Chapter 3 (Role of government in working for the good of society)

Question 1

Maintaining internal order and external security
(Define and Describe)

Answer 1

• In maintaining internal order, agencies such as the police, prisons and civil defence forces protect citizens, property and whatever society believes should be protected
• Social services such as schools and hospitals can exist with the peace and safety that the government provides
• To ensure external security of Singapore, the government engages agencies such as the army, navy and air force
• Through the collaboration between these agencies, Singapore’s defence is strengthened and potential enemies are deterred from attacking Singapore

Question 2

Maintaining internal order and external security
(Named example)

Answer 2

• Singapore Police Force (SPF)
• SPF’s core function is to protect the people who live in Singapore from crime and all manner of criminal harm
• Crime in SPF’s context includes terrorism and public disorder
• External security, Singapore army
• The core function of the Singapore Army is to deter aggression, and should deterrence fail, to secure a swift and decisive victory
• The Singapore Army is to be ready and capable of conducting a spectrum of operations to defend the security interests and sovereignty of Singapore

Question 3

Ensuring justice (Define and Describe)

Answer 3

With the presence of the Judiciary, Singaporeans will have confidence that the courts will judge people fairly

Question 4

Ensuring justice (Named example)

Answer 4

• The Judiciary provides the relevant information and takes action to protect Singaporeans in the event of family violence
• The Family Justice Courts provide guidelines on what is defined as family violence, who can apply for Personal Protection Order, how to apply, and the actions that can be taken by the courts

Question 5

Contributing to the needs of society
(Define and Describe)

Answer 5

• It is an important role played by citizens to improve and sustain the general well-being of a society
• Citizens can contribute in areas they’re passionate and concerned about
• As a result, there is a greater sense of ownership and commitment towards these causes
• This leads to long term involvement which would ensure sustainable benefits to society

Question 6

Contributing to the needs of society
(Named Example)

Answer 6

• “A litter at a time”
• A campaign started by Ms Elisa Ng in 2013 to encourage people to pick up just a piece of litter a day
• Since then, Ms Elisa Ng and her sons will go on regular clean-up exercises
• She created this campaign to encourage citizens to go the extra mile and pick up a piece of litter a day

Question 7

Influencing government decisions
(Define and Describe)

Answer 7

• Feedback and suggestions from Singaporeans can influence the decisions made and plans for Singapore
• In instances when there are proposals or draft plans, citizens feedback and suggestions may enable necessary changes and improvements to be made

Question 8

Influencing government decisions
(Named Example)

Answer 8

• “Our Singapore Conversations” (OSC)
• An exercise that enabled conversations amongst citizens and between citizens and the government
• The OSC took place over one year and involved more than 47000 Singaporeans from all walks of life
• The OSC was also conducted through social media channels where some Singaporeans participated through their Facebook page

Question 9

Strengthening citizens’ sense of belonging
(Define and Describe)

Answer 9

• By being involved in the sharing and discussions of views related to the future of Singapore, citizens can develop a stronger sense of attachment towards Singapore
• Social media such as Facebook and Instagram has become a powerful platform for citizens to engage with government and political leaders to clarify or provide feedback on national issues and policies

Question 10

Providing citizens’ sense of belonging
(Named Example)

Answer 10

• Singaporeans can also engage with the government and provide their feedback through other channels
• One such channel is REACH (Reaching Everyone for Active Citizenry @ Home)
• REACH is also accessible via Facebook where it provides information to the public and allows for feedback for them