1. Governance in Singapore
Chapter 2

2. Governance in Singapore
SIOs: At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:
Understand the government structure of Singapore.
Explain the functions of Singapore government.
Explain the guiding principles of Singapore government.
Explain how good governance can be continued into the future.

3. Governance in Singapore
The Structure of Singapore Government

4. Governance in Singapore
What is the system of government in Singapore?
Parliamentary democracy
Model after Westminster government system
Government chosen by the people in an election
Held once in every 5 years
Candidate with the majority votes will be elected into the parliament
The leader of the political party with the most number of elected members of parliament will become the Prime Minister
PM will select from elected MPs to form the cabinet

5. Governance in Singapore
The functions / role of government
Managing resources of a country
Meet the needs of the country
Perform specific functions
Involving people

6. Governance in Singapore
The functions of the government:
The government decides on POLICIES
to overcome CONSTRAINTS & VULNERABILITIES
So as to achieve
PEACE & PROSPERITY

7. Governance in Singapore
Definition: GOVERNANCE
The way a government manages resources of a country so as to achieve economic and social development.
What are the ways to ensure good governance? The 4 ‘A’s
Ability to make sound policies
Ability to implement policies effectively
Ability to deliver promises
Ability to gain citizens’ support

8. Governance in Singapore
What are the guiding principles of governance in Singapore? LARA
Leadership is Key
Anticipate Change and Stay Relevant
Reward for Work and Work for Reward
A Stake for Everyone, Opportunities for All

9. Governance in Singapore
Leadership is Key
Leaders to do what is right rather than what is popular = PRAGMATISM
If government does only what is popular (what people want), they may not have the resources to deal with all the constraints and vulnerabilities
Pragmatism requires courage as it is doing what majority of the people wouldn’t like  becoming less popular
e.g. Electronic Road Pricing (ERP)
Pay-as-you-use scheme
Greater equity for motorists
Honesty is also equally important
Make fair distribution of the resources needed for the country to progress
CPIB = Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau

10. Singaporeans’ views on ERP from a forum.

11. Leadership is Key Ways to manage traffic flow in Singapore
Land Shortage constraint
Singapore cannot have too many vehicles on the road
Will lead to traffic jams  leads to loss of man hours  lowering of profits for investors  Singapore becoming less popular for foreign investors
Frequent road jams will mean that the transport flow of goods will not be smooth. It’ll take the producers/investors longer period of time to see profit returns  source for countries where traffic is smooth
Methods:
Area Licensing Scheme (ALS) – 1975
Electronic Road Pricing – 1998
Vehicle Quota System - Certificate of Entitlement (COE)
Park and Ride Scheme

12. `
Area Licensing Scheme

13. Structured-Essay Question (SEQ)
‘The Vehicle Quota System (VQS) is the most important measure in keeping traffic flow smooth in Singapore’. How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer. [12m]

14. Governance in Singapore
Choy Hon Tim : the largest total bribe amount in CPIB's history Choy Hon Tim, the former Director of the Electricity Department as well as the Deputy Chief Executive (Operations) of the Public Utilities Board (PUB) may not be the most senior public officer investigated by the Bureau, but his case involved the largest amount of bribes uncovered. He was investigated in 1995 following allegations that he had received kickbacks in return for awarding contracts to suppliers and contractors of PUB when he was a Chief Electrical Engineer of PUB. Choy was subsequently charged for obtaining gratifications totalling $13.85 million. He was convicted and sentenced to 14 years' jail term and the $13.85 million bribe obtained by him was forfeited to the State.

15. Governance in Singapore
Anticipate change and Stay Relevant
Forward-looking
Be able to foresee the developments in the future based on current trends and developments
Take active steps/measures to cope with future developments
E.g. NEWater
Government prepares for alternative sources of water in anticipation of the expiration of our water contracts with Malaysia in 2011 & 2061.
Increases our level of self-reliance and lowers dependence on other countries.
Government prepares our people psychologically to accept the NEWater
Aware of the skepticism of Singaporeans over the quality of it
E.g. Desalination Plants
Too costly

16. Q: Why does the reporter write about the NEWater in this way
Q: Why does the reporter write about the NEWater in this way? Explain your answer
Q: Can you believe the source in what it says about NEWater? Explain your answer.

17. Governance in Singapore
Reward for Work and Work for Reward
Meritocracy for the best use of talent
Stress on self-reliance and not welfare
A system which encourage people to work hard as they will be given recognition and rewards
Promotion based on hard work in civil service
Edusave award given based on good academic results
A fair system that is based on equality
Everyone has an equal chance to succeed.
Progress Package in Singapore / Economic Restructuring Shares (ERS)
In this way, the people know that success is highly dependent on their own effort and the government is fair to all. Hence, everyone will strive to work hard which will lead to improved productivity for the country

18. Governance in Singapore
A Stake for Everyone, Opportunities for All
Giving everyone a role to play in the society – decision-making e.g. Building of Integrated Resorts
Giving opportunities for all to realise full potential
This is achieved through:
Making Singapore a global city and a choice home
Promote collective responsibility
Beyond physical stakes
Preserve core values and identity
The citizens will feel a sense of responsibility that they have to contribute due to collective responsibility