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Articles by Gillian Koh
Snap Insight: PAP cadres chose cautious renewal in challenging times
SINGAPORE: In the People’s Action Party (PAP) first leadership vote since receiving its strong electoral mandate in the May 2025 general election, only one new name was among the top 12 balloted. Judging from the 19 faces on the ballot determined by the out-going central executive committee (CEC) and the outcome, the pace of leadership renewal was cautious; the diversity in thought and experience in the cadres’ choice, constrained. This, because of the broader context in which the vote was held.
Snap Insight: PAP cadres chose cautious renewal in challenging times Original
SINGAPORE: In the People’s Action Party (PAP) first leadership vote since receiving its strong electoral mandate in the May 2025 general election, only one new name was among the top 12 balloted. Judging from the 19 faces on the ballot determined by the out-going central executive committee (CEC) and the outcome, the pace of leadership renewal was cautious; the diversity in thought and experience in the cadres’ choice, constrained. This, because of the broader context in which the vote was held.
A Digital Exchange for Time and Care to Strengthen Singaporean Families and Community
Recently, at the Festival of Innovation organised by GovInsider here, the question was posed: What difference would it make if women had a greater part in designing and running the digital systems that govern our lives? The answer: That infrastructure would be centred around the principles of empathy, agency and resilience, and recognise that relationships are our most valuable currency. It would help us take better care of our families and community.
Anticipating PM Wong’s First Major Cabinet Reshuffle: A Pivotal Moment for Singapore’s 4G Leadership
As Singapore enters a new phase of political leadership under Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, all eyes are on the anticipated Cabinet reshuffle that follows the General Election (GE). This reshuffle, long hinted at by PM Wong, will mark his first major recalibration of the nation’s leadership team and could significantly shape Singapore’s policy direction and governance in the years ahead.
Political and governance impact of the case of S Iswaran pending the possibility of an appeal against his sentence
Three factors that will determine this are citizens’ faith in the legal process, the PAP credibility in upholding its standards of probity, and the continued efficacy of the national integrity system it and its people are defined by . . . . . Former Transport Minister S. Iswaran was sentenced to a year’s jail on Oct 3 under a law that seeks to ensure that public servants are not susceptible to influence through the receipt of material benefits from parties that have interests in government dealings.
Contestation and Collaboration: Politics in Singapore
Singapore’s fourth Prime Minister, Lawrence Wong who received the leadership mantle on 15 May 2024 from Lee Hsien Loong, is taking neither his position nor that of his party for granted. In an interview with The Economist on May 6, he said that Singaporeans want his People’s Action Party (PAP) to be in power but have a stronger opposition voice in Parliament too.
Commentary: Tharman's presidential win a triumph for multiracial meritocracy in Singapore, with more to come
SINGAPORE: On Friday (Sep 1), citizens delivered a resounding approval to Tharman Shanmugaratnam to be Singapore’s ninth president, giving him 70.4 per cent of the votes. When the former Deputy Prime Minister and Senior Minister declared in June his intention to run for presidency, it seemed difficult to imagine anyone would wish to stand against him.
Commentary: The value of budget surpluses for Singapore in challenging times
SINGAPORE: The national reserves is often a topic of considerable public discussion, what more in the lead-up to a Presidential Election since the Head of State holds the second key to any plans of the government to use them. In a recent interview with CNA, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong described the reserves as providing “one extra card to play” in tough times and said that the “biggest misconception” that Singaporeans can have about the reserves is that “there is such a thing as enough”.
Commentary: Addressing gaps in representation and expectations of Singapore political leadership
Commentary After an uncharacteristic spate of controversies involving ruling party and opposition politicians’ conduct, Singapore’s leaders must also refresh the political compact, says Dr Gillian Koh of the Institute of Policy Studies.
Snap Insight: Heft of Tharman Shanmugaratnam may deter others from contesting Singapore Presidential Election Original
SINGAPORE: It may come as a surprise that Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam offered himself as a candidate in the Presidential Election, and that he will stand down from his government positions including Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore on Jul 7. This follows the incumbent Madam Halimah Yacob’s announcement last week that she will not stand for re-election.
Commentary: Singapore may not be able to outbid the big players, but it has its own ‘secret recipe’
SINGAPORE: At his first outing as keynote speaker at the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) May Day Rally on Monday (May 1), Deputy Prime Minister and prime minister-in-waiting Lawrence Wong issued a strong statement of continued commitment to the partnership that his younger generation of political leaders have with those of the union movement as well as the workers of Singapore.
Commentary: Finding a new equilibrium in society as Singapore’s 4G leaders refresh social compact
DEPENDABLE BUT AVOID DEPENDENCY The first balancing act in the president’s address is this: We need to refresh this social compact - the responsibilities we owe to each other, between the state and people as well as among the people to meet key basic needs - but guard against breeding a dependency or entitlement mindset.
Commentary: Family members should not have to bear burden of looking after dementia patients alone
But unlike infrastructural adequacy that can be achieved through centrally planned resource management, meeting the caregiving needs of dementia patients is not as straightforward. It requires us to involve not just individual families, but all of society in deliberating on the best care for an expected rise in the number of people with dementia here.
Snap Insight: Lawrence Wong’s new PAP post cements future position as first among equals in the party and Government
SINGAPORE: The People’s Action Party (PAP) 37th Central Executive Committee (CEC), members of which were elected by party cadre on Nov 6, announced on Saturday that it created a new post - deputy secretary-general - for its two-year term. What is its significance? Mr Lawrence Wong will be the deputy secretary-general and exercise the powers of the secretary-general, Mr Lee Hsien Loong, when the latter is absent.
Commentary: Back to basics as the PAP confronts a changing world
TURN NEW FACES INTO OLD FACES Singapore’s political transition between the third and fourth prime ministers is set within this context. Along with the Forward Singapore exercise he launched in June this year, Mr Wong seems keenly aware that the task of strengthening the internal capacity of the PAP to engage the public effectively matters as much as getting the national policies right.
Commentary: Decision on Section 377A reflects ‘Singapore formula’ on difficult issues
Commentary The status of Section 377A is in a special breed of political issues where advocates feel that their personal value system and way of life are at stake. The best route in managing them is to find compromise solutions, say the Institute of Policy Studies’ Gillian Koh and Mathew Mathews.
Commentary: Cabinet reshuffle shows how leaders are assembling around Lawrence Wong for complex tasks ahead
At this year’s May Day Rally, Mr Wong said the PAP will seek to “refresh our social compact” between Government and people and draw up a “Forward Singapore” agenda. This is a tried and tested method of exposing junior leaders to the ground. They will be confronted with the complex task of stitching a new consensus across a mix of generations of citizens, with different political ideals, experiences and expectations.
Commentary: Almost one year on, what has livestreaming of Parliament achieved?
SINGAPORE: Since Jan 4, the public has been able to watch the proceedings in Singapore’s Parliament as they unfold, even if few might have lasted through the 10-hour marathon sessions in September and October. This has raised the level of public engagement in the governance process and improved the quality of data and argumentation in our legislature. It surely, also chastened our politicians to maintain integrity and dignity in their approach to the thrust and parry of parliamentary debate.
Commentary: Challenging task ahead for 4G leaders to resolve succession question, as pace of transition weighs heavy
SINGAPORE: In a surprise announcement on Thursday (Apr 8), Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Heng Swee Keat removed himself as successor to the current Prime Minister (PM) Lee Hsien Loong. By stating he would no longer be head of the fourth-generation (4G) team of leaders in Government, Mr Heng has thrown the question of who will succeed PM Lee wide open yet again.
Commentary: How COVID-19 shaped this Singapore Cabinet line-up
SINGAPORE: Leadership renewal continues apace but the management of the health and economic crisis arising from the coronavirus pandemic is top priority. This is the message of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s Cabinet line-up announced 15 days after Singapore’s most recent general election.
Commentary: How the Workers’ Party won big this General Election
SINGAPORE: In Singapore’s 2020 General Election (GE), while voters returned the People’s Action Party (PAP) candidates in 83 out of 93 seats in Parliament, it is the opposition Workers’ Party (WP) that stole the show. Going into the election in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, WP held out the spectre of a PAP “clean sweep” unless voters could beat the instinctive ”flight to safety” of choosing a tried and tested team.
Commentary: Why do humble backgrounds matter as candidates standing for Singapore’s General Election?
SINGAPORE: Nomination Day for the General Election to be held on Jul 10 is over, confirming who the candidates contesting for the 93 seats will be. There will be straight fights between opposition parties and the People’s Action Party (PAP), which has governed Singapore since 1959, in all but one Single Member Constituency (SMC) and one Group Representation Constituency (GRC) which will see three-cornered fights.
Commentary: Steps to a society of compassion and solidarity we can be proud of
A recent survey series found a gap between Singaporeans' perceptions of society today and their ideal model of it. Gillian Koh explores the choices Singapore must make to close this gap. SINGAPORE: "人在江湖，身不由己". This is a commonly used mandarin expression which states that as one steps out into the world, one cannot expect to live as one wishes to. Some may choose, heroically, to pay the price of living by their lofty ideals, but this statement justifies the need to set those ideals aside.
EP report brings greater clarity on Singapore’s governance system
There are two key points that stand out in the recommendations made by the Constitutional Commission to review the Elected Presidency (EP) released by the government last week.First, it acknowledges the arguments raised through its public consultation process for Singapore to revert to a system of an appointed President. Although not part of the commission’s terms of reference, it chose to give its views to “provide some context for further debate on this issue”.
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