Singapore Government Research Articles

Public Management and Reforming of Singapore's Preschool Education

The study investigates the preschool sector of education in Singapore and the system of its management. New socio-economic conditions require a new theoretical and methodological basis of the educational process. Studying the experience of the functioning of other educational systems provides an opportunity to implement effective ways of reforming in the domestic educational system. This fact proves the relevance of the study. The purpose of the study is to investigate the experience of public administration and modernisation of the modern system of preschool education in Singapore. The research was conducted on the basis of systematic, personality-oriented, axiological and synergetic methodological approaches to the study of pedagogical phenomena and with the use of such theoretical research methods as the method of analysis, synthesis, comparison and systematisation. The author identifies areas of public impact on the mostly private preschool sector in Singapore and areas of its reforming. It has been established that the main areas of updating Singapore's preschool education includes the development of a conceptual framework for the preschool education sector, improvement of the quality of staff professional training, reorganisation of the management system of preschool education and implementation of the principle of meritocracy, which provides equal access to quality preschool education for all Singaporeans. The study analyses the main aspects and specific features of introducing the conceptual framework “Nurturing the early learners”. The conceptual framework is a recommendation and guide for developing educational programmes in preschool institutions of the country and gives teachers some freedom to apply an individual and creative approach in the process of developing educational programmes for their preschool institutions. The author also identifies the main measures undertaken to improve the professional level of preschool teachers and the level of preschool education in general. It is concluded that due to the successful cooperation of the government and private preschool education providers and a clear delineation of their responsibilities, the government of Singapore succeeded in implementing an effective system of management of the preschool education sector

A COMPARISON OF INDONESIAN AND SINGAPORE’S POLITICAL SYSTEMS

<p>The purpose of this study was to illustrate the comparison of the political systems of Indonesia and Singapore. The research method in this paper is a literature study sourced from a collection of books, national and international journals, relevant government pages, and actual news on an official government media pages described descriptively. The results show that Singapore's political system tends to be better than Indonesia because it has clear rules on the source and transparency of the use of political party funds. Through the review of a number of journals, it is expected that Indonesia can implement the Singapore government's policy of regulating political party funds so as to prevent corruption of political party funds. </p><p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0778/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the health-seeking behaviour of an Asian population with acute respiratory infections in a densely populated community

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic led to the implementation of various non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) as the Singapore government escalated containment efforts from DORSCON Orange to Circuit Breaker. NPI include mandatory mask wearing, hand hygiene, social distancing, and closure of schools and workplaces. Considering the similar mode of transmission of COVID-19 and other pathogens related to acute respiratory infections (ARI), the effects of NPI could possibly lead to decreased ARI attendances in the community. This study aims to determine the year-on-year and weekly changes of ARI attendances across a cluster of polyclinics following the implementation of NPI.MethodsThe effect of the nation-wide measures on the health-seeking behaviour of the study population was examined over three periods: (1) 9 weeks prior to the start of Circuit Breaker (DORSCON Orange period), (2) 8 weeks during the Circuit Breaker, and (3) 9 weeks after easing of Circuit Breaker. Data on ARI attendances for the corresponding periods in 2019 were also extracted for comparison and to assess the seasonal variations of ARI. The average weekly workday ARI attendances were compared with those of the preceding week using Wilcoxon signed rank test.ResultsARI attendances dropped steadily throughout the study period and were 50–80% lower than in 2019 since Circuit Breaker. They remained low even after Circuit Breaker ended. Positivity rate for influenza-like illnesses samples in the community was 0.0% from the last week of Circuit Breaker to end of study period.ConclusionsNPI and public education measures during DORSCON Orange and Circuit Breaker periods appear to be associated with the health-seeking behaviour of the public. Changing levels of perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits and barriers, and widespread visual cues based on the Health Belief Model may account for this change. Understanding the impact of NPI and shifts in the public’s health-seeking behaviour will be relevant and helpful in the planning of future pandemic responses.

Is Freezing the Future? Investigating Interest of Elective Oocyte Freezing Amongst Singaporean Women

A novel technological innovation called Elective Oocyte Freezing (EOF) has emerged as a solution for women who wish to preserve their fertility to delay childbearing for non-medical reasons. This technology has grown in popularity as women have undertaken a greater role in the workforce and faced the dilemma of balancing work and family. In spite of the rising trend of Singaporean women postponing childbearing to advance their careers, EOF is currently prohibited in Singapore. Many Singaporean individuals have declared this policy to be both outdated and a threat to women’s reproductive rights. However, prior to this survey, no research, to my knowledge, has analyzed Singaporean female professionals' interests in EOF, if made available. Through this quantitative, cross-sectional, 4-part survey, I conclude that if EOF was permitted, encouraged, and subsidised by the Singaporean government, Singaporean women possess a strong interest in freezing their eggs for social purposes This paper further demonstrates an existing positive relationship between 48 Singaporean female professionals’ interest in EOF prior to and following reading an information leaflet. Specifically, after being informed of the social benefits presented by EOF, participants were significantly more inclined to freeze their eggs if such practice was permitted in Singapore. This conclusion suggests that the Singaporean government should re-evaluate their position on EOF in order to facilitate childbearing dilemmas faced by the increasing number of women entering the country’s workforce each year. Additionally, as this policy is currently a subject of debate in Singapore, the implications of this research, revealing Singaporean female professionals’ interest in EOF, create a foundation for both future research and the possible evaluation of this policy. If this conclusion is corroborated with subsequent research, further evidence may substantiate my findings regarding the desires of Singaporean women and possibly result in a change of legislation.

Discrimination among Ethnic Minorities Groups in Singapore

This article analyzed the state of Singapore as a multiracial country and how Singapore issued regulations to harmonize life between different ethnicities in its society. This research used Systematic Literature Review (SLR) that allowed collecting relevant evidence on the given topic that fits the pre-specified eligibility criteria and have an answer for the formulated research questions. Data search was performed by searching the internet using databases such as Google Scholar, J store, Research Gate, Sage Journal, and Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO). The data source used in this research was the publication of the last 10 years. Some of the articles reviewed included minorities against Muslims, against ethnic minorities who were left behind in education and economics, and against people who failed to carry out the culture in the country of Singapore. These findings are largely consistent with the Singapore constitution, meaning that the Singaporean government provides equal treatment to all citizens. Article 152 of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore guarantees the rights of minority communities to their religious belief and practice. However, in everyday life, there is discrimination against minorities, especially in terms of religion, culture, and social education. This research suggests enriching future research by obtaining interviews or direct questionnaires to minorities who live in Singapore.

The Governance Conundrum of Powered Micromobility Devices: An In-Depth Case Study from Singapore

With the widespread adoption of powered micromobility devices like e-scooters for transportation in recent times, there have been many associated and potentially unknown risks. While these devices have been beneficial for commuters, managing these technological risks has been a key challenge for governments. This article presents an in-depth case study of Singapore, where these devices were adopted but were eventually banned from footpaths and public paths. We focus on identifying the technological risks and the governing strategies adopted and find that the Singaporean government followed a combination of governing strategies to address the risks of safety, liability, and switching to another transportation mode. The strategy of banning the devices was undertaken after active regulation and prudent monitoring. Based on the Singapore case, we offer policy recommendations for robust infrastructure and policy capacity, government stewardship and inclusive participatory policymaking for safe deployment, and simultaneous adoption of governing strategies to adopt these devices. The regulatory lessons from the case of Singapore can be insightful for policy discussions in other countries that have already adopted or are considering the introduction of powered micromobility devices.

Rap against brownface and the politics of racism in Singapore

ABSTRACT In July 2019, a Singapore government linked E-payment advertisement featured a Singaporean-Chinese celebrity depicting various ethnicities including wearing brownface to portray an Indian man. In response, Singaporean-Indian siblings Preeti and Subhas Nair produced a rap video containing expletives lampooning the advertisement for its racism. Singapore adopts a stringent policy towards public discussions of racial inequality and racism as they are seen to threaten its racial harmony. Authorities acted swiftly and banned the video. However, the perceived anonymity of online forums have made them a quasi-public sphere for race issues to be “freely” aired. This paper examines the reactions to the two incidents in order to conceive the nature of public discourse on racism in Singapore. We argue that policing of discourses about racial inequality inadvertently normalizes racism. When confronted with allegations of racism, online threads reveal a denial of hurt, defensiveness and micro-aggressions, exposing feelings of victimisation and racial equivalence.

Lived experiences of the adjustment of older employees to re-employment in Singapore: A Bourdieusian perspective

The Singapore government promulgated the Retirement and Re-employment Act in 2012 to promote extending working life. This article offers insight into the utility of Bourdieu’s conceptual framework of habitus, field and capital in exploring how older employees in Singapore adjust to re-employment. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 re-employed older persons consisting of four women and six men. The thematic analysis of the data indicated that a series of adjustment strategies underpinned by the realism-, positivity-, productivity- and proactivity-oriented habitus synergized to empower research participants to navigate through the field of re-employment. The article proposes that in the Singapore context policy makers and employers need to take a habitus-sensitive approach to re-employed older persons, developing a habitus-friendly field of re-employment.

Impact of COVID-19 on the outreach strategy of cancer social service agencies in Singapore: A pre-post analysis with Facebook data

The Singapore government implemented multiple restrictive measures as the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) spread through the community, thereby affecting the support service of cancer-related social service agencies (cancer-SSAs). We are interested to understand how Singapore’s cancer-SSAs utilized the social media platform Facebook to overcome the restrictions which were introduced due to COVID-19. Facebook posts from two prominent cancer-SSAs 365 Cancer Prevention Society (365CPS) and Singapore Cancer Society (SCS) between comparable periods in 2019 and 2020 were extracted. These posts were categorized using a classification scheme which was specifically developed by two coders with adequate intercoder reliability. Statistical analyses were performed to determine if there was a significant difference in the frequency of posts between 2019 and 2020, and across three specific periods in 2020. Results indicate that 365CPS appears to have adapted to the pandemic by increasing their posting frequency on Facebook in 2020, but the same was not evident for SCS. However, both SSAs tweaked their social media outreach strategy in line with social distancing measures, publishing posts detailing activities that beneficiaries can participate from home such as healthy recipes and virtual events. SSAs can scale up their efforts to achieve a higher level of health promotion and support for their beneficiaries. Further qualitative studies are required to ascertain the impact of COVID-19 from the perspective of beneficiaries and validate the classification scheme which was developed in this study. The classification scheme could be used in ascertaining the quality of social media communication between public/private support groups and patients.

The politics of remembering and forgetting: Vietnamese refugees at Singapore’s Hawkins Road Transit Camp

This paper examines the genealogy of Vietnamese refugees based at a transit camp in Singapore between 1975 and 1996. Created by UNHCR with permission of the Singapore government, Hawkins Road Camp hosted Vietnamese refugees with confirmed destinations in their transit. The transit camp was found to be heterotopian, oscillating between the state’s economic pragmatism and humanitarianism. Its heterotopian traits can be traced to its varying (in)visibility throughout its operation from physical demolition to eventual cyber-presence. The heterotopian space of the camp is found to be constructed by two epistemes or politics of truth – the first functioning when the transit camp was in operation and the second operating when the camp was decommissioned and demolished. The first episteme created discursive practices which directed measures at reluctant acceptance and discreet (unpublicised) care of refugees. This is evident from the low media presence, obscure camp location and invisibility not being marked on key landuse maps at the time. The second episteme enacts discursive practices which shape the textual and tangible marginalisations and erasures of refugee presence and history. It is matched and resisted by online commemoration of the transit camp by a stakeholder community concerned with the histories of the transit camp. In doing so, we illuminate the omission of humanitarian ideals for discourses focused on extreme resource vulnerability and economic pragmatism by the Singapore state and provide a geographical critique of such refugee governance. We add to the current literature on the politics and landscapes of remembering and forgetting by examining the subject positions of peoples entwined in these power-relations and highlight the need to attend to the shifts in these subject positions. The shift from a transient unwanted population to one that has never existed has propelled physical and textual erasures of refugee presence.

Unexpected but Not Uncommon - a Case of Adrenal Insufficiency

Abstract Background: Herbal remedies are widely available and whilst portrayed as generally harmless, they may contain a variety of potent medications that can cause unintended and potentially serious consequences. This danger is further amplified as their use is typically inadvertently not divulged to clinicians, such as in this case. Clinical Case: A 65-year-old gentleman was referred to Endocrinology for assessment of adrenal insufficiency (AI) as a cause of his lethargy. He was found to have serum cortisol levels of 38 nmol/L and 68 nmol/L (150 – 700 nmol/L) on two separate mornings. No identified recent use of inhaled, topical, intra-articular or oral exogenous steroid therapy was noted. He had an inadequate response to Synacthen stimulation with peak serum cortisol of 150 pmol/L at 60-minutes (Adequate response – Post-Synacthen cortisol >430 pmol/L). Baseline plasma ACTH was low - 1.1 pmol/L(2.0 – 10 pmol/L) and secondary (pituitary) AI was suspected. He had normal thyroid function and prolactin. The patient subsequently admitted to taking an herbal medication, “Montalin” for a few months. It was obtained over-the-counter in Indonesia for symptomatic relief of “muscle pains”. The tablet underwent analysis to investigate for presence of corticosteroid components. An intact Montalin capsule was partly dissolved and the soluble content was diluted and analysed via LCMS/MS. Presence of dexamethasone/betamethasone was confirmed at an approximate concentration of 69.8 nmol/L constituting 0.548mg and 0.81% of the tablet. At the time, betamethasone and dexamethasone could not be distinguished due to stereoisomerism, but since has been confirmed to be dexamethasone. The patient likely had suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis from unintended exogenous corticosteroid use, causing a picture of secondary AI. He requires ongoing corticosteroid replacement pending recovery of endogenous production. Although Montalin is marketed as an herbal over-the-counter medication it was confirmed to be adulterated with a potent corticosteroid. An alert issued by the Singaporean government details two further cases of adverse effects from Montalin and warns against its use. Conclusion: Herbal remedies with undisclosed potent ingredients may unknowingly cause serious adverse effects. With advances in LCMS/MS technology, laboratory analysis of either the tablets or the patient’s serum could be utilised to identify potential exogenous corticosteroid exposure.

Procedural Justice in Online Deliberation: Theoretical Explanations and Empirical Findings

This article reviews extant conceptualizations of procedural justice and reports the results of an empirical study testing the effects of fair deliberation. From a communicative action perspective, we argue that Habermas’s conceptions of speech conditions and validity conditions can be used to evaluate the discursive and substantive dimensions of procedural justice in deliberation. That is, fair deliberation is built on the fulfillment of discourse norms and the communicativeness of dialogic interactions. The communicative measures are compatible with extant procedural justice measures and provide a communication-centered ground for evaluating deliberative outcomes related to procedural justice. The case study involves public discussion of the Singaporean government’s population policies on an online deliberative platform. The results show that when procedural justice is presented in the realization of both speech conditions and validity conditions, it fosters participants’ beliefs in the rightfulness of deliberative policymaking. Additionally, speech conditions play a more important role than validity conditions in predicting citizens’ specific policy support after online deliberation. The findings illustrate one instance of how communicative norms are prioritized in different deliberative settings and what deliberative benefits a fair procedure can achieve. The results shed light on the theorization of procedural justice and advance the extant knowledge of evaluating procedural justice in deliberation.

Language Ideologies, Chinese Identities and Imagined Futures

Abstract Since independence in 1965, the Singapore government has established a strongly mandated education policy with an English-first and official mother tongue Mandarin-second bilingualism. A majority of local-born Chinese have inclined toward a Western rather than Chinese identity, with some scholars regarding English as Singapore’s “new mother tongue.” Other research has found a more local identity built on Singlish, a localized form of English which adopts expressions from the ethnic mother tongues. However, a re-emergent China and new waves of mainland migrants over the past two decades seem to have strengthened Chinese language ideologies in the nation’s linguistic space. This article revisits the intriguing relationships between language and identity through a case study of Chineseness among young ethnic Chinese Singaporeans. Guided by a theory of identity and investment and founded on survey data, it investigates the Chinese language ideologies of university students and their agency in choosing for themselves a Chinese imagined identity and community. Our survey found that ethnic Chinese Singaporean university students still possess a strong affinity for Mandarin and a desire to develop this aspect of their identity, in the context of Singapore’s multiracial national identity. There exists a high propensity for imagined futures in Chineseness, with a majority of survey respondents who claimed English-speaking and bilingual identities also expressing the desire to become more bilingual and more Mandarin-speaking. This paper also deciphers the external and internal factors contributing to this development and suggests some areas of future research.

Rethinking the heteronormative foundations of kinship: the reification of the heterosexual nuclear family unit in Singapore’s COVID-19 circuit-breaker restrictions

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 global pandemic necessitated nationwide lockdowns in many countries and Singapore was no different, announcing an eight-week ‘circuit-breaker’ in the beginning of April 2020. When it ended, the Singaporean government announced that restrictions on physical interactions would be eased in three phases. In Phase 1, all physical interactions between households continued to be disallowed with exceptions made for visits to parents and grandparents so that families could provide mutual support to one another. This article argues the permissibility of certain interactions hierarchised social ties according to a heteronormative logic where heteronormative kinship structures were elevated above others – thus excluding multiple constituencies that either did not have access to these kinship structures or for whom they did not provide support. Reading this instantiation as part of a larger reification of the heterosexual nuclear family unit in Singapore, this article posits that the demonstrable inability of heteronormative kinship to fulfil everyone’s support needs signals the urgency of rethinking extant heteronormative foundations of kinship in Singapore. Queering kinship in this way extends the existing body of queer studies scholarship in Singapore which has largely focussed on the effects of heteronormativity on LGBT lives by demonstrating how heteronormativity shapes non-LGBT lives as well.

Nitrosodimethylamine Impurities in Metformin Drug Products

Metformin is a high-dose antidiabetic drug and most widely used first-line therapeutic agent for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Medicines regulatory agencies discovered contamination of genotoxic nitrosamine impurity in certain medications containing angiotensin receptor blocking (ARB) agents. This resulted in screening for nitrosamine impurities in a number of probable drug products. In November 2019, the Singapore government withdrew metformin drug products, due to the contamination of nitrosamine impurity, called nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA). The regulatory agencies from different geographies started investigation and subsequently, many products withdrew from the international market due to the presence of an unacceptable limit of NDMA in metformin tablets. Both pharmaceutical companies and regulatory agencies responded to mitigate this emerging issue. USV Private Limited (USV) has adopted a proactive quality risk management program to investigate the presence of genotoxic impurities in metformin products. The presence of NDMA impurities were tested in 425 batches of drug substances and drug products. Threshold toxicological concern (TTC) of all the batches was found to be ≤30 ng/day, when compared to the regulatory limit of 96 ng/day. Hence, USV metformin products are safe and can be continuously prescribed for the management of T2DM.

Risk aversion and urban land development options

AbstractThis study empirically tests the volatility effects on land development options using the Singapore's government land sales data from 1996 to 2018. We find that development land option premiums increase by 5% on average with one standard deviation increase in conditional volatility, which is consistent with the prediction of the standard real options model. However, the high volatility effects on development options are negative in an extremely high volatility state, and risk‐averse developers exercise development options earlier than that predicted by the risk‐neutral model. The reduction in real option premium in an extremely high volatility state is not explained by market competition and risk‐mitigating mechanism. The results reveal the real estate developers’ behavior change in different states of market volatility.

Pension reform and the solution of the housing problem: Singapore and Kazakhstan

This article discusses some theoretical conceptual aspects of the problem of Public Administration in Singapore. At different stages of its economic development, the Singapore government has faced various housing problems. In the 1960s, a comprehensive system of land and housing provision and financing was created to solve the problem of housing shortages. This article analyzes the main pillars of the reform of the pension and housing systems, in particular, identifies such issues as the rules for resolving pensions, providing the population with social housing, the importance and necessity of the Central Provident Fund Board in Singapore, the policy of ethnic integration and the rental scheme. In this article, the main policy changes presented were evaluated and recommendations for reforming the housing market were given. The long-term evolution of Singapore’s economy has been analyzed in comparison with the past, and we have tried, in addition to analyzing the current situation, to give forecasts and political recommendations for the future. In addition, in this article, we studied the practical value and significance of Singapore’s experience for Kazakhstan, comparing the main similarities and differences in pension and housing policy reform in Singapore and Kazakhstan. Key words: Singapore, Government, Public Administration, reform of pension and housing systems, social housing.

The influx of International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes into local education systems in Hong Kong, Singapore, and South Korea

ABSTRACT This comparative analysis aims to capture the complex roles and positionings of the International Baccalaureate (IB) in conjunction with local education systems in Hong Kong, Singapore, and South Korea. Our analysis focused on how the IB’s institutional legitimacy is presented in the three societies. We conducted a documentary analysis of texts on the introduction and implementation of IB programmes into local school systems. Our findings suggest that there are commonalities and variations in how the IB is interpreted by key local agents and is positioned into local education systems. Specifically, across the three societies, the IB has expanded continuously. At the same time, its institutionalisation process varies by each society’s socio-historical context and needs: substantive legitimacy as the international curriculum of choice in Hong Kong, a quiet supplement to elite education in Singapore, and instrumental curriculum borrowing for fixing the education system in Korea. We also find that the institutionalisation of the IB is limited at a symbolic level and controlled by the Singaporean government, while the IB is saliently promoted by local education authorities in the context of education reform in Korea. The institutionalisation process of the IB in Hong Kong is primarily swayed by market principles under the existing school choice system.

Reducing Non-Value-Adding BIM Implementation Activities for Building Projects in Singapore: Leading Causes

AbstractThe use of building information modeling (BIM) has been mandated by the Singapore government, but at the same time, non-value-adding (NVA) implementation practices are prevalent. However, l...

Good governance and COVID-19: The digital bureaucracy to response the pandemic (Singapore as a model).

Since 2019, countries in the world have been facing many economic, political, social, and health shocks and challenges that are not easily faced with the COVID‐19 pandemic, including Singapore. Under these conditions, the performance of the governance system in dealing with a pandemic is tested transparently in public. However, the implementation of good governance by the Singapore government itself is carried out by steps and decisions that will be taken and implemented through the digital bureaucracy to the community in order to suppress the positive number of COVID‐19. The application of good governance also needs support other crucial elements that improved by digital bureaucracy, which are transparency, accountability, efficiency and effective.