Singapore is an immigrant society. When acquired by Britain in 1819 it was populated by only a few hundred Malays living simple lives in fishing villages. In the 1990s it is a thriving city-state, with a population of about 2.7 million.

Singapore is a Chinese city-state. There is a significant Indian minority, and a much smaller Malay community, but political, commercial and cultural power is in the hands of the ethnic Chinese. A major theme in Singapore’s history since the end of the Second World War has been the continuous efforts to create a Singapore identity. What does it mean to be a Singaporean? How can the predominantly Chinese cultural heritage be transformed into a distinctly Singaporean culture? How best can a small, predominantly ethnically Chinese island relate to its overwhelmingly more populous Malay-Muslim neighbors in Malaysia and Indonesia?

In the 1990s Singapore is by far the most prosperous nation in Southeast Asia (aside from the aberration of the tiny State of Brunei). It is a society full of contradictions. In many ways it is a modern Confucian state – mostly paternalistic, sometimes authoritarian and with a strong ideology of the people’s duties towards the state. It is ruled by a close knit meritocratic elite focused on the People's Action Party (PAP). The PAP has held power uninterruptedly since Singapore gained autonomy from the United Kingdom in 1959. Opposition parties exist and regularly contest elections; however, the PAP holds 80 of 83 elected parliamentary seats (1 is vacant) and all ministerial positions. Elections take place at regular, constitutionally mandated intervals. The judiciary is efficient and constitutionally independent; however, there has been a perception that it reflects the views of the executive in politically sensitive cases as government leaders historically have utilized court proceedings, in particular defamation suits, against political opponents and critics. The State claims the right to be involved in all aspects of its people’s lives: asserting the right to influence family size and the nature of personal relationships as well as to determine the structure of the economy.

The State directly owns or controls large sections of the economy and through a government owned investment company has shares in other Singaporean companies as well as overseas. Yet it is also the champion of free enterprise, welcoming foreign multinationals and nurturing its own multinational corporations. It has an enviable record in providing low cost housing, high quality education and extensive health care for all Singaporeans. Yet its social security net is almost non existent, insisting that individuals must work hard and stand on their own feet. It is a state, which encourages aggressive economic activity, and rewards individual ability and achievement. Yet it is a puritan state, with a state controlled local media, strong censorship of foreign media and a very public concern about moral pollution of the young from western cultural influences.

The Singapore government still worries about national identity, with repeated campaigns focusing on one or other aspect of the ideal Singaporean. It is also in the 1990s in the process of rediscovering its past, in part for tourist reasons but also as part of the continued search for a national identity.


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Internet resources to Singapore

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Women in politics, governance and decision-making
There is no legal bar to the participation of women in political life; however, the percentage of women in government and politics does not correspond to their percentage of the population. Women hold 10 of the 84 elected parliamentary seats. There are no female ministers. .

This low representation of women in Singaporean politics reflects the highly Confucian nature of the Singaporean society, which is very paternalistic. According to Association of Women for Action and Research:

Women constitute 42 percent of the labor force and are well represented in many professions but hold few leadership positions in the private sector.  They still hold the preponderance of low-wage jobs such as clerks and secretaries. The average salary of women is only 75 percent of that of men (compared with 68 percent 10 years ago).  Observers note that the wage differential is smaller in professional jobs, and attribute much of the overall wage disparity to average lower educational qualifications by women, and to fewer years of job experience by women due to family commitments, rather than discrimination.

Women enjoy the same legal rights as men in most areas, including civil liberties, employment, commercial activity, and education. The Women's Charter, enacted in 1961, gives women, among other rights, the right to own property, conduct trade, and receive divorce settlements.  Muslim women enjoy most of the rights and protections of the Women's Charter. For the most part, Muslim marriage law falls under the administration of the Muslim Law Act, which empowers the Shari'a court to oversee such matters. 

For the complete report on women's rights situation in Singapore, read this document.

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Important political facts

Political parties

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Political resources

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