Social Studies Revision Resource – Governance in Singapore
Factors: Guiding Principles of Governance (Which is most important?)
 Leadership is Key
 Anticipate Change and Stay Relevant
 Reward for Work and Work for Reward
 A Stake for Everyone, Opportunities for All
Leadership is Key


Having honest and capable leaders will ensure that someone is making the right
decisions for the country. Good leaders will do what is right and not just what is
popular with the people thus ensuring peace and stability in the country. With peace
and stability, Singapore can work towards maintaining a competitive edge over other
countries.
For example, the arts scene in Singapore made progress more vibrant arts scene.
Thus, leadership is all important if Singapore is to continue to prosper and face up to
the challenges that might come its way. Good leaders will inspire the people and
thus be able to carry the people with them when decisions (even tough and less
popular ones) are made for the good of the country.
Anticipate Change and Stay Relevant

The Government has to be forward-looking in order to cope with future challenges.
For example, the Government decided to build new integrated resorts so that
Singapore's tourist industry would not be at a disadvantage compared to other
countries. At the same time, the Government, in order to cope with the challenge of
ensuring self-sufficiency in Singapore’s water supply when Singapore’s water
agreements with Malaysia end, has started to produce alternative water supplies like
NEWater and desalinated water. Singaporeans are encouraged to anticipate change
and stay relevant by upgrading their knowledge and skills so as to contribute
effectively to the nation’s economy.
Reward for Work and Work for Reward


‘Reward for Work and Work for Reward’ is an important principle of governance
because when people are rewarded based on their abilities and hard work, they are
encouraged to do well. When Singaporeans are motivated and rewarded for their
hard work and contributions, they would be more willing to work hard to ensure that
Singapore’s competitiveness is maintained and surpasses that of other countries.
Thus, for example, hardworking students who excel in their studies and co-curricular
activities receive rewards in the form of Edusave Scholarships and Merit Bursaries.
All Singaporeans also received a share of the surplus from Singapore’s growth
through the Progress Package. Thus, this principle encourages people to continue to
work hard to help Singapore develop and stay ahead of the competition.
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Upper Secondary Social Studies Resource
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A Stake for Everyone, Opportunities for All


‘A Stake for Everyone, Opportunities for All’ is an important principle of governance
because it allows Singaporeans to develop a sense of belonging towards Singapore
when they participate in the decision-making process of the country. With a sense of
belonging, Singaporeans will be more inclined to work hard for the benefit of
Singapore.
For example, the government consulted the public on the issue of having casinos as
part of the IRs. Thus, by allowing the people more opportunities to participate in
important decision-making, a stronger bond is built between the people and the
country. This will help to keep the people actively involved with the government and
supportive of the decisions made by the government.
Analysis of Importance of Principles of Good Governance
Leadership is Key
The most important
principle because all
the other principles of
good governance are
dependent on
‘Leadership is Key’
because if you do not
have the right leaders,
with the right values
then none of the other
outcomes of good
governance like
meritocracy or being
forward-looking would
happen.
Anticipate Change
and Stay Relevant
Important because
leaders need to be
forward-looking in order
to anticipate the
challenges that
Singapore might face in
the future and stay
relevant so that
Singapore can retain its
competitive edge over
other countries.
Reward for Work and
Work for Reward
Important because the
government also needs
its citizens’ contribution
to help Singapore
retain its competitive
edge over other
countries. With a
motivated work force
that will work for
Singapore and a
government which
recognizes the hard
work of the people and
rewards them,
Singapore will retain
competitiveness.
A Stake for Everyone,
Opportunities for All
Important because
when Singaporeans
have a say in decisionmaking, they develop a
sense of belonging
towards the country ad
would be more
motivated to work for
the benefit of the
country and help it
retain its
competitiveness over
other countries.
Social Studies Revision Resource – Governance in Singapore
Factors: Understanding Governance (Traffic Flow)
 Area Licensing Scheme
 Electronic Road Pricing
 Park-and-Ride Scheme
 Vehicle Quota System
Area Licensing Scheme
A way to control traffic flow was the Area Licensing Scheme. This was a forerunner of
ERP. Motorists had to buy a special license which enabled them to drive into restricted
zones in the CBD. The extra cost of the license meant that many drivers were
discouraged from driving into the city area thus resulting in fewer vehicles entering the
CBD. As a result, traffic flower was smoother as less vehicles entered the CBD.
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Upper Secondary Social Studies Resource
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Electronic Road Pricing
Electronic Road Pricing was introduced when technology was more efficient. Similar to
the Area Licensing Scheme, motorists had to pay a fee during peak hours to enter roads
that are prone to congestion. As some motorists were unwilling to pay the fee to enter
these roads, traffic flow was smoother during peak hours as motorists used other roads
or avoided the ERP gantries during the peak hours.
Park-and-Ride Scheme
The Park and Ride scheme was intended to help control traffic flow into the CBD. The
idea was that motorists would park at specific car parks outside the city and then use
public transport. This would mean fewer vehicles entering the city area.
Vehicle Quota Scheme
The Vehicle Quota Scheme helped to control the traffic flow by determining the number
of new motor vehicles allowed for registration by implementing the Certificate of
Entitlement (COE) system. Under the COE system, a specific number of new cars are
issued based on the quota set by the LTA. This limits the number of cars which can be
purchased. This means that fewer cards will be allowed on the road and traffic flow will
be controlled.
Analysis of Measures to Control Traffic Flow (Limit of Success)
Area Licensing
Scheme
Effective in managing
traffic flow in the CBD
area. Many people
supported the ALS as
there was smoother
traffic flow in the city.
However, the ALS
was inconvenient and
labour intensive.
Electronic Road
Pricing
Effective in managing
traffic flow as
motorists were
discouraged by
having to pay a fee to
use certain roads.
However, flow is only
controlled on certain
roads which have
ERP gantries.
Park-and-Ride
Scheme
Not successful as
many parking sites
were not used.
Motorists also chose
to travel earlier or
later to avoid the ALS
operation time.
Vehicle Quota
System
Most successful as
the VQS actually
reduced the number
of cars that could be
on the roads, leading
to better traffic flow.
Social Studies Revision Resource – Governance in Singapore
Family Planning Measures 1966 to 1981

A series of three 5-year plans were implemented from 1966 to 1981 to control
population growth.

The first plan emphasised the need for smaller families and aimed to encourage
couples to change their mindset and accept that having smaller families was more
beneficial than giving birth to so many children.

The second plan encouraged married couples to stop at two children. Once couples’
mindsets were tuned to having smaller families, the aim of the second plan was to
get them to accept the idea of having two children, regardless of gender.

The third plan aimed to maintain the replacement rate level at 2.1 children so as to
keep population figures in check.
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Upper Secondary Social Studies Resource
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
At the same time, the government also encouraged contraceptive use and legalised
abortion. Punitive measures were also rolled out to discourage couples from having
more than two children. No paid maternity leave was given for the third and
subsequent children. No priority was to be given to large families in the allocation of
government flats. No income tax relief was to be given for the fourth and subsequent
children while delivery charges in hospitals were increased with each additional child.
Why was there a Need to Promote Population Growth from the 1980s?
Factors: Why was there a Need to Promote Population Growth from the 1980s?
 Declining Birth Rate from the 1980s
 Unattractive to Multinational Companies
 Ageing Population
 Defence
Declining Birth Rate from the 1980s
 By 1980, the fertility rate hit 1.82 children per woman due to the success of the
government’s family planning measures. At the same time, over the years, women
became more educated and pursued their careers. Attitudes also changed over the
time and couples also preferred to pursue their careers instead, marrying later and
choosing to either give birth to one child or not have any children. As a result, less
children were born and Singapore’s birth rate declined.
At the same time, more jobs were created in the industries and a larger workforce
was needed to sustain Singapore’s development. Manpower was also needed for
national defence. With Singapore’s declining birth rate, Singapore’s development
and defence needs would not be met, making it vulnerable to external challenges. It
was therefore important for the government to promote population growth from the
1980s onwards.
Unattractive to Multinational Companies
 With a small population, Singapore would not be able to produce enough talented
people to sustain its economic development, making it unattractive to foreign
investors and Multinational Corporations (MNCs). As it would be difficult and
expensive to recruit local Singaporeans as compared to larger and cheaper labour
markets in other countries, Singapore would not be able to sustain its economic
development. Furthermore, it’s small population size makes Singapore a small
consumer market. It was therefore important for the government to promote
population growth from the 1980s onwards.
Ageing Population
 Furthermore, with fewer babies being born, there would be fewer young people in the
population. The number of older people would be proportionately larger, which
means that Singapore would face an ageing population in the future. The smaller
younger population would be burdened financially and more resources would be
needed to take care of the increasing number of senior citizens, putting a strain on
the country’s economic resources and reducing Singapore’s competitiveness. It was
therefore important for the government to promote population growth from the 1980s
onwards.
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Upper Secondary Social Studies Resource
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Defence
 With a declining birth rate, there would be fewer young men to recruit for National
Service. This would weaken Singapore’s defence force and make Singapore
vulnerable to external threats and reduce its defence capabilities. It was therefore
important for the government to promote population growth from the 1980s onwards.
Factors: How did the Government Promote Population Growth after the 1980s?
 The Graduate Mothers Scheme
 Three or More If You Can Afford It
 Other Pro-Family Measures
 Attracting Foreign Talent
The Graduate Mothers Scheme
 The Graduate Mothers Scheme was introduced in 1984 to encourage marriage and
having children among graduates as it was felt that the education level of the parents
would have a direct impact on the performance of their children in schools.
 However, the scheme was unpopular as less educated people felt that they were
discriminated against and would be left out under the policy. The scheme was
withdrawn after a year.
Three or More If You Can Afford It
 The government began to reverse the earlier policy against larger families and
parents were encouraged to have three children or more if they could afford it.
 To help relieve the financial burden of having children, the government introduced
measures such as allowing the use of Medisave to pay for the delivery charges of
the first three children.
 However, these methods are not very successful as the number of children born per
woman continued to decrease. Many newly married couples continued to have only
one or two children and a sizeable number of Singaporeans either married late and
had no children or chose to remain single.
Other Pro-Family Measures
 To address the concerns of the high cost of raising children and the lack of suitable
childcare arrangements, the government introduced equalised medical benefits
where mothers could also claim medical benefits for their children. A 5-day work
week for the Civil Service was also implemented to allow for better work-life balance.
An income tax relief of $3,000 (Grandparent Caregiver Relief) was given if a
grandparent is helping the couple take care of their child. Maternity leave was also
extended from eight weeks to twelve weeks.
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Attracting Foreign Talent
 In order to enhance its competitiveness while awaiting for pro-family measures to
show positive results, the government began to attract foreign talent. Foreign talent
would not only boost the quality of manpower in Singapore, but it would also create
more jobs and increase productivity.
 In 1989, the immigration policy was relaxed to attract foreign talent with skills that
Singapore needed. Easier entry into Singapore, subsidised housing and an attractive
education package for children were offered to foreign talent willing to work in
Singapore. The government also hoped that these foreigners would develop an
attachment to Singapore and take up permanent residence or citizenship.
 This benefits Singapore as Singapore society becomes more cosmopolitan and
Singapore’s culture is further enriched.
Analysis of Measures to Promote Population Growth after the 1980s
The Graduate
Mothers Scheme
Was not successful as
less educated people
felt discriminated
against and felt that
they would be left out
under the policy.
Furthermore, the
policy was scrapped
after one year.
Three or More If You
Can Afford It
Not very successful as
the number of children
born per woman
continued to
decrease. Many newly
married couples
continued to have only
one or two children
and a sizeable
number of
Singaporeans either
married late and had
no children or chose
to remain single.
Other Pro-Family
Measures
Not very successful as
the number of children
born per woman
continued to
decrease. Many newly
married couples
continued to have only
one or two children
and a sizeable
number of
Singaporeans either
married late and had
no children or chose
to remain single.
Attracting Foreign
Talent
More successful as
foreigners and their
families add on to the
population numbers of
Singapore.
Preparing for an Ageing Population
Factors: Impact of an Ageing Population
 Economic Impact
 Social Impact
Economic Impact
 With an ageing population, there will be fewer young people in the population to
maintain the workforce. Singapore’s workforce will thus become increasingly older
and in time to come many will retire. This will result in a less competitive workforce
which may not be attractive to investors keen to invest in Singapore. The economy
will also be affected in terms of active economic contribution as the retirees are no
longer contributing to income tax and CPF. There will be a resulting strain on the
young to maintain the ageing population.
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Social Impact
 The number of older people will be proportionately larger. This means that the
country will have to allocate more budget to social services to maintain the ageing
population who will need more healthcare facilities. More resources like day care
centres, old folks home, community hospitals and even housing facilities like studio
apartments and lifts on every level have to be built to cater to the needs of the
elderly. This will certainly increase the burden of the government who will need to
reserve a large proportion of the country’s budget to maintain the ageing population.
 Furthermore, with less young people, there will be smaller security forces and
Singapore’s defence force will be weakened, making it vulnerable.
Factors: Meeting the Challenges of an Ageing Population
 Senior Citizens as Assets to Society
 ‘Many Helping Hands’ Approach
o Individual Responsibility
o Family Support
o Community Help
o Government Support
Senior Citizens as Assets to Society
 To ensure that senior citizens remain contributing members to society, opportunities
are given to senior citizens to add value to public and private organisations and help
boost family life by contributing their valuable skills, knowledge, talent and work
experience.
‘Many Helping Hands’ Approach – Individual Responsibility
 The individual also plays an essential role in ensuring that he ages gracefully through
early lifelong planning. The individual is encouraged to maintain a healthy lifestyle by
maintaining a balanced diet and exercising regularly. He should also go for regular
medical checkups to ensure that illnesses, if any, can be diagnosed early for
treatment.
 All Singaporeans are also encouraged to plan early and be financially prepared for
life in their old age. By attending talks and reading relevant materials on financial
planning, individuals can learn about financial planning to ensure they can be selfsufficient and independent in their old age.
‘Many Helping Hands’ Approach – Family Support
 Family support also plays a part because strong and stable families bring about
social stability and harmony. The family is also the main source of emotional, social
and financial support for the elderly individual.
 The government has introduced measures like ‘Senior Citizens’ Week’ where the
elderly are encouraged to stay active in the family and community. It also promotes a
positive attitude towards ageing and the aged as it reminds everyone of their roles in
creating an environment that is socially conducive. Grandparents’ Day is also
celebrated to bring families together to show their appreciation for the elderly.
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‘Many Helping Hands’ Approach – Community Support
 The community is also important in enhancing the well-being of senior citizens by
giving them social and emotional support and providing healthcare and social
services.
 The government provides subsidies to voluntary welfare organisations that run
community-based services for senior citizens. Community members are roped in to
look after the needs of senior citizens.
 Some community organisations also offer free health checks and organise
recreational activities for senior citizens to help them remain physically, mentally and
socially active.
‘Many Helping Hands’ Approach – Government Support
 The government certainly plays an important role in preparing for an ageing
population because it is the only authority that can pass laws to ensure the ageing
population is self-sufficient and cared for by the family.
 To encourage the young to take care of the aged taxpayers can claim an income tax
deduction for taking care of elderly parents and grandparents. First-time buyers of
governments can get a housing grant if they buy a flat in the area where their parents
live. The government also ensures the individuals have some money for their old age
by making each contribute to compulsory savings in their CPF accounts when they
start working. This will reduce the burden of the government in its budget to care for
the aged so that more can be spent on other areas like defence and education.
Analysis of Measure to Meet the Challenges of an Ageing Population
Senior Citizens
as Assets to
Society
Important
because it creates
a positive image
of senior citizens
so as to
encourage
Singaporeans to
adopt a more
positive attitude
towards ageing
and the elderly.
Individual
Responsibility
Family Support
Important
because when the
individuals
respond to the
government’s
campaign of living
a healthy lifestyle,
they can help to
save the
government a lot
of money which
would otherwise
have to be spent
on social services
to take care of the
ageing population.
Important
because the
family can provide
individuals with
emotional, social
and financial
support.
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Community
Support
Important
because the
community
supplements the
family support by
offering
individuals who
have no families
emotional and
social support.
Government
Support
Most important
because the
government
engineers the
necessary
programmes
necessary for all
the measures to
meet the
challenges of an
ageing population.
The government
also contributes
the necessary
financial support
needed to help
individuals,
families and the
community meet
the challenges of
an ageing
population.