Impressions of the Goh Chok Tong Years in Singapore

by Welsh, Bridget; Chin, James; Mahizhnan, Arun; How, tan Tarn

• ISBN13: 9789971694098
• ISBN10: 9971694093
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2010-01-30
• Publisher: Singapore Univ Pr

Summary

Singapore experienced substantial changes during the 14-year tenure of the country's second Prime Minister, Goh Chok Tong (1990-2004). Coming after a long period of growth and stability, the period brought to office a new generation of political leaders who faced the task of sustaining and building upon the policies of their predecessors. There were social and cultural initiatives and significant challenges to the economy arising from the Asian crisis of 1998 and the SARS outbreak in 2003. This volume examines the changes that took place during the Goh premiership and assesses its legacy. The 45 essays in the volume review a range of issues from domestic politics and foreign policy to economic development, society, culture, the arts and media. Book jacket.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. ix
Preface	p. xi
Acknowledgements	p. xiii
Contributors	p. xvi
Goh Gallery	p. xxiii
Introduction: A Redefined Singapore	p. 1
Domestic Politics
Succeeding Charisma	p. 27
A Journalist's Note on a Quiet Rebe	p. 34
Re-Imagining the Nation: Goh Chok Tong's Singapore	p. 40
Public Administration: Change in Style and Continuity in Policy	p. 50
Goh's Consensus Policies of Authoritarian Rul	p. 61
Electoral Battles and Innovations: Recovering Lost Ground	p. 71
Constructing a "Constructive" Opposition	p. 83
Pruning the Banyan Tree? Civil Society in Goh's Singapore	p. 93
Negotiating Boundaries: OB Markers and the Law	p. 107
Foreign Relations and Defence Policy
Forging New Frontiers: Goh Chok Tong's Foreign Policy Legacy	p. 119
Goh Chok Tong the Multilateralist	p. 128
Connecting the Dot: Singapore in ASean	p. 135
Confronting the Weight of History: Singapore and Key Neighbours	p. 144
Shooting Rapids in a Canoe: Singapore and Great Powers	p. 153
Goh to America: Mirrored Contradictory Images	p. 165
Maturing the Singapore Armed Forces: From Poisonous Shrimp to Dolphin	p. 178
Hardening National Security: Emergence of an Agile Scorpion	p. 188
Economics and Policy Challenges
Transforming the Engines of Growth	p. 201
The Economist Prime Minister	p. 220
Spreading the Benefits of Growth and Managing Inequality	p. 230
Educating the Next Generation	p. 240
Prescribing New Economic Medicine for Healthcare	p. 252
Bolstering Population Growth: From Babies to Immigrants	p. 265
Reshaping Urban Space: From A Tropical to Global City	p. 277
Moving from Survival to Sustainability in the Environment	p. 288
Society
Navigating Transnationalism: Immigration and Reconfigured Ethnicity	p. 301
Sailing a Steady Ship: Goh's Multiculturalism	p. 313
Chinese-Singaporean Identity: Subtle Change Amidst Continuity	p. 324
Dilemma and Anguish of the Chinese-Educated	p. 336
A New Dawn in PAP-Malay Relations?	p. 350
Winning Over the Malay Community: Politics of Engagement	p. 363
The Man Who Nurtured Indians and Starred the India Fever	p. 375
Women in the Goh Era: Chartering Empowerment?	p. 387
Soft Exterior, Hard Core: Policies towards Gays	p. 399
Networked Society in an Intelligent Island: Laying the Foundation	p. 409
Culture
To the Market: Cultural Policy Amidst Contesration	p. 425
Liberalising Culture	p. 436
No News Here: Media in Subordination	p. 444
Curious Connections: TalkingCock.com and PM Goh	p. 451
Singapore Sports: Heyday, Hollowness and New Heights	p. 459
Broadening Horizons: Emergence of Contemporary Art in Singapore	p. 470
Redefining the National Museum: New Reflections on Heritage	p. 479
Reviving Singapore Cinema: New Perspectives	p. 491
Missed Opportunities for a Humane Style: Singapore Architecture	p. 501
Bibliography	p. 513
Index	p. 538
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