Please enable JavaScript.

Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.

1.3 Exploring Citizenship and Governance (Role of government in society…

- - - - Police, prisons and civil defence forces protect citizens, proper and whatever society believes should be protected
        
        Social services such as schools and hospitals can exist with the peace and safety that the government provides.
        
        Casino Regulatory Authority (CRA): CRA's core function is to ensure the management and operation of a casino is and remains free from criminal influence or exploitation. CRA ensures that gaming in a casino is conducted honestly. They also contain and control the potential of a casino to cause harm to minors, vulnerable persons and society at large. One rule was the $100 levy imposed for all Singaporeans and permanent residents for each 24-hour entry. Fines were imposed on the casinos when they fail to enforce this. Example in January 2015, the CRA fined Marina Bay Sands $20 000 for failing to prevent 4 Singaporeans and PRs from remaining on its casino premises without valid entry levies after their 24-hour entry levies expired. These social safeguards prevent irresponsible gambling that will create social problems like debt-less and higher crime rate to pay off debts.
        
        Internal Security Department (ISD): ISD's core function is to keep Singapore safe and sovereign for all Singaporeans. To do so, ISD collects accurate intelligence, make impartial assessments and take timely action to counter security threats to Singapore's internal stability and sovereignty. For example in December 2001, ISD arrested members of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) for bomb plots on the American, Australian, British and Israeli embassies. During the raid, a total of 15 people were arrested over a month. Another raid was conducted in August 2002 where 18 people were arrested. They also recovered documents of attack plots and bomb-making information, and surveillance photos on the sites. This made it harder for external terrorists to launch another attack in Singapore.
    - - To ensure the external security of Singapore, the government engages agencies such as the army, navy and air force.
        
        Through the collaborations between the agencies, Singapore's defence is strengthened and potential enemies are deterred from attacking Singapore.
        
        Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) The Singapore Armed Forces: The core function of the Singapore Army is to deter aggression, and should deterrence fail, to secure a swift and decisive victory. The Singapore Army, Navy and Air Force is to be ready and capable of conduction a spectrum of operations to defend the security interests and sovereignty of Singapore. For example, the SAF demonstrated the ability to carry out integrated strike in Exercise Forging Sabre, where air and ground troops relayed information over networks to an integrated command post, which then directed shooters to neutralise targets. The whole fighting system was linked in real-time, allowing the SAF to strike targets with a swifter and deadlier punch. With a competent and technologically advanced SAF, this ensures that Singapore is operationally ready to deter any aggressors. The aggressor will then think twice before attacking Singapore, as all kinds of challenges mounted by the aggressor will fail against a ready Singapore army. Thus the Singapore government ensures external security through the SAF.
        
        Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRA): MRA contributes to the formulation and implementation of Singapore's foreign policy to advance our national interests. It does this by forging strong partnerships at the bilateral and multilateral levels and positioning Singapore as a responsible and constructive member of the international community. This includes haring developmental experience wit other countries through the Singapore Cooperation Programme. Besides that, it provides consular assistance, or help and advice to Singaporeans at home or abroad. MFA assists in maintaining Singapore's external security through diplomacy. For example, Singapore is active in the Association of Southeast Asian States (ASEAN) Through ASEAN, Singapore has strengthened its relationships with its regional neighbours which promotes regional peace and this in turn ensures external security. Example, Singapore and the ASEAN founding members strongly contested the Vietnamese occupation of Cambodia in 1978 that threatened regional security and stability. Singapore also engages in international diplomacy as a member of the United Nations since its independence in 1965. Since 1989, Singapore has sent over 400 police, SAF and civil service officers on UN peacekeeping missions to various counties, example in Iraq (2003 - 2008) where more than 990 SAF personnel participated in a multinational effort to assist in the reconstruction of Iraq. Membership of the UN allows Singapore to gain recognition as a sovereign state, contributing indirectly to her independence and territorial integrity. Membership of the UN also enables a small country such as Singapore to develop friendship with other nations, monitor world trends, collect valuable information and able to react more advantageously thereby ensuring external security.
  - - - The Family Justice Courts provide guidelines on what is defined as family violence, who can apply for Personal Protection Order (PPO), how to apply as well as the actions that can be taken by the courts. A PPO will be granted if the court is sure that family violence has been committed or is likely to be committed against the applicant, and the PPO is necessary for the applicant's protection. If the applicant receives the PPO, the court can take action such as to prevent or restrict a person from entering the applicant's house or part of the house. This protects the victim from further abuse and keeps them safe.
  - - - In Singapore, the government has worked towards developing a people-centered public transport system, which has among others, more connections and services. One improvement was the real-time bus arrival information located in many bus stops. It is also available in the mobile app MyTransport.SG. Through this real-time information, commuters can better estimate the amount of time they need to wait, board the bus and the time they will arrive at their work place. Commuters enjoy more convenience and are better able to plan ahead. Another improvement was the addition of premium bus services to CBD areas like Robinson Road and Shenton Way. Serving some 20 residential estates, these services bring commuters from their neighbourhood directly to the CBD with no stops in between. This allows commuters to enjoy a faster and more comfortable journey.
  - - - This is to ensure that citizens will have a sense of security about living in the country.
        
        The government introduced the WorkRight Initiative to help both employers and employees understand their rights and responsibilities respectively. The area of focus includes ensuring that employees receive timely salary payment, contributions to CPF, statutory leave entitlement and no excessive working hours. This has helped over 42 000 Singaporean beneficiaries, more than half were low-wage workers. The WorkRight Initiative is intended to create awareness of employment rights among low-wage workers and better ensure retirement security for this group of workers.
        
        Central Provident Fund (CPF) enables Singaporeans to finance their housing and healthcare needs, and have a source of lifelong income in retirement. Life expectancy has also instead from 60 years old in the 1950s, to 82 years old in 2015. In fact, life expectancy has increased tremendously today, a third of Singaporeans aged 65 today are expected to live beyond 90. To address this issue, CPF Life was introduced in 2009 to provide Singaporeans with a lifelong monthly payout in retirement to give them greater peace of mind in retirement. The level of payout is based on the amount of CPF savings they have accumulated from the moment they start working, primarily through the CPF Special Account as well as the choice of CPF Life plans. Besides, personal contributions, employers also contribute to their retirement savings. Together with the risk-free interest paid by the government, CPF helps Singaporeans to stretch their retirement savings for as long as they live.
- - - - Contribute through volunteering their time, effort and money towards meaningful social causes they are concerned about.
        
        Their actions can benefit many people directly and the improvements that result can be immediate. Their actions can also inspire others to make similar improvements.
        
        Ms Elisa Ng started A Litter at a Time, as she wanted to encourage citizens to go the extra mile and pick up a piece of litter a day. This is because she was concerned with eh amount of litter around her. She encouraged her children to do regular clean-up exercises. This helped to reduce litter by encouraging Singaporeans to go an extra mile to make Singapore a clean and green country.
    - - Citizens with common interests organise themselves into groups to contribute towards the needs of society.
        
        These groups can have a significant effect on the area of need they are addressing as they can direct collective efforts, ideas and resources towards their causes.
        
        Formal groups have clear objectives and are formally registered with the government.
        
        Mercy Relief was established to respond to human tragedies in Asia. Mercy Relief serves the less-fortunate and needy regardless of country, culture and creed. In 2015, Mercy Relief managed to raise $750 000 to help victims of the Nepal earthquake. They also undertook reconstruction efforts to provide a secure roof for quake survivors and temporary structures to be used by schools. This complemented the 27 relief distribution and 8 medical missions. They helped to provide relief and support for Nepalese who lost their homes after the earthquake. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) can cater to the needs of specific groups in society. By doing so, they complement the role of the government in working for the good of society.
        
        Informal groups are organisations with a specific short-term objective related to issues that arise suddenly. These groups are temporarily formed and may not be registered.
        
        In June 2013, several ground-up initiatives like SG Haze Rescue were started to ask people to help donate excess masks, almost immediately after seeing the Pollutant Standards Index rise to 321. Mr Chua created an informal group to help Singaporeans manage the ill effects of the haze. They received a donation of 200 masks, with 2000 masks later, and 120 volunteers to distribute the masks. In doing so, he contributed towards the efforts to ensure that Singaporeans remained healthy during the haze period.
  - - - Feedback and suggestions from Singaporeans can influence the decisions made and plans for Singapore.
        
        In instances when there are proposals and draft plans, citizen feedback and suggestions may enable necessary changes and improvements to be made.
        
        In 2012, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced a national level conservation where citizens can come together to share their views and ideas about what matters to Singapore, as well as their hopes and dreams. This citizen engagement exercise became known as Our Singapore Conversation (OSC) and this exercise enabled conversations among citizens and between citizens and the government. The OSC took place over one year and involved more than 47 000 Singaporeans from all walks of life. They reflect some of the hopes Singaporeans have to improve our society. As a result of the OSC, the government learnt about Singaporeans' aspirations, and Singaporeans also learnt more about each other's hopes for the future. One key aspiration was a Singapore that is affordable to live in. Some voiced out that housing, healthcare, transport and daily essentials should be affordable for all Singaporeans especially the lower income. As a result, the government tried to make healthcare more affordable by introducing Medishield Life. It covers pre-existing medical conditions, protects for life and pays more of the hospital bill than Medishield. Additional premiums support was also offered to those who could not afford premiums even after subsidies. This makes healthcare more affordable for Singaporeans, especially those with lover incomes. They will pay less for hospitalisation.
    - - Efforts of NGOs can also help refine government politics and point to areas which require more attention.
        
        In 2011, 2 NGOs, the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economic (HOME) and the Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2), put forth their recommendations on improving the working conditions of foreign domestic workers in Singapore. In their report, they recommended that foreign domestic workers be given a day-off a week in recognition of the work they do.
        
        The Singapore Environment Council conducted and ENVision exercise to understand Singaporeans' values and redefine a vision for our environment. It held dialogue sessions from February to April 2014 involving participants from grassroots, businesses, school children, professionals and NGOs who shared their views on Singapore's environmental future. This was recognition that Singapore's clean, gren and safe environment should not be taken for granted.
        
        A VWO that contributes to society is the Movement for Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS). MINDS focuses on catering to the needs of persons with intellectual disability. It helps ensure equal opportunities for children with intellectual disabilities to receive education and later, to be integrated as contributing and responsible citizens in Singapore. MINDS runs special education schools, employment development centres, training and development centres, a multi-service residential home for adults and children, a caregivers support service, a social integration programme and for clients and home-based care services.
  - - - REACH was a platform set up by the government to engage citizens. REACH is accessible via Facebook where it provides information to the public and allows for feedback from them. In 2007, the government wanted to create a space for youths to create, explore and showcase their creative talents, it consulted a range of interest groups, This consultation resulted in the creation of SCAPE. It provided recreational, social and community activities for youths. During the planning stage, over 2200 pieces of feedback on what SCAPE could be was given by youths. Youths were actively involved in the planning and development of the space throughout the project. This helps to promote active citizenry and a sens of belonging to Singapore.
      - Political leaders are also setting up their own communication platforms in social media to stay in touch with citizens as well as receive useful suggestions on issues that affect Singapore. They do so through the forum or feedback pages found in media platforms and websites of governments or government agencies. The feedback can be regarding a policy or programme that currently exists or that is currently being formulated. The feedback helps in providing relevant authorities ideas and perspectives for better understanding of their policies and programmes. This will help inform future planning and decision-making.