(Issue 1) Chapter 3: How can we work for the good of the society? Flashcards
1
Q
ideas shaping governance
A
- having capable leaders
- Anticipating change and staying relevant
- Providing a stake for everyone
- Meritocracy
2
Q
ISG: Having capable leaders
A
- good foresight, good understanding of SG’s future
- teamwork
- moral courage, integrity to do what is right and not what is popular with the people
- Eg. Mr Liu Thai Ker’s vision of Singapore as a distinctive global city for the arts has transformed the role of the Council and driven development of the arts in SG
-> the arts scene has grown in vibrancy, total art activities grew by more than 3x. - Ticketed attendances exceeded 1 million in 2004
- Many artists gain recognition and won awards at international art events.
3
Q
ISG: Anticipating change and staying relevant
A
- Eg. Tourism is an important component of Singapore’s economy.
- tourism sector faced competition because many other countries in Asia are aggressively developing their tourism industry.
- To stay relevant, Singapore government embarked on building Integrated Resorts
-> to stay ahead of the competition in tourism industry
-> to capture the growing tourist market
-> ensure sufficient jobs for Singaporeans
Eg. Took necessary precautions by providing counselling services
- and setting up the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) to conduct public education and outreach on problem gambling prevention
4
Q
ISG: providing a stake for everyone
A
- Eg. Through home ownership, the Public Housing Scheme (PHS) enables many to own their own homes. They will feel that they have a stake in Singapore’s future
- Eg. Giving Singaporeans a say in Our Singapore Conversation
-> Singaporeans given opportunities to share their views, hopes and dreams about Singapore
-> contributions are considered by various, relevant government organisations and are implemented if deemed to benefit society
5
Q
Meritocracy
A
- People rewarded based on their efforts rather than factors like race, religion, socio-economic status
- Eg. Students who perform well in studies and CCAs are rewarded in ways to help them excel further in their education
- Edusave Scholarship and Merit Bursary schemes reward the top 10% and 25% of school students respectively
6
Q
Role of government in working for the good of society
A
- Maintaining internal order and external security
- Ensuring peace
- Providing goods and services
- Safeguarding interest of citizens
7
Q
ROG: Maintaining internal order and external security 1
A
- Internal Order
- through agencies such as the police, prisons and civil defence forces
- Eg. The Singapore Police Force (SPF) is set with the core functions to protect Singaporeans from crime and all manner of criminal harm such as terrorism and public disorder.
- When riot broke out in Little India on 8 December 2013, the Special Operation Command (SOC) was activated.
-> suspected rioters were arrested and crowds dispersed - Maintaining internal order important for the good of the society because it ensures that Singapore will not be fragile through cracks in the society.
-> Peace is maintained in country -> important for economic development because disorder in the country will deter investors away
8
Q
ROG: Maintaining internal order and external security 2
A
- Maintaining external security
- External security ensured through effective deterrence through the army, navy and air force and establishing diplomatic ties with other countries.
- Eg. Singapore government introduced National Service (NS). All able-bodied male citizens were called up to serve full-time NS.
-> core function of the Army is to deter aggression, defending the security interest and sovereignty of Singapore
9
Q
ROG: Ensuring Peace
A
- Through judiciary, government ensures that the laws are applied correctly and independently to ensure that people have confidence in the law and will be applied fairly to all
- Eg. if the court concludes that an individual faces harm, it will grant the person a Personal Protection Order (PPO), where the individual will be protected by the justice system
-> ensuring justice is important for the good of the society because helps to maintain and order Singapore,
-> Important for citizens to feel that they will be save and treated fairly so that they will accept and have confidence in the system which ensures stability in the long-run
10
Q
ROG: providing goods and services
A
- Gov devotes significant resources to improving well-being of citizens.
-> so that citizens can enjoy benefits from the goods and services in the long-run - Eg. Transportation is a provision of service. In sg, the government has worked towards developing a people-centered public transport system with more connections and better services
-> all citizens have access to transportation and other public services, such as education and housing and a sense of belonging - because people’s basic welfare is taken care of
- provision of goods and services adds value to the lives of citizens, improving quality of life and give more motivation to work harder, achieving greater progress
10
Q
ROG: Safeguarding the interest of citizens
A
- Eg. introduction of Central Provident Fund (CPF) not only enables Singapore to finance their housing and healthcare needs but also provides a source of lifelong income in retirement
- 3 accounts in CPF, Ordinary Account allow citizens to enjoy affordable housing, Medisave account for healthcare needs, Special Account for retirement needs
- With life expectancy on the rise, gov realised that citizens need more retirement funding so CPF LIFE was introduced to provide Singaporeans with lifelong monthly payout in retirement
-> important for good of society because citizens will feel their needs and welfare looked into
-> develop sense of belonging
11
Q
Roles of citizens in working for the good of the society
A
- Contributing to the needs of the society
- Influencing government decisions
- Strengthening citizens’ sense of belonging
12
Q
Contributing to the needs of the society - individual participation
A
- can contribute by volunteering their time, effort and money towards meaningful social causes
- they feel that their actions will be helpful and they feel strongly for the cause that they are contributing towards
- Eg. “A Litter at a Time” programme was started by Ms Elisa Ng in 2013
-> to encourage citizens to pick up a piece of litter everyday
-> she hopes to inspire others to go the extra mile and be more environmentally conscious - individual participation is important because citizens can play their roles and their actions complement the actions of the government and groups
- there is only so much the government can do with their limited resources
- collective efforts of individuals help to ensure that special attention and care are given to those in need and our environment
13
Q
Contributing to the needs of the society - Organised groups
A
- Eg. a formal group is MINDS (movement for the intellectually disabled of Singapore)
- founded to provide equal opportunities for children with intellectual disabilities to receive education and to be integrated as contributing and responsible citizens in Singapore
-> MINDS cater to the long-term needs of the specific groups in the society and by doing so, they can complement the role of the government in working for the good of the society as the government generally provides general support across all organisations ] - More Singaporeans, in this case, the disabled community, can benefit from the support of the formal groups
- Eg. an informal group is SG Haze Rescue
- A Facebook page set up by Mr Jeremy Chua, asking people to donate excess masks almost immediately after seeing the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) rise to 321.
- the excess masks donated by people are intended to be distributed to those in need so that they will be able to manage the ill- effects of the haze
-> Thus, informal groups also cater to the needs of the specific groups in society and they complement the role of the government in working for the good of the society - such groups provide immediate support in the shortest time as they are usually only formed when specific events happen and resources can be gathered quickly
-> this allows for the needs of the society to be met more quickly, resulting in greater efficiency and contributing to a better living environment in Singapore
14
Q
Influencing government decisions - Individual
A
- Individual has an important role of influencing gov decision in policy making, and plans for SG
- Eg. in 2012, a national-level conversation, Our Singaporean Conversation where Singapore citizens can come together to share their views and ideas about what matters to Singapore as well as their hopes and dreams for Singapore.
- It took place over a year and involved more than 47000 Singaporeans from all walks of life.
- the national conversation formed the collage of the dream of every Singaporean which will make up the Singapore Dream
-> As a result of OSC, the government learnt about the aspirations of Singaporeans and SGreans also learnt about each other’s hopes and aspirations.
-> All these assisted the government in decision-making and future planning
-> responses and aspirations of citizens have helped to chart the future plan for Singapore.
- hence, individuals have the important role in influencing gov decisions as their responses enable the gov to make necessary changes and improve their policy and plans to meet the needs and aspirations of the people
