Issue 1 : Governance and a Citizenship

Do you think participation has a more important role to play than national identity in shaping citizenship in
Singapore? Explain your answer

National Identity Comes from shared belief Creates fond memories, a sense of pride
and affection towards the country, creates
E.g. Common practices (singing the national anthem, bond — citizens are more willing to care for
taking the pledge) each other and improve the society

Participation People contributing towards the good of society either
as individuals or through organised groups People do
things in the areas they are passionate about
E.g giving feedback to the government about public
affairs
Participation provides opportunities for
people to make a difference and make
positive impact on society. This makes
people feel proud and creates a sense of
belonging towards the society

Legal Status Specifies the rights of citizens/entitled to certain rights Protects wellbeing of citizens who in turn
will be encouraged to behave responsibly,
E.g voting/housing/education following the rules and laws of the country
and contribute towards the progress of the
country
Chapter 1 : Challenges faced by the Government
Do you think managing differing priorities has or managing unequal sharing of cost is a more significant challenge
for the Singapore government? Explain your answer
Differing Priorities Different groups of people have different priorities
depending on their stages in life
E.g. parents of students would want the government
to spend more on education. On the other hand, the
elderly would want more resources to be spent on
healthcare
Differing needs and Due to the diversity of the population, each
interests stakeholders in society has differing needs
E.g middle class people without their own mode of
transport will need an efficient public transport while
those who own private vehicles will be more
interested in petrol prices, parking, efficient road
network
Therefore, it is a challenge for the
government because they have limited
resources and they cannot allocate equal
resources for every sectors. Thus might
make one section unhappy. The
government has no choice but weigh the
trade offs and what is better for society at
that time
Therefore, it is a challenge for the
government because they have limited
resources and they cannot cater to the
needs of all at the same time. Some people
might be unhappy but the government
need to prioritise to meet common needs of
the people.
Unequal Sharing of When a decision is made, some individuals or groups Therefore, it is a challenge for the
Cost will bear greater costs than others while society will government because some citizens may end
generally benefit, there will be segments of up unhappy but if the government
population who will be negatively affected compromise, Singapore can better progress
and move forward
E.g it is necessary to build expressway for smooth
traffic flow. While this will benefit society, residents
living near the expressway may be affected by the
noise, dust snd inconvenience generated from its
contruction

Chapter 2 : Ideas shaping Governance

Do you think good leadership is more important than practising meritocracy in shaping governance in Singapore?
Explain your answer

Or

Do you think providing a stake for everyone is more important than being able to anticipate change and stay
relevant in ensuring effective governance in Singapore? Explain your answer
Good leadership Good leaders must be honest and capable and must
have the moral courage to decide what is right, rather
than what is popular
E.g. even if ERP(electronic road pricing) is an unpopular
policy, the leaders still went head with the decision to
enact the policy to reduce traffic congestion as people
are discouraged from driving private cars in city areas
This principle helps to ensure success
for Singapore because it allows
Singapore to be led by people who can
make the right decision for Singapore to
prevent it from succumbing to
challenges

Anticipating Change The government has the ability to predict future
& Staying Relevant challenges/changes and seek solutions to deal with
them
E.g Introduction of PLDs in eduction institutions, this is
done in anticipation that students might have to attend
lessons from home for any national emergency
This helps to ensure success for
Singapore because the principle allows
government to make decisions that help
the country to be prepared for any
future challenges. This helps Singapore
to work towards long-term
development

Practicing Meritocracy The government rewards people’s hard work and talents This helps to ensure success fro
regardless of their race, gender, and socioeconomic Singapore because people will be
status motivated to work harder and
contribute towards the country. Such
E.g Edusave scholarship and Bursary Award meritocratic approach would also
creates fairness as no groups are
discriminated
Providing a stake The government provides opportunities for
for everyone Singaporeans to share their views about policies and
decision-making
E.g citizens can give online feedbacks on social issues
and government policies via REACH.sg or social media
platforms
This ensure success for Singapore
because when people are given a say in
the decision-making, they will feel that
they are valued members of the country
and that they have a stake in
Singapore’s future. This will make them
more willing to be involved in

Chapter 2 : Role of Government

Is maintaining internal order and external security more important than providing good and services to meet the
needs of Singaporeans? Explain your answer

Or

Does ensuring justice play a more significant role than safeguarding people’s interest in ensuring the wellbeing of its
citizens? Explain your answer
Maintaining Internal Order:
internal order & SPF(Singapore Police Force)/CNB(Central Narcotics
external security Bureau)/SCDF(Singapore Civil Defence Force)
External Security:
Diplomacy (establishing friendly relationship with other
countries e.g ASEAN)
Ensuring Justice The judiciary interprets and applies the laws to protect
Singaporeans from crimes
E.g The Family Justice Courts provide guidelines on
what is defined as domestic violence
Providing goods and The government provides goods and services essential
services to cater to the basic needs of the people at an
affordable prices
E.g Transport — continuously upgrading the public
transport network such as building more MRT stations,
introducing more buses for different routes
Safeguarding people’s E.g Work Right Initiative to protect the minorities from
interests getting discriminated at the workplace
It creates a safe environment in the
country and also prevents Singapore
from external threats. People
developing a sense of security making
their every life peaceful. This helps them
to focus on contributing towards the
country without feel unsafe
This helps Singaporeans as they feel
protected under the law. This makes
them more confident and secured as
they are protected justly
This is important because when people
feel that their needs are taken care of by
the government, they will develop a
sense of belonging and be more
supportive of the government and more
willing to contribute to the progress of
the country
Chapter 3 : Roles of Citizens

Do you think that individuals play a greater role than NGOs working for the good of society? Explain your answer

Individuals Volunteering

Provide feedbacks

NGOs (organised
groups)

Do you think that formal groups (NGOs) are more effective than informal groups in making contributions that benefit
the society? Explain your answer

Do you think that the government plays a more important role than citizens in working for the good of our country?