The changing relationship between the state and the voluntary philanthropic sector: special reference to Singapore

There has been a significant proliferation of voluntary philanthropic organizations to deliver basic services in the current context of anti-welfare neoliberal policies pursued by the state. While there are numerous studies and publications on these voluntary organizations, the nature of their relationship with the state remains relatively under-researched. This article attempts to explore this issue in the case Singapore where, in the absence of an active welfare state, the voluntary philanthropic organizations—especially the Voluntary Welfare Organizations (VWOs)—have played a crucial role in serving citizens’ welfare needs. In evaluating the nature and determinants of this state-VWO relationship, the article examines some relevant theoretical models and applies them to the Singapore case.     

The threat of autocracy diffusion in consolidated democracies? The case of China,Singapore and Australia

The majority of today’s authoritarian regimes have little hope of promoting autocracy beyond their own borders, let alone to consolidated democratic countries. However, China and Singapore are two prominent examples of non-democratic countries whose soft power arsenals have given them some global appeal beyond that enjoyed by most authoritarian regimes. But to what extent has China’s and Singapore’s power of example influenced consolidated democracies in terms that the latter wanting to replicate some political practices or even norms in these non-democratic regimes? In this article, we engage recent works to examine this question in relation to how Australians perceive the political example offered by China and Singapore. Focusing our analysis on several prominent polls conducted recently by the Lowy Institute for International Policy, we suggest that at present there is little evidence of a causal impact of the rise of authoritarian powerhouses such as China and Singapore on how Australians view democracy at home. Through these case studies, this article sheds some light on the theoretical as well as practical questions about the inherent impediments of authoritarian diffusion in consolidated democracies.     

国会议员与新加坡政治生态——新加坡前国会议员白振华访谈录

本文作者通过邮件和面谈的方式对新加坡知名的政治家、社会活动家和企业家白振华进行了访谈，白振华先生表达了他对新加坡政治生态的观点，为人们了解新加坡政治生态提供了鲜活的第一手资料。     

从菲律宾的劳务输出看中新劳务合作

改革开放以来,中新劳务合作取得了一定的成绩。近年来,中新劳务合作出现一些矛盾与纠纷。如何保住我国劳动力在新加坡劳务市场上的地位,进一步扩大我国对外劳务输出规模?菲律宾作为世界上劳务输出的大国,其独特的劳务政策值得我们借鉴。     

新加坡的劳资关系与工会运动

新加坡和谐稳定的劳资关系,内容丰富的工会运动,全面有效的教育培训,独具特色的工业关系协调员制度,影响广泛的消费合作社等,给我们以多方面的启示。     

新加坡人民行动党执政理念评析

新加坡人民行动党的执政理念可分为三个层面:政党政治理念--国家利益至上,民族团结和睦;政府管理理念--"好政府"与"强政府";社会发展理念--经济发展先于民主政治。从整体来说,人民行动党执政理念是基于新加坡的具体国情,由李光耀等人在长期的执政实践中逐渐形成的,实践已经证明,新加坡人民行动党的执政理念对于人民行动党执政能力的建设,对于执政绩效的创建与提升有着重要的导向意义,是人民行动党宝贵的精神财富。但同时,随着执政环境的变化,特别是在世界民主浪潮冲击下,其局限性也日益显露出来。     

新加坡的职业再造计划及其启示

为降低日益严重的结构性失业问题对劳动力市场的冲击,新加坡工会、雇主、政府三方合作推出职业再造计划,试图通过提升职业形象、改善劳动条件、在提高效率的基础上提高工资的方法增加这些职业的吸引力,并在现有职业的基础上识别和发掘出更多的就业机会以利新加坡人就业。新加坡的经验对中国解决结构性失业问题提供了有益的启示。     

新加坡侨寓文人邱菽园南洋汉诗主题研究

晚清政府内外交困,社会不安定使得很多中国知识分子侨寓南洋寻找生路,其中以新马两地为多。邱菽园有着举人功名、丰厚家产和个人学识的优势,加上办报兴学和雅集诗社,很快成为19、20世纪之交新加坡文坛领袖。他曾因巨额援助维新派起义受到政治牵连,又因经济破产备感世态的炎凉。困顿时期的邱菽园依然保持着知识分子的岗位意识,继续培植新加坡本土文化,他的岗位意识越来越在地化,诗文中出现了更多的本土关怀。纵观其一生的诗文创作和文学活动,一方面邱菽园毕竟根在中国,爱国情结是割舍不断的,与同期南来的左秉隆、黄遵宪等人一样,邱菽园的诗文中有着挥之不去的感时忧国情怀;另一方面,其诗文中开始描摹新加坡在地风土人情,也开始经营本土文人的交际圈。邱菽园丰富的文人交游经历及文人间诗文唱和,在在展示着汉诗在南洋地区的传播历程,同时,也勾勒着海外知识分子从花果飘零的无奈到自觉落地生根的移民心路。     

新加坡反腐倡廉的经验及启示

新加坡虽为一小国,但通过自己的实践摸索出一套适合自己并行之有效的反腐倡廉机制,那就是:制度生廉、监督督廉、教育倡廉、高薪养廉。通过学习和借鉴新加坡的反腐倡廉经验,对建立中国特色的反腐倡廉体系具有重要的理论与现实意义。     

Militarizing civilians in Singapore: preparing for ‘Crisis’ within a calibrated nationalism1

The Singaporean polity has created the ‘militarized civilian’. This policy phenomenon beckons the question: How is this cross-fertilization carried out in Singapore's civil–military relations? Militarization is in the first sense meant to inculcate a calibrated dual personality within the civilian whereby being an effective soldier requires indulging in simulated military suffering as a badge of pride; at the same time, the citizen soldier has to believe that military and civilian values are perfectly interchangeable and contribute equally to the maintenance of peace. In a second sense, militarization is equally about permanently ritualizing sacrifices for a communitarian defence. We argue that while mostly successful, militarization also produces the tension arising from the need to appear pugnaciously vigilant while avoiding the casualties that must logically arise from heightened simulated combat. This tension is explained through two dimensions of ongoing crises: the parameters of a politically dramatized National Service ritual; and the constant propaganda of geopolitical dangers threatening the Republic.