and trust government is right
Anticipate changer Be open to new ideas - Support sub-tourism >leaders must know
and stay relevant and question old industries what change there
assumptions. Never be Eg. Coaches, hotels, food & may be
trapped in the past. beverages >look forward to all
- improve economy future trends in
- remain economically region
competitive & economy >IR : tourism,
continues to grow competitive, tourist
dollar
- self-sufficient in water >NEWater : new
source of water
Reward for work We can earn a living and Everyone in SG feels motivated to >Meritocracy is key
and work for reward safeguard our future put in their best at work or school part.
only through our efforts and so SG is able to compete >Meritocracy –
and intelligence. effectively with other countries system that rewards
and the economy prospers. hard work & talent.
>Meritocracy gives
everybody in society
opportunity to
achieve best and
reward their
performance no
matter their race,
religion, social-
economic
background.
A stake for We aim to create an This contributes to sense of Decision-making
everyone, inclusive society where belonging to country as people >Give ppl a say
opportunities for all citizens feel a sense of believe that government values > Consult valued
ownership and their opinions. member of society

2. belonging. Eg. IR 2004-2005
Leadership is key
- Government realizes good leadership and governance does not occur by chance.
- Potential leaders are specially selected and groomed.
- Leaders selected by : talent, ability, good character
- Pg. 35 Figure 2.14
 In 1972, LKY persuaded Ong Teng Cheong, an architect to give up his well-paying career
to join them.
 In 1976, Gok Chok Tong, S.Dhanabalan.
 In 1979, Tony Tan.
 It was an unending quest for right man to be put in the job.
 It takes many years for a person to be tried and tested as a minister and to develop that
judgment and trust.
- Honesty highly valued quality in leaders of SG.
- Leaders must be incorruptible to win confidence and respect of people.
- Law deals with leaders guilty of dishonest behavior.
 A senior official at SG embassy was found to accept hongbaos and all-expenses-paid
holidays in exchange for quick approval of business and tourist visas for several China
nationals. She was jailed for 10 months in June 2003.
- SG needs good leadership not only in government but also in society.
 Arts scene in SG made progress
 Mr. Liu Thai Ker , former chairman of National Arts Council (NAC)
 Local talents had more opportunities to participate in international collaborations and
co-productions
 Events : Singapore Writers’ Festival & Singapore Arts Festival organized to promote
appreciation of arts in SG
Anticipate Change and Stay relevant
- Decisions made by government need to be forward looking.
- NEWater
 government prepares for future by ensuring self-sufficiency in water supply
 importing water from Malaysia under 2 water agreements
 first expired in 2011, second expire in 2061
 SG found alternative water supplies to be self-sufficient by producing NEWater and
desalinated water
- Gov. communicates with ppl to ensure water is safe for drinking thru various channels like
schools, newspapers, internets.
- IR
 Tourism imp. part of SG’s economy

3.  Recent years, tourism faced competition with more countries in Asia developing tourist
attractions
 To capture growing market, SG needs to improve tourist industry.
 In 2005 April, Gov. decided to build 2 IR at Marina Bay and Sentosa.
 Pg. 38 Figure 2.20
- SG needs to be open to new ideas and take risks.
- Students stretch their potential and come up with creative, innovative ideas.
- Every SGaporean needs to upgrade their knowledge and skills to stay employable and
contribute to the nation.
Reward for work and work for reward
- When people rewarded for their abilities and hard work, they are encouraged to do well.
 Eg. Students who perform exceptionally well in studies / co-curricular activities are
rewarded.
 Edusave scholarship & Merit Bursary schemes reward top 10% n 25% of students in
schools and Institutes of Technical Education.
 Surplus from SG’s growth also shared among all SG as form of reward for hard work, esp.
the low income group.
 Eg. Grow & Share package
1. Share earnings of country with all SGaporeans
2. Help elderly meet retirement healthcare needs
3. Recognize contributions of NS men
4. Invest in next generation
5. Reward low-wage workers for work
6. Help lower income households with living expenses
A Stake for everyone, Opportunities for all
- More opportunities created to involve people in decision-making.
- In 2004, Gov. consulted ppl about having casino as part of IR.
- During feedback sessions, many ppl voiced their support & concerns to Gov.’s proposal.
- Gov. considered concerns raised and decided to go ahead with casino as part of IR.
- Sources pg. 40 figure 2.24 & 2.25
- Policy decisions made to serve needs of nation and may change to suit needs of people and
nation over time.
- However, they still need to be based on principles of governance.