Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Patriarchy And Pragmatism: Ideological Contradictions In State Policies, Lily Kong, Jasmine S. Chan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Theories concerning the state sometimes treat it as a rational system. This paper raises questions about this assumption by examining the coherence of the ideological frameworks underlying state policies in Singapore. The contradictions are shown most clearly when state policies deal with gender issues, especially where they concern women. Through an examination of such policies, we show that, under some conditions, state patriarchy may be subverted by the state's capitalistic developmental considerations. We are aware that patriarchy does not stand or fall by state policies alone, but the following article illustrates how such policies can limit the space for negotiation …

Cultural Policy In Singapore: Negotiating Economic And Socio-Cultural Agendas, Lily Kong

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

In this paper, I examine the role of cultural policy in a newly industrialised economy, which is at the same time a state with a short history and only nascent beginnings in nation-building and efforts to construct a distinctive cultural identity. Using Singapore as the site of analyses, develop an understanding of the intersection between the economic and socio-cultural agendas behind cultural development policies. I illustrate the hegemony of the economic, supported by the ideology and language of pragmatism and globalisation. At the same time, I explore the reception of and attempts to negotiate (and at times, contest) state policies …

The Protection Of Well-Known Marks In Taiwan: From Case Study To General Theory, Kung-Chung Liu

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Although the use of trademarks in China can be traced back over one thousand years (Liu's needle shop with the "white rabbit" mark ca. A.D. 960-1126), a statutory regulation of trademarks was not undertaken until very late in the Qing dynasty, and this only happened due to foreign pressure.' In 1904, the British Herd helped draft the "Shang Piao Chu Ts'e Shih Pan Chang Ch'eng," which never took effect.2 In 1923, the government promulgated the Trade Mark Act and in 1927 the "Ch'iian Kuo Chu Ts'e Chii Chu Ts'e T'iao Li."3 In 1930, the "New Trade Mark Act," 4 which …

Injunctions Restraining Calls On Performance Bonds: Is Fraud The Only Ground In Singapore?, Quentin Loh, Hang Wu Tang

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

This paper traces the divergence of Singapore law from English law with regard to the grounds upon which a call on a performance bond can be restrained, in particular the recent recognition of the Singapore Court of Appeal's ruling that "unconscionability" is a separate ground to restrain the call of a performance bond. This article examines the legal nature of an on demand performance bond and seeks to challenge the assumption that a performance bond is a mirror image of a letter of credit. This paper also discusses the recent case of Cargill International v. Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries …

Achieving Growth Through Corporate Partnerships And Joint Ventures: Will Singapore's Strategic Leap Into The Region Work?, Ravinder K. Zutshi, Wee Liang Tan

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

One of the characteristic features of the East Asian economic development strategy has been the interventionist role of the government in the economic sphere (Amsden 1989; Kwon 1994; Wade 1990; Zutshi and Gibbons 1998). Governments in East Asia have traditionally, worked closely with the private sector. As a result unique business systems embedded in networks and alliances have evolved in countries like Taiwan, Japan, Korea and Singapore (Hamilton and Biggard 1988). Singapore has attempted to extend this model of strategic cooperation beyond its borders into the region. Schein (1996) identifies a number of major development eras in the evolution of …

Enhancing Economic Cooperation: A Regional Arbitration Centre For Asean?, Pearlie Koh

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Economic co-operation within ASEAN can be said to have seriously begun only at the beginning of the nineties. Prior to that, it was well known that, ASEAN as a co-operative grouping, had existed mainly with a political and strategic focus. It is with this focus that ASEAN managed to establish and maintain cohesiveness through the years despite the shaky beginnings of what has been described as a 'brittle alliance' borne of a common fear of communism. And it is with this focus that ASEAN, as a regional grouping, has generally been hailed as a success.

Downsizing, Debürokratisierung Und Krisenmanagement: Neuere Entwicklungstendenzen In Malaysias Öffentlicher Verwaltung, Thomas Menkhoff

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Der Beitrag analysiert mit Blick auf die Asienkrise Entwicklungsaspekte und ausgewählte Strukturmerkmale der öffentlichen Verwaltung in Malaysia, an die nicht zuletzt im Rahmen des derzeitigen Krisenmanagements hohe Anforderungen hinsichtlich Effizienz, Professionalität und Kundenorientiertheit gestellt werden. Besonderes Interesse gilt den vor einigen Jahren eingeleiteten Reform- und Debürokratisierungsmaßnahmen, durch die die Leistungskraft der öffentlichen Verwaltung und der in ihr Tätigen erhöht werden soll. Der Beitrag verdeutlicht die Hintergründe der anhaltenden Restrukturierungsanstrengungen, zeigt interne Schwachstellen auf und untersucht, inwieweit die öffentliche Verwaltung in der Lage ist, die an sie gestellten Erwartungen einzulösen.

Assessing Export Platforms: The Case Of Singapore, Kong Weng Ho, Hian Teck Hoon

Research Collection School Of Economics

The aim of this paper is to try to understand how Singapore was generally successful in its export promoting strategy. Historically, Singapore experimented with an import-substituting strategy in the first half of the sixties in anticipation of forming a common market with Malaysia and also briefly after its independence in 1965. The level of protection, however, was relatively low during its import-substituting phase.

Treatment Of Multi-Courts Jurisdiction Agreements, Seow Hon Tan

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

An increasingly popular manner of drafting jurisdiction clauses in cross-border contracts involves the selection of the courts of more than one jurisdiction. Traditionally, parties would submit all disputes to the courts of a particular country under an exclusive jurisdiction agreement or agree that the transaction is subject to a particular jurisdiction without intending to create an obligation to proceed there and nowhere else. Of late, the Singapore courts have encountered litigation over multi-courts jurisdiction agreements. A common form involves the naming of a particular court with one of the parties being given the option to proceed anywhere else.

Singapore Management University Report To Stakeholders 2000 - 2001, Singapore Management University

Report to Stakeholders

It has been an extremely gratifying first year for SMU. From scratch, we saw a curriculum developed, a more than credible faculty assembled, a campus bloom from the ground in record time, and a small group of bright and very promising young individuals set the standard as the historic pioneer intake of students. How did we even begin to persuade sponsors or students to come on board with us? We had no track record, no alumni, not even an existing undergraduate population. Yet, industry support was unabashedly warm from the time Singapore’s third university was announced. First year application for …

Companies Act (Cap. 50): Memorandum And Articles Of Association Of Singapore Management University (Registration No. 200000267z), Singapore Management University

SMU Press Releases

This is to certify that Singapore Management University is incorporated under the Companies Act Cap. 50 on and from 12/01/2000 and that the company is a public company limited by guarantee.

The objects of the Company are to establish, operate, maintain and promote the Singapore Management University (hereinafter called the 'University') which will provide courses of study or instruction pertaining to management, human resource development and any other fields of knowledge.

Law And Values In Governance: The Singapore Way, Eugene K. B. Tan

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The article examines the role of law and the legal system in catalysing Singapore's development success. It argues that there is a dichotomy in the approach with regard to commercial law and law relating to individual freedom and rights and civil society. Universalism characterises the treatment of commercial laws while cultural relativism and a communitarian-based understanding of rights and obligations are features of the law relating to the rights of the individual. Instrumentalism, driven by a particularistic 'communitarian' political philosophy underpinned by strong Confucianist values, is very much motivated by the need for good governance as a prerequisite for economic …

Resource Commitment, Entry Timing, And Market Performance Of Foreign Direct Investments In Emerging Economics: The Case Of Japanese International Joint Ventures In China, Takehiko Isobe, Shige Makino, David B. Montgomery

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This study examined whether early movers and technology leaders attained superior performance in emerging economic regions. We assessed the determinants and performance consequences of two key aspects of entry strategy, resource commitment to technology transfer and timing of entry, using survey data from over 220 Sino-Japanese joint ventures (JVs) in China. Both high commitment and early entry had positive impacts on the perceived economic performance of the JVs. Yet these relationships were found to be significantly contingent on several internal and external factors, such as the strategic importance of an investment, parental control of a JV, and the availability of …

The Singapore Legal System – History, Theory And Practice, Andrew B.L. Phang

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Law is central to order and stability and, without order and stability, societal as well as economic viability (let alone progress) are impossible The alternative is 'rule of man', and all the dangers of fallibility and (consequently) despotism that that entails. One central difficulty has, of course, been the maintenance of the argument that law is consonant with objective truth for if the law does not in fact possess this quality, then the 'rule of law' turns out to be the 'rule of man' after all. However, it is difficult, on rational grounds at least, to reject the concept of …

An Empirical Analysis Of Unit Trust Performance In Singapore, Joseph H. H. Chia, Yiu Kuen Tse

Research Collection School Of Economics

The Singapore government’s recent strategic plan to develop the financial sector has placed much emphasis on the fund management industry. In this paper we examine the unit trust performance in Singapore in the 90s. Our results show that fund managers in general performed poorly in security analysis and market timing. However, they performed fairly well in risk-adjusted returns and generally maintained well-diversified portfolios. We find that there is little consistency in the performance ranking of the evaluated portfolios, although there is evidence of repeat performance of some top funds. Our analysis also shows that fund managers could indeed make excess …

The E-Landscape: An Unexplored Goldmine Of The New Millennium, Thow Yick Liang

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The Internet is an intangible cyberworld created by the human mind. Exploring and exploiting this e-landscape requires a totally redefined mindset. The fact that it exists in the mental realm also makes it a nonlinear system. In this respect, understanding both intangible and nonlinear dynamics is a requisite to the proper exploitation of e-commerce. The e-landscape is a new edge of chaos where order and disorder co-exist. It could be a goldmine for those who swiftly recognize structure in this highly disordered territory. The tremendous number of opportunities and uncertainties embedded in the submerged portion of this iceberg are still …

Religion And Modernity: Ritual Transformations And The Reconstruction Of Space And Time, Chee Kiong Tong, Lily Kong

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

In this paper, we use the case of Chinese religion in Singapore to examine the relationships between religion and modernity, and between social processes, on the one hand, and spatial conceptions, forms and structures and temporal practices, on the other. Specifically, we look at how traditional Chinese rituals are being modified, reinterpreted and invented to fit with modern living. Such ritual transformations entail reconstructed notions of space and time. Through such transformations, modernity does not simply lead to the demise of religious beliefs and practices but allows for a continued role for religion in providing a meaning system for Chinese …

Hong Kong And Singapore, Sock Yong Phang

Research Collection School Of Economics

There are many similarities between Hong Kong and Singapore. They have both enjoyed high rates of economic growth over the past three decades, averaging six percent a year in real terms. The two have become known as “East Asian Tigers,” having made the transition from poverty to newly industrialized economies in a relatively short time. Both started off as British colonies, with British legal and administrative systems, and made their living as trading ports serving their respective regions. Singapore has been an independent republic since 1965; Hong Kong was returned to China on July 1, 1997. While Hong Kong and …