Abstract
Singapore’s economic achievements have been widely applauded as a model worthy of emulation, particularly by authoritarian and rapidly industrialising economies. Yet, the city-state retains the dubious distinction of being one of the most inequitable countries in the world—in income inequality terms. Singapore is the only developed economy where workers are not entitled to a minimum wage or compulsory retrenchment benefits. However, following the 2011 electoral backlash against the long-serving People’s Action Party (PAP) government, numerous social policy reforms were introduced. But have these social policy reforms been effective in qualitatively addressing income and socio-economic inequality? To address this question, the chapter examines the relationship between the political and social policy dynamics underpinning Singapore’s authoritarian developmental state. The social policy orientation of Singapore’s developmental state is also analysed in relation to other authoritarian and democratic developmental states in East Asia. This comparative approach provides us with the conceptual lens to better understand social policy reforms within the context of an electoral authoritarian developmental state subjected to the electoral and political pressures associated with the forces of economic globalisation.
We the citizens of Singapore, pledge ourselves as one united people regardless of race, language or religion, to build a democratic society based on justice and equality so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation
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- 1.
Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) Post-Election Conference 2015, ‘Explaining the GE 2015 outcomes: Insights from the perceptions of governance survey’, Delivered by Tan Ern Ser, Orchard Hotel, 4 November, 2015, pp. 13–16.
- 2.
Editorial, ‘Cleaning up a low-wage sector’, The Straits Times, December 19, 2016.
- 3.
‘Experts Suggest Bigger Payouts, Enhanced Coverage for Eldershield, Channel News Asia, 31 January, 2018.
- 4.
The Sunday Times (30 August, 2015) PAP not taking vote of pioneer generation for granted.
- 5.
- 6.
Joint submission of COSINGO (Coalition of Singapore NGOs) to the UN Human Rights Council, Universal Periodic Review (UPC), Singapore, 2015, p. 9.
- 7.
Denise Phua has called for the termination of the early streaming system and schools made up largely of ‘gifted’ students and in favour of “a school system that is microcosm of society”. She advocates for greater government social assistance and lower ministerial pay. See The Straits Times (25 January, 2014). She wants to end segregation in schools.
- 8.
During the 2015 election, SDP candidate Paul Tambyah pronounced at the SDP rally at Fullerton Square that an opposition fantasy is that DPM Tharman leave the PAP for an opposition party, igniting a political game changer.
- 9.
Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Interview with Jee van Vasagar, Financial Times, 17 October, 2016. Reprinted in The Sunday Times, ‘Democracy is Not a Bad System, But We’ve Got to Focus on Quality’, 13 November, 2016.
- 10.
Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Interview with Jee van Vasagar, Financial Times, 17 October, 2016. Reprinted in The Sunday Times, ‘Democracy is Not a Bad System, But We’ve Got to Focus on Quality’, 13 November, 2016.
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Rahim, L.Z., Yeoh, L.K. (2019). Social Policy Reform and Rigidity in Singapore’s Authoritarian Developmental State. In: Rahim, L.Z., Barr, M.D. (eds) The Limits of Authoritarian Governance in Singapore’s Developmental State. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-1556-5_5
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