Download or read book GE2020 Fair or Foul written by Bertha Henson and published by Epigram Books. This book was released on 2021-01-01 with total page 138 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Singapore’s 2020 general election saw its fair share of drama and comedy, and the results were not unexpected. But beyond the polls, the hard truth is impossible to avoid—the electoral system is in dire need of an overhaul. Former journalist and university lecturer Bertha Henson takes you through the days leading up to 10 July 2020 and peels back the veneer of Singapore politics. Aided by a team of NUS undergraduates, she draws on her past experience covering Singapore’s polls to give you a blow-by-blow account of the campaign, and some cold truths about the political playing field.

Download or read book Voting in a Time of Change written by Kevin YL Tan and published by Ethos Books. This book was released on 2022-08-08 with total page 504 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: GE2020: an election that should not be forgotten for yielding startling outcomes, including the appointment of the first Leader of the Opposition. Voting in a Time of Change is part of a longitudinal study by editors Kevin YL Tan and Terence Lee, who have been assembling trenchant analyses of each General Election by leading academics and commentators since GE2011. Their long game makes possible specific and unique insights. Of GE2020, this is what they have to say: “The major political shift in Singapore that started in 2011 is marching on, even amidst a Covid-19 pandemic that was to have been a great disrupter. Whether we call this a ‘New Normal’ – as many did back in 2011 – or otherwise is not as important as the momentum for change that has built up since then. Covid-19 thus became a political backdrop to a social and political shift that was merely searching for a catalyst.” What insights and lessons can we carry forward to the next General Elections? This is an indispensable milestone publication for citizens who wish to commit to even more informed choices, and for political observers who are keeping close tabs on the evolution of our political landscape.

Download or read book Spatializing Authoritarianism written by Natalie Koch and published by Syracuse University Press. This book was released on 2022-06-30 with total page 416 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Authoritarianism has emerged as a prominent theme in popular and academic discussions of politics since the 2016 US presidential election and the coinciding expansion of authoritarian rhetoric and ideals across Europe, Asia, and beyond. Until recently, however, academic geographers have not focused squarely on the concept of authoritarianism. Its longstanding absence from the field is noteworthy as geographers have made extensive contributions to theorizing structural inequalities, injustice, and other expressions of oppressive or illiberal power relations and their diverse spatialities. Identifying this void, Spatializing Authoritarianism builds upon recent research to show that even when conceptualized as a set of practices rather than as a simple territorial label, authoritarianism has a spatiality: both drawing from and producing political space and scale in many often surprising ways. This volume advances the argument that authoritarianism must be investigated by accounting for the many scales at which it is produced, enacted, and imagined. Including a diverse array of theoretical perspectives and empirical cases drawn from the Global South and North, this collection illustrates the analytical power of attending to authoritarianism’s diverse scalar and spatial expressions, and how intimately connected it is with identity narratives, built landscapes, borders, legal systems, markets, and other territorial and extraterritorial expressions of power.

Download or read book Breakthrough 2 0 Singaporeans Push For Parliamentary Democracy written by Derek Da Cunha and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2022-01-07 with total page 390 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Some six decades of socialisation by the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) has ingrained in a majority of Singaporeans the instinct that it is not unusual to give up certain personal liberties for the greater good as long as the PAP State ensures the material well-being of Singaporeans. The general election of 2020 (GE2020) during the COVID-19 pandemic, put this social compact between the people and the State to the test. Significant job losses, wage cuts, and an erosion of personal wealth — due to measures to counter the pandemic — cut substantially into the PAP popular vote nationally, and resulted in an unprecedented 10 candidates from the opposition Workers' Party (WP) being elected to Parliament. GE2020 confirmed the trend from GE2011, when the WP first made a breakthrough, that Singaporeans will only accept a party in moderate opposition to the PAP. This narrative differs markedly from conventional wisdom.Breakthrough 2.0 explores the aforementioned phenomena. The book analyses critically the issues surrounding parliamentary elections in Singapore. It also focuses on issues not explored by many other observers, namely voter psychology; election processes; and, party branding. A comparative analysis of election practices and processes in other jurisdictions is also employed to determine where parallels can or cannot be drawn with the situation in Singapore.The author has had direct access to personalities across the political parties. Consequently, he utilises primary sources, supported by evidence, in sketching out backstories to events which exposes certain myths that were prevailing in social media in the months running up to GE2020.

Download or read book Unmasking Singapore s 2020 General Elections Covid 19 And The Evolving Political Landscape written by Bilveer Singh and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2020-12-29 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On 10 July 2020, Singapore held its 18th general elections in history and the 13th since independence in 1965. The ruling People's Action Party (PAP) once again retained its supermajority by capturing 83 out of the 93 seats, controlling 89.2 percent of parliamentary seats. In spite of a changing social, political and economic landscape, Singapore is still very much identified as an illiberal democracy that has somehow thrived over the years.As the general elections was held during the COVID-19 pandemic, there were expectations that Singaporeans would overwhelmingly vote for the PAP government as the country was facing a serious crisis of a generation. The 'flight-to-safety' mode that some had expected in an election during a crisis, however, did not materialise. In the end, Singaporean voters decided to send a strong warning to the PAP that not all was well, with the opposition achieving its strongest gains since 1965, capturing 10 seats and an additional two Non-constituency Member of Parliament seats. The PAP's total votes dropped from 69.9 percent in 2015 to 61.2 percent in 2020. The rise of a credible opposition has also further strengthened Singaporeans' resolve to ensure that a fair-playing field exists in the political realm. With the highest voter turnout since independence, many have made it known that their voices mattered. The PAP also saw some cracks in its ranks, with some former cadre members and supporters being critical of the new fourth-generation team.Against this backdrop, this book hopes to address the following questions. What were the key issues in the general elections? Who were the main contenders in the polls? What accounted for the PAP's continued hold on power in Singapore? Why did the opposition perform much better than in the previous general elections? What are the main implications of the 2020 general elections results for the PAP, opposition and the broader society at large? How far have electoral issues shifted from 'bread and butter' concerns to much broader topics of social injustices and diversity of voices in parliament? What were some of the crucial talking points during this election? Last, but not least, how far did social media and internet campaigning determine the outcome of this election?

Download or read book The Pandemic Pages written by Chan Joon Yee and published by Dewdrop Publications. This book was released on 2024-09-13 with total page 125 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Covid-19 pandemic was only 4 years ago and many people have already forgotten about Circuit Breaker (CB) and Trace Together. Some have even forgotten that we held our general elections in 2020. The pandemic was a time of revelation. Reading social media posts and shares from people I thought I knew, I realised that I didn't know them that well after all. This book is a collection of blog posts I made in the year 2020. Let us not forget history and the folks we thought we knew.

Download or read book Religious Offences in Common Law Asia written by Li-ann Thio and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2021-02-25 with total page 551 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides in-depth comparative analysis of how religious penal clauses have been developed and employed within Asian common law states, and the impact of such developments on constitutional rights. By examining the theoretical and conceptual underpinnings of religious offences as well as interrogating the nature and impact of religious penal clauses within the region, it contributes to the broader dialogue in relation to religious penal clauses globally, whether in countries which practise forms of secular or religious constitutionalism. Asian practice is significant in this respect, given the centrality of religion to social life and indeed, in some jurisdictions, to constitutional or national identity. Providing rigorous studies of common law jurisdictions that have adopted similar provisions in their penal code, the contributors provide an original examination and analysis of the use and development of these religious clauses in their respective jurisdictions. They draw upon their insights into the background sociopolitical and constitutional contexts to consider how the inter-relationship of religion and state may determine the rationale and scope of religious offences. These country-by-country chapters inform the conceptual examination of religious views and sentiments as a basis for criminality and the forms of 'harm' that attract legal safeguards. Several chapters examine these questions from a historical and comparative perspective, considering the underlying bases and scope, as well as evolving objectives of these provisions. Through these examinations, the book critically interrogates the legacy of colonialism on the criminal law and constitutional practice of various Asian states.

Download or read book Democracy and Rule of Law in China s Shadow written by Brian Christopher Jones and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2021-06-03 with total page 348 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides detailed insight into some of the most contentious events occurring in jurisdictions operating within China's vast shadow. Epic clashes between law and politics have become a regular fixture throughout the world, and no region has seen more of these than Asia. In some cases these conflicts have involved newfound democratic aspirations or democratic deepening, while in others it has arisen because of pushback against authoritarian or semi-authoritarian governments. Indeed, many of these clashes centre on or involve the region's most powerful and controversial player: China. This book focuses on several of these critical struggles, examining how democracy and the rule of law play out in a number of jurisdictions highly influenced by China's presence. Chapters provide insightful analysis on issues such as: major threats to the rule of law and attempts to uphold the principle, oath-taking controversies, foreign judges and the disparagement of the judiciary, unconstitutional and undemocratic provisions, changing ideas of representation, a right to democracy in international law, same-sex marriage rights, and the legal responses to civil disobedience in Taiwan and Hong Kong, among other topics. Ultimately, the book delivers a contemporary understanding of how democracy and the rule of law both complement and converge in this fascinating region.

Download or read book Happiness and Wellbeing in Singapore written by Siok Kuan Tambyah and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2023-09-28 with total page 149 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: To present a multifaceted and holistic perspective of what makes Singaporeans happy, Tambyah, Tan and Yuen discuss the findings and insights from the 2022 Quality of Life Survey, which examines the perceptions and views of 1,905 Singapore citizens. This is the latest survey in a series of studies on the wellbeing of Singaporeans. While the impact of the COVID- 19 pandemic on wellbeing is a timely discussion, the findings are also compared with previous surveys conducted in 2011 and 2016 to provide a longitudinal perspective of how Singaporeans’ wellbeing has evolved over the years. Key aspects of this topic include life satisfaction and satisfaction with specific life domains, aspects of affective wellbeing (e.g., happiness, enjoyment and achievement), economic wellbeing, psychological flourishing, personal values, value orientations and views on socio- political issues. Pertinent differences due to demographics such as gender, marital status, age, education and household income are also highlighted. The book also features four archetypes and clusters of Singaporeans, which are representative of the unique demographics, values and wellbeing outcomes examined. The findings and insights will be useful to academics, policy makers, practitioners, students and the general public who are interested in understanding the life satisfaction and wellbeing of Singaporeans. The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons [Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND)] 4.0 license.

Download or read book Brand Singapore 3rd Edition Nation Branding in a World Disrupted by Covid 19 written by Koh Buck Song and published by Marshall Cavendish International Asia Pte Ltd. This book was released on 2020-11-15 with total page 229 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How can Brand Singapore renew itself once again, amidst a global pandemic? Reputation is precious, more than ever, in the face of deep global displacements exacerbated by Covid-19. Top talent and hot money typically gravitate only to the most attractive, respected nations. For a nation as small and as young as Singapore, its brand is its most valuable asset, as seen in its stunning ascent from Third World to First World in just 30 years since 1965, spearheaded by targeted country branding that builds on unique, longstanding brand attributes. This fully revised and updated edition of Brand Singapore analyses the challenges and opportunities of its latest repositioning for a post-Covid-19 world. The book also examines major events of the last four years since the Second Edition, including the “Passion Made Possible” country brand concept, the 2020 General Election, the reserved Presidency and the Singapore Bicentennial’s revised perspectives on 700 years of ancient history. “A must-read for all policy-makers and business leaders. The secret of Singapore’s success is precisely uncovered by Koh Buck Song.” – Yasu Ota, Nikkei Asian Review, Japan

Download or read book PAP v PAP written by Cherian George and published by Cherian George & Donald Low. This book was released on with total page 235 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 2020 General Election results have raised expectations that Singapore will transition to a more competitive democracy. But this is far from preordained. Nor is there a clear societal consensus that the city-state needs this amid a pandemic and its deepest economic crisis since independence. For now, the People’s Action Party still controls all the levers of power. With the opposition still not ready to step up as an alternative government-in-waiting, Lee Kuan Yew’s prognosis still applies: the PAP’s internal dynamics will be the primary determinant of its continued viability. PAP v. PAP expands on one dimension of this inner struggle: between a conservative attachment to what worked in the past, and a boldly progressive vision for the future. Cherian George and Donald Low argue that a reformed PAP — comfortable with political competition and more committed to justice and equality — would be good for Singapore, and serve the long-term interests of the party. An adaptive PAP, buttressed with stronger democratic legitimacy, would also maintain one of Singapore’s most important strengths: a strong consensus on the virtues of an expert-led, elite government. Only by strengthening democratic practices and norms can Singapore maintain its edge in a world pulled apart by identity politics, populist nationalism and nativism, and an erosion of trust in public institutions. The anthology draws from the authors’ many years of commentary on Singapore government and politics, and also includes new essays responding to the exceptional events of 2020.

Download or read book Fake News and Elections in Southeast Asia written by James Gomez and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2022-12-30 with total page 182 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book offers a regional analysis of the impact of fake news – misinformation, malinformation and disinformation – on electoral democracy and freedom of expression in Southeast Asia, which has taken place in the middle of a global health pandemic. The book maps the impact of social media and the internet on democracy in the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations that have already been in the throes of democratic regression for some time. Including an analysis of countries that do not have national elections, the chapters provide detailed information on the extent of internet and social media penetration in each country, the laws that are deployed to reel in its political potential for critics and demonstrate the impact on democracy or the prospects for democracy. Collectively, contributors note that disinformation is a serious problem in the region that negatively impacts elections and how governments’ attempts to deal with the phenomenon inevitably lead to the targeting of dissenting voices and opposition as anti-state fake news. The deleterious impact on democracy and freedom of expression, facilitated by a citizenry that is prone to manipulation of facts, appears to be the standard modus operandi in the regional authoritarian complex. This book is the first to undertake a regional analysis of disinformation in Southeast Asia and is a significant contribution to the literature on democracy, elections and disinformation. It will be of interest to researchers in the fields of Political Science and Asian Politics, in particular Southeast Asian Politics.

Download or read book The Handbook of Critical Literacies written by Jessica Zacher Pandya and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2021-09-07 with total page 674 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Handbook of Critical Literacies aims to answer the timely question: what are the social responsibilities of critical literacy academics, researchers, and teachers in today’s world? Critical literacies are classically understood as ways to interrogate texts and contexts to address injustices and they are an essential literacy practice. Organized into thematic and regional sections, this handbook provides substantive definitions of critical literacies across fields and geographies, surveys of critical literacy work in over 23 countries and regions, and overviews of research, practice, and conceptual connections to established and emerging theoretical frameworks. The chapters on global critical literacy practices include research on language acquisition, the teaching of literature and English language arts, Youth Participatory Action Research, environmental justice movements, and more. This pivotal handbook enables new and established researchers to position their studies within highly relevant directions in the field and engage, organize, disrupt, and build as we work for more sustainable social and material relations. A groundbreaking text, this handbook is a definitive resource and an essential companion for students, researchers, and scholars in the field.

Download or read book Singapore Perspectives Politics written by Natalie Lee San Pang and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2021-05-05 with total page 132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Download or read book Journey In Blue A Peek Into The Workers Party Of Singapore written by Jenn Jong Yee and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2020-12-18 with total page 315 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After decades of overwhelming political domination by the People's Action Party (PAP), Singapore has entered a phase of political transition. It started with the loss of a Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in the 2011 general election (GE2011). After a huge rebound in the fortunes of the PAP in the 2015 general election following the death of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, the transition resumed in the 2020 general election with the loss of yet another GRC. This book looks at the Workers' Party, Singapore's leading opposition party, through the eyes of Yee Jenn Jong, former Non-constituency Member of Parliament and Central Executive Committee member of the party.Jenn Jong took an unexpected leap into opposition politics just weeks before GE2011 and came out with a narrow loss of just one percent of the popular votes. In this book, he recounts his three contests in the general elections from 2011-2020, parliamentary work, and other activities in opposition politics. This book hopes to let readers better understand the nature of the work by opposition politicians in Singapore, which has been dominated by the PAP's narrative since 1959. The author also shares his thoughts on the shape of Singapore's politics going forward.Related Link(s)

Download or read book Not for Circulation written by Bertha Henson and published by National University of Singapore Press. This book was released on 2022-01-22 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The story of George Bogaars, a civil servant who played a key role in Singapore's political history. Do civil servants make a difference? Can they shape history? In 1985 when John Drysdale published one of the first books on the political history of independent Singapore, George E. Bogaars wrote to his daughter with typical understatement, "I feature in it a bit." Bogaars headed the special branch at the time of Operation Cold Store. He reported directly to pioneer leaders such as Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Keng Swee before they became political icons. He started the Singapore Armed Forces from scratch when he was Permanent Secretary of the Interior and Defence. He was the head of the civil service, involved in a dozen or so government-linked companies attempting to shore up the country's infrastructure, and expand its business portfolio. He held the country's purse strings when he moved into the finance ministry before his retirement at the age of fifty-five. His impressive resume belies a colorful, flamboyant character with a wicked sense of humor. Veteran Singaporean journalist Bertha Henson tells his story.

Download or read book Sexuality and Gender Diversity Rights in Southeast Asia written by Anthony J Langlois and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2022-06-23 with total page 142 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sexuality and gender diversity rights in Southeast Asia are deeply controversial and vigorously contested. Debate and protest have been accompanied by both legislative reform and discriminatory violence. These contradictory dynamics are occurring at a time when the international human rights regime has explicitly incorporated a focus on the prevention of violence and discrimination in relation to sexuality and gender diversity. This Element focusses on the need for such rights. This Element explores the burgeoning of civil society organisations engaged in an emancipatory politics inclusive of sexuality and gender diversity, utilising rights politics as a platform for visibility, contestation and mobilisation. This Element focusses on the articulation of political struggle through a shared set of rights claims, which in turn relates to shared experiences of violence and discrimination, and a visceral demand and hope for change.